Private markets teams are dealing with more data, more stakeholders, and more pressure than ever before… yet reporting and relationship insights still feel harder than they should. As allocator expectations rise and fundraising cycles stretch, relying on static reports and manual CRM workflows is becoming a real bottleneck.
The firms pulling ahead are adopting smarter, more flexible reporting best practices, powered by AI, that help them stay responsive, informed, and proactive. Below are the key moves we see top teams making, and how tools like Dakota Joe, built into Dakota Marketplace, are shaping what comes next.
Across Dakota Marketplace, we work with thousands of fund managers, investor relations teams, and allocators navigating increasingly complex relationship networks. One theme consistently comes up in conversations with IR and distribution leaders: “We have the data, but getting the right insight at the right time is still too hard.”
As CRMs grow more central to private markets workflows, reporting can no longer be something that happens once a month or only lives in spreadsheets. The next evolution is AI-driven, natural-language reporting, and that shift is already underway.
The Best Practices: Future Moves Shaping AI Reporting
1. Move From Static Reports to On-Demand Answers
Traditional reporting has always been backward-looking: monthly updates, quarterly decks, static snapshots that are outdated almost immediately.
AI is changing that.
Instead of building reports in advance and hoping they answer the right question, teams are starting to ask questions as they arise and get answers instantly. Natural-language reporting allows IR and sales teams to interact with CRM data the same way they think… without remembering filters or relying on operations teams.
This is where Dakota Joe fits naturally into the workflow. By allowing users to ask questions in plain language inside Dakota Marketplace, reporting becomes something teams use during conversations, not something they review after the fact.
2. Reporting That Lives Inside the Relationship Workflow
One of the biggest shifts we’re seeing is where reporting actually happens.
Historically, insights lived outside the CRM… in spreadsheets, slide decks, or separate BI tools. The next generation of reporting lives directly alongside allocator profiles, activity history, and relationship notes.
When reporting is embedded in the CRM, context is never lost. Teams can see engagement trends, recent touchpoints, and relationship coverage in one place and act immediately. Tools like Dakota Joe reinforce this by keeping insight and action connected, instead of forcing teams to bounce between systems.
3. From Manual Updates to Automated Awareness
The final shift is about reducing friction altogether.
Rather than rebuilding the same reports repeatedly, teams are moving toward automated and recurring insights that surface what’s changing without being asked. Over time, this opens the door to more predictive signals – like spotting engagement drop-off or identifying momentum during a raise before it becomes obvious.
For investment relations and private market teams managing hundreds of relationships, this kind of automated awareness isn’t a nice-to-have, it’s becoming essential. Dakota Joe is built with this future in mind, helping teams stay informed without adding more manual work to their day.
Why These Best Practices Are Emerging Now
The investment management environment is more competitive and relationship-driven than ever. Allocators have more options, inboxes are more crowded, and teams are expected to do more with fewer resources.
The firms adapting fastest aren’t collecting more data, they’re making their data easier to use. AI-powered reporting best practices remove friction between questions and answers, helping teams focus on what actually drives outcomes: preparation, relevance, and follow-through.
How Dakota Marketplace Supports This Shift
Dakota Marketplace brings allocator intelligence, CRM workflows, and AI-powered reporting together in one platform. With deep coverage across RIAs, family offices, institutional allocators, and private funds, Dakota helps teams research smarter and engage more effectively.
Dakota Joe extends that value by simplifying how teams interact with their data, turning CRM reporting from a bottleneck into a day-to-day advantage.
Ready to put these best practices into action? Book a demo of Dakota Marketplace.
