Software sprawl is killing business growth, according to new research, with tools meant to simplify operations actually making them much more complex.
With more than three-quarters of UK mid-market firms planning to boost their software spend this year, a report from Nintex shows this sharpened focus on rapid adoption means interoperability is being neglected.
Three-in-ten IT leaders said they were using between 51 and 100 SaaS tools, with more than a quarter adding new SaaS tools every two to three weeks. However, despite the fact that 93% of UK firms claim SaaS integration, only a third said their tools were fully interoperable.
This growing array of disparate tools is causing serious headaches for IT leaders, the study found, with 53% reporting data inconsistency and integrity issues.
Half of respondents also said they have downstream challenges with analytics, governance, and security while 86% revealed this was having a moderate to major financial impact on the business.
"The UK’s race to invest in software and AI is rewriting the rules of competition — but speed without structure is a losing game,” said Robert Ekstrom, Nintex regional vice president for EMEA.
“British organizations have recognized that a sprawling, disconnected tech stack isn’t just an IT problem; it’s a barrier to innovation, growth, and resilience.
"The real leaders of 2025 won’t be the ones with the most tools, but the ones with the smartest, most connected foundations."
Cutting down software sprawl is on the to-do list
The good news is that most organizations are aware of the problem, with more than six-in-ten considering tackling software sprawl a high priority.
Nearly half of mid-market organizations are doing this by actively leveraging AI, while a similar number are encouraging their teams to consolidate software onto platforms.
"It’s promising to see a shift underway: organizations that consolidate, integrate, and harness AI to tame complexity will not only survive the digital era — they will define it," said Ekstrom.
Across the four countries surveyed – Australia, the UAE, UK, and the US – just over half of mid-market organizations reported having between 100 and 300 SaaS tools in their tech stack. Only a third said their tech stack was entirely integrated.
More than four-in-ten said software sprawl was leading to manual data entry and duplication, with a similar number reporting workflow and approval delays.
Notably, one-quarter said it was causing poor customer experiences while a third faced challenges in scaling operations.
"No amount of AI or SaaS tools can fix a broken process. Chasing efficiency with a sprawling tech stack is like building on shifting sands — today’s quick wins become tomorrow’s operational risks," said Niranjan Vijayaragavan, chief product officer at Nintex.
"Real progress demands more than tools; it requires intentional process and policy redesign, intelligent workflow orchestration, and a strong, integrated foundation."
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