Verification today is not just about speed. It is about trust, coverage and keeping applicants in flow to convert. Relying on a single source of data leaves gaps. Attempting to patch those gaps with an in-house build may look attractive, but it rarely delivers the reliability or scale that organisations need.

That is where a managed verification waterfall comes in. It combines multiple trusted data sources, resolves conflicts automatically and maintains compliance as standards evolve - all without the engineering and operational burden of building one yourself.
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The pitfalls of going it alone

Building a verification waterfall internally might sound straightforward: try to connect to HMRC, payroll and open banking APIs, then layer on your own reconciliation logic. The reality is far more complex.

Data sources are messy and inconsistent. HMRC records often contain duplicates or unclear employer names. Payroll feeds do not always line up with tax records. Open banking identifies salary payments but lacks employer context. Creating reliable outputs from these inputs requires constant maintenance and specialist logic that is not easy to replicate.

Even if those challenges are overcome, conversion remains a moving target. Applicant behaviours shift, data sources evolve and fraud tactics change. Maintaining high success rates means continual optimisation and updates, not a one-off build. Without this, verifications slip through the cracks and completion rates drop, directly impacting both revenue and applicant experience.

On top of that, data privacy and compliance cannot be ignored. Handling sensitive applicant information requires frameworks, audits and ongoing governance. Many teams underestimate the time and resource commitment that this demands. What begins as a one-off project quickly becomes a permanent overhead.
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What a managed Verification Waterfall delivers

With a managed waterfall, you remove these burdens. Konfir’s Verification Waterfall brings together multiple data sources in a structured sequence, ensuring that results are deduplicated, stitched and returned in a format that is clear and actionable. This does not just improve accuracy, it reduces friction for applicants and eliminates the need for endless manual review.

A managed waterfall is not static. It evolves with changing data standards and regulatory requirements. Improvements to stitching logic, fraud detection and reconciliation are applied continuously, without you needing to build or maintain them. Instead of carrying the engineering and compliance load, you benefit from a system designed to adapt and scale.
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Completing the picture

Even the best digital sources will not cover every applicant. For those who cannot be verified through connected data, a final step is essential. Konfir’s Verification Waterfall includes this safeguard, ensuring applicants do not drop out of the process when digital records alone are not enough.

This approach means higher completion rates, a consistent applicant experience and fewer gaps in your workflow. It also removes the pressure on internal teams to find ad hoc solutions when a check cannot be completed digitally.
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Why the right choice is managed

Modern work is too complex for a single source or a one-off integration to keep pace. Applicants move between roles, combine PAYE and self employment, or work in industries with fragmented records. Without a complete waterfall, checks will fail, and applicants will be left behind.

By choosing a managed waterfall, you gain reliability, scalability and compliance, without carrying the heavy load of building one yourself. It is not just about saving time or reducing admin, it is about ensuring that verifications work for every applicant, every time.

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Want to learn how a multi-source waterfall can transform your verification process?

➡ ️ Get in touch with us today to see how Konfir provides the complete picture.

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