Outcome
A technology architecture design and programme plan to transition from an analogue, manual business model to a digitally-enabled wealth manager.

Including the identification and selection of the third-party technologies and services needed to deliver the integrated capability stack required to achieve our client’s intent.

We based our proposal on detailed client analysis and focused on:

• Leveraging cutting-edge technologies to deliver enhanced productivity
• Automating their product distribution
• Providing their clients with excellent digital interaction.

Client
A fast-growing wealth manager specialising in evidence-based investing for family offices and institutions with the aspiration to scale and launch new business lines aimed at the retail sector.

Challenge
Like many fast-growing wealth managers, our client had grown to the point whereby the processes and technology that had supported the business from inception were no longer fit for purpose.

Whilst suitable when managing a small number of clients at high margins, the reliance on manual processes and Excel spreadsheets placed key individuals in the business under significant pressure.

This key man risk prevented scaling and exposed the business to unacceptable levels of operational risk on a day-to-day basis, requiring the introduction of resource-intensive manual checks and balances.

The existing operational infrastructure also prevented the client from:

• Successfully engaging with existing and new clients via digital channels
• Efficiently launching a new business line offering model portfolios to IFA platforms.

Solution
We broke our activity into three broad stages

Discovery
In this phase, we built an understanding of the business at two levels:

• Business Model: strategic intent, product line, target markets, growth ambition etc.
• Technology and Process: technical analysis of existing processes and systems and review of the ‘in-house’ technology vendor engagement conducted to date.

Vendor engagement and fit analysis:
In this phase, we engaged with the leading vendors who possessed the functionality to support the various requirements gathered in the requirement-setting phase.

Using what we learned during the requirements setting phase we matched our understanding of the client’s business, the work they had already done and our market intelligence to create a vendor shortlist.

We explored the requirements in detail with the vendors to determine how they would fulfil the requirements and intent.

Solutions design and operating model

In this phase, we focused on how the individual vendors could integrate to provide an end-to-end solution which supported the client’s strategy.

We also analysed how technology needed to sit alongside the broader operating model (data, processes, people, data and services) to ensure one aspect was not looked at in isolation.

Once complete we delivered our findings to the client in a series of interactive feedback sessions and provide them with two concise documents:

• A technology architecture and programme plan
• A high-level presentation and vision document to support investor engagement.

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