The rollout of pensions dashboards in the UK may act as a catalyst for wider operational change across the pensions industry, increasing pressure on data quality, administration systems and member communications, Keylane Group CEO, John Reinders, has suggested.

Speaking to European Pensions following Keylane’s acquisition of Heywood Pension Technologies, Reinders said experience from the Netherlands - where a national dashboard system has been live for several years - argued that dashboards should be seen as the starting point for ongoing operational and communication demands.

“In markets where dashboards are already live, participant communication quickly becomes one of the leading priorities,” he noted, pointing to the Dutch market, which is managing dashboards alongside a major pensions reform.

By 1 January 2028, all Dutch occupational pension schemes must transition to either the flexible premium arrangement (FPR) or the solidarity premium scheme (SPR).

The reform is intended to improve transparency and sustainability by moving away from fixed-benefit promises toward contribution-based accruals linked to investment performance.

Reinders warned that increased digital engagement from members typically exposes weaknesses in legacy administration platforms, particularly where data remains fragmented or processes rely heavily on manual intervention.

“There is a huge amount of data in pension systems,” he stressed, adding that turning this information into usable insight will be essential to improving efficiency and controlling costs as expectations rise.

From a UK perspective, Heywood Pension Technologies CEO, Sian Jones, argued that dashboards were already placing new demands on administrators, with the most significant operational impact likely to come once member usage accelerates.

“Most people are connected, but we all need to see it go live,” she said, adding that evidence from other markets suggests dashboards often drive further change, including increased automation and higher expectations around user experience.

Jones explained that greater member visibility of pension data tends to increase demand for clearer information and more responsive administration, requiring systems that can adapt quickly as regulation and behaviour evolve.

Both executives highlighted the scale of manual and repetitive activity still embedded across pensions administration, arguing that better use of data and automation will be necessary to manage long-term cost pressures as dashboards move closer to full rollout.

Against this backdrop, Reinders said firms are increasingly looking to broaden their capabilities and share experience across markets as operational demands grow.

He explained this was one of the factors behind Keylane’s acquisition of Heywood, which brings together defined benefit (DB), defined contribution (DC) and insurance administration capabilities under a single group.

Echoing this, Jones said the deal reflected the need for platforms that can support schemes managing DB run-off alongside growing DC provision, without adding operational complexity for administrators or members.

Under the transaction, Heywood will retain day-to-day operational autonomy, with its existing executive team continuing to execute its strategy while drawing on shared technology development across the wider Keylane group.

While the value of the acquisition was not disclosed, both executives emphasised the importance of administration platforms being able to respond to regulatory change, rising dashboard usage and growing operational demands across the pensions industry.

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