FINRA eFOCUS USER SURVEY · 30 Participants · n=30 meets directional research threshold · Screenshot or print to PDF for PPT import
UX Research · User Survey Results
FINRA eFOCUS
User Survey

Quantitative feedback from regulatory reporting professionals on usability, workflow friction, and feature priorities in the eFOCUS filing platform.

Respondents
30 Participants
Roles Covered
Associate · CFO / FinOp · Consultant
Study Period
April – August 2019
Questions
8 Quantitative Items
Q1
How often do you use the eFOCUS application or submit a FOCUS filing?
Answered: 30  ·  Skipped: 0
Monthly
80%
Quarterly
10%
Weekly
10%
Daily
0%
Answer Choices
Responses
Monthly
80%  24
Quarterly
10%  3
Weekly
10%  3
Daily
0%  0
Total
30
💡80% of users file on a monthly cycle — confirming that deadline management and filing preparation are the dominant use-case pressure points.
FINRA eFOCUS User Survey · 2019 · n=30
Q2
What are your general impressions of eFOCUS — how well has it met your needs?
Answered: 30  ·  Skipped: 0
Meets needs well
10%
Meets basic needs
20%
Partially meets needs
47%
Does not meet needs
23%
Answer Choices
Responses
Meets needs well
10%  3
Meets basic needs
20%  6
Partially meets needs
47%  14
Does not meet needs
23%  7
Total
30
⚠️70% of users feel eFOCUS only partially meets or does not meet their needs — a clear and consistent signal of significant opportunity for redesign impact.
FINRA eFOCUS User Survey · 2019 · n=30
Q3
How much time do you typically spend entering data per filing cycle?
Answered: 30  ·  Skipped: 0
Under 1 hour
0%
1–2 hours
10%
2–4 hours
43%
4–6 hours
37%
6+ hours
10%
Answer Choices
Responses
Under 1 hour
0%  0
1–2 hours
10%  3
2–4 hours
43%  13
4–6 hours
37%  11
6+ hours
10%  3
Total
30
🕐90% of users spend 2 or more hours on manual data entry per cycle — 27 of 30 respondents — making a strong quantitative case for Excel / XML import functionality.
FINRA eFOCUS User Survey · 2019 · n=30
Q4
How well does eFOCUS currently support your deadline tracking and filing schedule needs?
Answered: 30  ·  Skipped: 0
Very well
0%
Somewhat well
10%
Neutral
20%
Not very well
47%
Not at all
23%
Answer Choices
Responses
Very well
0%  0
Somewhat well
10%  3
Neutral
20%  6
Not very well
47%  14
Not at all
23%  7
Total
30
📅70% rate deadline tracking support as poor — 21 of 30 respondents manage filing calendars entirely outside eFOCUS, a gap with a clear and immediate fix.
FINRA eFOCUS User Survey · 2019 · n=30
Q5
How often do you experience data errors or need to rework entries before a filing can be submitted?
Answered: 30  ·  Skipped: 0
Almost always
20%
Often
43%
Sometimes
27%
Rarely
10%
Never
0%
Answer Choices
Responses
Almost always
20%  6
Often
43%  13
Sometimes
27%  8
Rarely
10%  3
Never
0%  0
Total
30
🔁63% experience rework often or almost always — 19 of 30 respondents — compounding time costs and creating significant pressure at the deadline window.
FINRA eFOCUS User Survey · 2019 · n=30
Q6
How satisfied are you with the review and approval workflow between associates and senior reviewers?
Answered: 30  ·  Skipped: 0
Very satisfied
0%
Satisfied
10%
Neutral
20%
Dissatisfied
47%
Very dissatisfied
23%
Answer Choices
Responses
Very satisfied
0%  0
Satisfied
10%  3
Neutral
20%  6
Dissatisfied
47%  14
Very dissatisfied
23%  7
Total
30
📋70% are dissatisfied with review workflows — 21 of 30 respondents. The absence of in-platform annotation forces all CFO-to-associate feedback out-of-band.
FINRA eFOCUS User Survey · 2019 · n=30
Q7
Which features would be most useful if added to eFOCUS? (Select all that apply)
Answered: 30  ·  Skipped: 0
Data import (Excel/XML)
90%
Deadline notifications
87%
In-platform annotations
80%
Inline help by line item
63%
Trending / analytics view
57%
Extension workflow
33%
Answer Choices
Responses
Data import (Excel/XML)
90%  27
Deadline notifications
87%  26
In-platform annotations
80%  24
Inline help / line item
63%  19
Trending / analytics
57%  17
Extension workflow
33%  10
Total (multi-select)
30
🏆Data import (90%) and deadline notifications (87%) lead feature priorities — 27 and 26 of 30 respondents respectively, directly confirming the top interview findings.
FINRA eFOCUS User Survey · 2019 · n=30
Q8
How likely are you to recommend eFOCUS improvements to a colleague or peer at another firm?
Answered: 30  ·  Skipped: 0
Very likely
57%
Likely
33%
Neutral
10%
Unlikely
0%
Very unlikely
0%
Answer Choices
Responses
Very likely
57%  17
Likely
33%  10
Neutral
10%  3
Unlikely
0%  0
Very unlikely
0%  0
Total
30
✅90% would advocate for eFOCUS improvements — 27 of 30 respondents. Users are invested in the platform's success; friction points are fixable, not fundamental.
FINRA eFOCUS User Survey · 2019 · n=30
Summary
Key Findings — What the Data Tells Us
30 Respondents · 8 Questions
90%
Spend 2+ hours on manual data entry per filing cycle
27 of 30 respondents. Strongest quantitative driver for prioritizing Excel / XML import in the redesign.
70%
Rate deadline tracking support as poor or non-existent
21 of 30 respondents track filing calendars entirely outside eFOCUS — a gap with a clear, immediate fix.
90%
Selected data import as the top feature priority
27 of 30 respondents. Deadline notifications followed at 87% (26 of 30) — the two features directly address the biggest friction points.
63%
Experience data rework often or almost always before submission
19 of 30 respondents. Rework during tight deadline windows creates compounded risk of missed filing dates.
70%
Are dissatisfied with the review and approval workflow
21 of 30 respondents. No in-platform feedback channel forces all CFO–associate communication out-of-band.
90%
Would advocate for eFOCUS improvements to peers at other firms
27 of 30 respondents. Users are engaged and invested — friction is addressable, not a rejection of the platform.
FINRA eFOCUS User Survey · 2019 · Summary · n=30
SOURCE: User interviews · CIT Capital Securities LLC · Use case diagram Aug 2018