The Finance & Technology Research Centre (F&TRC) has soft launched a free software comparison tool to help advisers compare available software according to their own priorities.
The tool identifies an adviser's priorities by asking them to consider 29 different areas, it them compares these priorities against benchmarks created by the F&TRC.
The tool will look at an adviser's needs with regard to fact finding, adviser charging, suitability, diary management and work flow.
The F&TRC has taken several years to develop the tool which is now ready to be rolled out to a limited number of advisers and providers.
Ian McKenna director of F&TRC said the tool would probably be available to all advisers by the end of the year.
The tool will also be launched alongside a free financial planning tools comparison site.
McKenna said: "The idea is to identify what advisers' priorities are according to the 29 criteria, then compare these priorities against benchmarks which we have created.
"Information on adviser priorities is very useful for us. They will give us their high level requirements and priorities weighting for which they get an initial analysis. They can then go in and refine their requirements."
He added: "This tool will be better for advisers than just speaking to sales people because it will help them work out what it is they want. Sales people will show off the best bit of their software, regardless of the adviser's priorities.
"The comparison tools are just part of a wider comparison programme that we plan to develop over time. For example, we are also currently working on an auto-enrolment tool for the longer term."
