Managing the selection process especially focused on data management, investment accounting, managed services, hedge fund solutions and OTC derivatives
Sample Projects
Systems Review of all Major Vendor Specialist Derivative Systems
- Project sub-contracted from a leading US consulting firm to assess front to back specialist derivative systems
- Compiled a highly detailed matrix of each vendor solutions’ functionality
- Produced a review of each products’ technology
- Assessed each vendor on non-functional requirements such as professional services, ability to scale and market reputation
- Developed a detailed scoring methodology
- Filtered each solution into where it best fitted with client requirements and profile
Data Management System and Managed Services Solution for a Large Scottish Asset Manager
- Commenced the project by comparing current functions to the ‘market standard’
- Identified gaps and produced a highly detailed business requirements document
- The requirements were gathered from all areas of the firm including:
- Front office investment management team
- Pricing
- Benchmarks
- Data feeds
- Operations teams
- Risk management
- Performance measurement
- Fund accounting
- Ran a system selection process for an operational data management system
- Simultaneously, ran a selection process for an outsourced data managed service
- Selected the ‘long list’ of vendors and whittled the list down to six with the client
- Wrote both RFP papers and managed relationships with the vendors
- Developed a scoring methodology
- Boiled the list down to two vendors for the on-site data management solution and two for the managed service
- Wrote demo scripts and managed on-site demonstrations from all providers
- Scored the demos and followed up with extensive workshops by business area
- Presented final recommendations to senior management
System Selection for a Russian Hedge Fund
- Undertook a detailed review of the client’s day to day processing and system requirements
- Documented all current flows with known pain-points
- Managed the entire vendor selection process
- Selected four vendors with hedge funds as their target market
- Conducted a full Request for Proposal (RFP) process
- Designed and agreeing scoring methodology with the client
- Undertook the final scoring of RFPs
- Arranged scripts of all vendor demonstrations
- Reduced vendor list down to two and recommendations for final selection
- Evaluated vendors on functionality, risk profiles and pricing points
- Recommended the selection of one vendor to the client
- Assisted with contract negotiations and produced a project plan for implementation
Investment Accounting System Selection for one of the Largest Global Swiss Banks / Asset Manager
- Engaged to assist with moving off a legacy system to a more modern best of breed investment accounting system
- The firm had global offices so the solution needed to be capable of handling local jurisdiction accounting requirements
- Documented each offices’ business requirements by business function
- Produced an extensive RFP document and invited six major vendors to complete
- Narrowed the list down to three for demonstrations
- Attended all demonstrations and made all follow ups with vendors
- Produced a recommendation paper and assisted the client in their final selection
Data Management System Selection for a Major Swiss Insurance and Asset Management Firm
- Engaged by the client as their current technical landscape contained a number of components that were performing similar functions, but over different data sets
- The project was not only to assist in selection a good fit data management solution but also to advise on how duplication of processes could be reduced or eliminated
- This overlap of functions, suggested there was scope for rationalization within the current architecture, to reduce costs, and to improve integration
- Wrote a detailed cost /benefits analysis showing how cost savings could be made by reducing IT support spend, reducing annual licence fees and improving business processes
- Three vendors from an initial list of 10 were selected for an RFP process
- The vendors were scored on various key areas such as their data models, their future development plans and their ability to support all instrument types
- Ultimately, recommended the best way for the client to reduce costs, without significant capital injection, this was to replace the market and static reference systems in addition to replacing their internal data store with vendor products