Client: Service Providers & Outsourcers

Outsourcing: An Insider’s Framework for Finding the Right Service Provider

Now more than ever, investment managers are outsourcing the responsibility of improving operational efficiency. Service providers taking on this task have enhanced their offerings over the last several years to accommodate the ever-changing complexity of the financial services industry. As such, your firm will need a focused due diligence effort to assess the available options in the marketplace. This includes evaluating the capabilities of different market solutions, the ability to configure versus customize, the overall operational model and, most important, assessing your readiness for the transformation itself. Meradia’s consultants leverage their decades of outsourcing experience to provide a framework for your firm’s next outsourcing project.

by Tom McCorkell, Senior Manager
Jeremy Welch, Manager

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Blinded by Pageantry: the Perils of Neglecting Performance Data Readiness

Once the decision to replace an investment performance system has been made, most firms kick off the effort by mobilizing a formidable complement of resources, all charged with a single objective: selecting the vendor(s) who will make it so. Sponsors, steering committees, stakeholders, managers, experts and analysts are convened. RFPs listing thousands of criteria, elaborate scoring schemes, long lists and short lists are constructed. Initial and targeted demos, proof-of-concept, final selection, management approvals and contract negotiations are conducted. Boxes are ticked. This elaborate pageant commands vast amounts of both internal resources and calendar time — once the winner has finally been announced, a festive celebration is held, and backs are patted all around.

by Mark R. David, CFA…

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2022 Industry Outlook: Investment Performance

Investment performance teams are under pressure to adapt to economic and market volatility amid rapid industry consolidation, operational outsourcing and technological disruption. When working with institutional asset managers, asset owners, wealth managers, insurers, and asset servicing vendors, Meradia has observed the impact of these trends firsthand. Here, we examine the forces at play and how the industry may evolve in 2022 and beyond.

by the Meradia Investment Performance Practice

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Look Before You Leap: A Risk-Based Framework To Aid Middle- and Back-Office Outsourcing

The consolidation of middle- and back-office outsourcing is gaining popularity across the investment management industry. To date, there have been many debates around the pros and cons of this trend. Whether your firm has already made the decision to outsource or is actively evaluating options, there’s much to consider. How do you know you’ve made the right choice? Have you considered the most important factors? We believe wearing a “special” lens might reveal insights missing in existing discussions, paving the way for a novel method to assess comparable offerings and potentially result in superior outcomes.

by Jose R. Michaelraj, CIPM, CAIA Senior Consultant…

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3 Red Flags You Are Missing Business Transformation Opportunities

Have you selected a new investment operations system to replace your legacy technology and manual workarounds? Or have you decided to outsource investment operations to a service provider?

Both efforts are significant, and likely the largest your part of the organization has ever seen. Are you making the right decisions? Or are you missing a golden opportunity to advance your business and improve the way you work? Here are three red flags you’re overlooking business transformation opportunities.

by Brian J. Lollar, Managing Director…

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What is a Performance Book of Record (PBOR), and Why is it Important to Leverage Data as an Asset and Driver of Growth?

The concept of a Performance Book of Record (PBOR) has continued to evolve across the investment management industry. This paper, which was featured in the Journal of Performance Measurement, outlines the state of PBOR today and why it can help firms leverage enterprise data for future growth.

by Richard E. Mailhos, Principal and Investment Performance Practice Lead

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Signs It’s Time To Re-Evaluate Your Outsource Solution

Has your outsource solution lived up to its expectations? Have real-world problems with integration and the production environment simply shifted bottlenecks or errors to new areas? Key operational components and workflows are the lifeblood of any large organization. But when decisions to outsource were made years or even decades ago, the criteria becomes dated and inapplicable. Don’t overlook these three signs it’s time to re-evaluate your outsource solution.

by Benjamin P. Smith, Client Partner…

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Self-Service Client Reporting: Challenges and Considerations

The risks and challenges presented here within are a sample of factors to consider when evaluating self-service reporting functionality. At the outset, providing electronic access to data seems simple. Layering increased data scrutiny by end-users with regulatory expectations that mimic those included on printed, scripted and static reports is complex. Identifying your firm’s specific challenges and charting a course to overcome them is a worthwhile, rewarding endeavor that will improve relationships with your clients. Meradia has a long history of helping clients with reporting challenges – including self-service reporting.

by Laurie J. Hesketh, CIPM, PMP, Managing Director

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Multi-Asset Class Investing: Part 2 – Meeting the Process Challenge

Meradia has observed a strong uptick in activity around Multi-Asset Class (MAC) investment products and strategies. We see managers across the globe expanding current MAC offerings and introducing new ones; consequently, generating demand for new support around analytic methodologies, data, and technology.

This series explores our view of the MAC phenomenon in depth, from origins to solutions. In our first of three installments, we looked at market and industry trends that seem to be driving the evolution of MAC toward more sophisticated strategies and methods. In this second installment, we examine the MAC investment process itself: What are the methods and practices that successful MAC managers employ, and how do these distinguish MAC from more traditional approaches?

by Mark R. David, CFA, Director of Performance, Risk & Analytics

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