Data Management Insights

The private capital market is in the midst of exceptional in-flows, attracting significant investments of capital towards alternative asset classes such as private equity, private debt, and private real estate. This remarkable growth is propelled by several key factors. Investors, aiming to strengthen their portfolios, are increasingly turning to these asset classes as effective hedges against the volatility found in stock and bond markets. On the other hand, private capital firms are driving this growth as they seek to enhance their top lines and remain competitive in an intensifying landscape. They are strategically targeting new types of investors, penetrating different jurisdictions, and diversifying their product suites.   [...]

If you have the budget, know-how and, yes, the fortitude to take it on — in software development, if something can go wrong, it's almost guaranteed to do so — building enterprise software in-house can seem like an attractive proposition.  But while there's no arguing with the benefits of getting it right — a completely bespoke, tailor-made platform that fits like a glove into your legacy infrastructure (and which you could potentially monetise) — there's an important question you should ask yourself before you get stuck in.  Is it worth the risk? Admittedly, we're a bit biased. But we strongly believe the answer to this question should [...]

While the Covid-19 pandemic thrust asset managers into uncharted territory, they've proved themselves remarkably resilient. Faced with the prospect of adapting quickly or not doing business for the foreseeable future, the industry made 5 years' worth of digital progress in just a few months.  But if 2020 — and the first part of 2021 — have shown it's possible to digitalise successfully even if you're a traditional firm with legacy issues, that doesn't mean it's going to be plain sailing from here on out. Even as physical restrictions are lifted and vaccine rollouts are giving us hope of a return to normality.   So what are the [...]

While organisations are investing in technology more than ever before — Gartner expects global spending to hit $3.9 trillion by the end of 2021 — returns aren't a given. From getting the technicalities and logistics right to winning over key stakeholders, implementing new technology is a complex undertaking. And even seemingly minor issues can make the process trickier than it has to be.  So where can tech implementation go wrong? And what can you do to make sure the project stays on track? In this post, we'll look at 6 critical mistakes that can derail your project and the steps you can take to avoid them.  [...]

Sharing research, product information, and other data with your competitors probably isn't the first thing you'd think of when looking for ways to grow your business, work more efficiently, and manage risk better.  If anything, it would be last on your list.  Or not on your list at all.  Why share potentially sensitive information with firms that are vying for the same customers you are? But while it sounds counterintuitive, this approach can deliver huge dividends for everyone. When firms organise, share, and manage data together, they can create value — for both themselves and their customers — that goes far beyond what they could ever achieve [...]

We are fast approaching a perfect storm in asset management.   From our standpoint here at Fundipedia, a data agnostic data management platform used by a range of high-profile firms such as M&G and Barclays, we have a unique perspective on the market and the challenges it faces in the next three to five years. In summary, we expect firms that are ship shape i.e. they already invest in resources, technology and drive their business forward with a clear operational focus and strategic objectives around data governance, will come out ahead. Admittedly this was always the case – but the same COVID-19 outcomes which have accelerated the demise [...]

The asset management industry entered 2020 with a great deal of optimism.  Sadly, the trials and tribulations of this year will have impacted this perspective. Despite this, the smartest firms will continue to invest in their people and technology and attempt to do better than just trying to keep business as usual ticking over.  We are already seeing a marked difference between firms that are struggling to maintain their pre-COVID status quo, and those who have forged ahead to attack the challenges 2020 offers head on. What are the challenges? Here, we will explore the four most pressing challenges facing the asset management industry, and provide specific [...]

When your business invests in an effective enterprise data management (EDM) solution, you will gain a core advantage of holding your critical data in one manageable location. In a time where the vast quantity of data typically found in asset management firms, these systems are becoming more critical than ever.   However, to truly harness that data and use it to guide meaningful decisions within your organisation, you need a clear idea of its quality.   Poor data quality can lead to significant issues if it is used to guide a company's direction. If it is outdated, inaccurate, ambiguous or incomplete, this can subsequently result in wayward strategies, as well [...]

Today's businesses are driven by data. The vast amount of data that companies generate and amass on a day-to-day basis is at the heart of unlocking new opportunities, developing their processes and fulfilling their true potential. However, this is typically only true for organisations who have gotten to grips with data governance. It is one thing to create and collect data – it is another thing entirely to truly own, understand and utilise it.  Consider your own company for a moment – do you have answers to the following? What does the data we've collected actually mean? Can I trust our data? Where did our data come [...]

In my experience, the biggest hurdle to overcome when introducing a new data initiative is found right near the beginning – getting executive buy-in. While data is the driving force behind the development of businesses in many industries, especially within the financial services sector, setting an initiative in motion that's designed to capture, store and govern this information can be a real challenge. That's because any effective data initiative needs to present business-wide benefits, not just be contained to a single department. Without a holistic approach, you risk the rest of your organisation ignoring this new source of data, rendering it ineffective in the grand scheme of [...]

By Simon Swords, Managing Director It's a question that many individuals are confronted with at some point in their career: "Should we buy this software solution, or are we better off building our own?" As the MD of a software company myself, I understand this dilemma very well. When you have the in-house skills and resources to develop your own bespoke solution to a problem, there will be a strong desire to go this route for reasons that include: You won't be required to pay an annual fee to another company for the solution You wouldn't become dependent on the supplier of said solution You will have [...]