Asset managers can leverage cloud computing and as-a-service models to modernize their reporting, thus meeting the information demands of clients, regulators and decision makers, while reducing capital investments.
Asset Management: Reinventing Reporting for the New Era of Transparency and Compliance
1. • Cognizant Reports
Asset Management: Reinventing
Reporting For the New Era of
Transparency and Compliance
Executive Summary industry is adjusting to the five transformative
As assets under management (AUM) inch back forces (see Figure 2, page 3) that are causing
to pre-crisis levels, it may appear as if the asset them to rethink their operating models. To stay
management industry has weathered the finan- competitive, asset managers must continue to
cial storm. However, the transformative forces focus on their core business of creating innovative
in today’s world are compelling asset managers investment strategies and offering the highest
to rethink their operating models for effectively level of client service while coping with the
addressing demands from clients and regulators. onslaught of financial regulation.
One such decision is to reassess reporting, data Restoring Client Confidence
management and decision support capabilities While buoyant investor confidence marked the
within the firm, specifically those related to heyday preceding the U.S. credit crisis, a series
post-trade areas, such as operational reporting, of economic shocks and scandals have signifi-
business intelligence, firm-level executive cantly dented investor confidence. To restore
dashboards and client reporting. The emergence client confidence, asset managers need to scale
of cloud computing-based models offers asset new heights in client servicing and transparency.
managers the ability to source reporting as a
service from a provider via a variable, usage-based Focus on client servicing: Client service has
payment model. Asset managers can leverage emerged as a key focus area for asset managers.
such emerging service models to modernize Studies indicate that asset managers who have
their reporting in order to meet the information mastered the art of servicing their clients are
demands of clients, regulators and decision- able to retain assets even during difficult times.1
makers, while obviating the need for ongoing An Investment Metrics survey conducted by
capital investments in their platforms. Chatham Partners during November 2010 reveals
that institutional investor satisfaction with invest-
Transformative Forces ment managers is greatly influenced by client
Even as AUM returns to pre-crisis levels (see service, regardless of the economic climate or
Figure 1, next page), the asset management investment performance (see Figure 3, page 4).
cognizant reports | april 2012
2. The study indicates that 60% of overall complete, accurate and timely information
satisfaction can be attributed to investment of their portfolio holdings and performance.
performance, but this can often be cyclical and Heightened transparency by asset managers
unpredictable. The rest, 40%, is attributable to is increasingly viewed as critical to boosting
client service that can be delivered consistently. institutional investors’ transparency efforts.
More important, of the top-five factors in order of
importance attributable to client service, two are Dawn of a Compliance-Driven Future
related to client reporting (see Figure 4, page 5). An unprecedented wave of financial regulation
on both sides of the Atlantic is subjecting asset
Both institutional and retail investors alike are managers to a greater level of regulatory scrutiny.
demanding greater value addition from their Several regulations, such as the Dodd-Frank Act,
asset managers, such as research and analytics, MiFID II and Solvency II (which are focused on
in addition to the expected offerings of better improving investor protection, transparency and
client servicing, fund performance against the liquidity, as well as systemic and firm-level risk
benchmark and absolute returns. Investors are management), have resulted in new reporting
also emphasizing customized solutions2 that are requirements3 for asset managers. This under-
focused on specific outcomes or timeframes. scores the need for aggregating, integrating
Demand is also growing for information, research and managing data across firm operations for
and tools that enable slicing and dicing of data reporting purposes, a daunting task for most
to understand portfolio performance and risks, asset managers.4 A firm's data management
whether periodically, on-demand and in real time. and reporting platforms need to be adaptable to
Platforms that meet these new expectations can adequately cope with such regulations.
better engage customers and help generate more
business. Beyond meeting the need for greater Global Assets and Operations
transparency, asset managers who find innova- While allocation of assets across the globe is not
tive ways of providing differentiated services will a new phenomenon, the trend is likely to intensify.
be ideally positioned to win market share. According to a survey of institutional investors in
2011 by McKinsey & Co.,5 allocations to emerg-
Focus on transparency: The AUM recovery ing markets have increased by a factor of three
in 2010-2011 was accompanied by a height- during the past five years. The share of emerg-
ened demand for transparency. Institutional ing markets in global AUM is expected to increase
investors such as insurance funds, pension from 11% in 2009 to 15% in 2015, and the share
funds, corporate and other entities have of profits is projected to rise from 27% to 35%
increased their scrutiny, and they now demand during the same period (see Figure 5, page 5).
AUM, Revenues and Profitability
Operating profits improved in 2010, but gains were less impressive in 2011 due to market declines and
cost growth.
Average AUM Revenues Expenses Profits
100 100 107 100
94 90
90 90
96
94 78 101 76
100 75
92
96
55
86
90
2007 '08 '09 '10 '11* 2007 '08 '09 '10 '11* 2007 '08 '09 '10 '11* 2007 '08 '09 '10 '11*
Index: The year 2007=100
*
McKinsey forecasts, based on 3Q 2011 reported results
Source: 2011 McKinsey/U.S. Institute Asset Management Survey; Merrill Lynch
Figure 1
cognizant reports 2
3. Five Forces Driving A New Era Of Transparency and Compliance
Transformative
Events/Drivers Imperatives Technology Implications
Forces
Need to restore • U.S. financial crisis • Better understanding • Demand for aggregated
investor confidence
• Madoff scandal of the portfolio’s risk
exposure.
client-level views with
transparent reporting
• Eurozone debt contagion
• Adaptable allocation on individual holdings
and transactions.
strategies that allow
taking advantage of • Advanced analytics and
global investment data cubes that support
opportunities. real-time, ad hoc analysis.
• Self-help analysis tools • Multiple channels for
for analyzing impact consuming data, anytime,
of unfolding economic anywhere.
events on the portfolio.
• Increased transparency
and granularity in
reporting.
• Focus on client servicing.
Regulations • Dodd-Frank Act • Adaptable business • Increased need for
• MiFID II model in light of the
revised regulatory
data management and
governance to produce
• Basel III regime. accurate firm-level data.
• Solvency II • Agility in meeting • Reporting tools capable
regulatory requirements. of producing aggregated
• Higher cost of dashboards and data
analytics.
compliance.
Global assets and • Increasing importance of • Client need for asset • Demand for holistic views
operations emerging markets as an allocation in global that integrate data from
asset class. asset classes. global operations.
• Significant shift in • Global operations to tap • Insightful performance
wealth to East, resulting into investable assets and risk analytics that
in increased focus on within emerging markets. provide decision support
emerging markets for
raising new asset sources.
• Increased regional for complex investment
strategies.
regulations.
• Slowdown in developed • Increased infrastructure • Increased data
economies. requirements. management and
robust data strategy.
Margin squeeze: • Volatile financial markets. • Increased pressure on • Robust, adaptable archi-
Pressure on top-line
• Shift in client preference fees. tecture that can cater to
and bottom-line to ETF and index-based • Lower fees from ETF and changing requirements
without proportionally
passive investments. passive investments.
increasing total cost of
• Challenges in raising • Higher operating and ownership.
new assets from clients. technology costs.
New technologies • Increasing use of mobile • Increased real-time • Scalable cloud- based
phones, tablets and communication with platforms.
social media. clients. • Newer channels for
• Cloud computing. • Adoption of variable cost information delivery,
• Next-generation user services and technology such as mobile channels.
experience. platforms. • Emergence of social
• Intuitive, easy-to-use media as a competitive
interface. differentiator.
Source: Cognizant Research Center
Figure 2
cognizant reports 3
4. Investors in the U.S. and Europe are increas- reporting.9 Changing client preferences are bound
ingly looking to global investment exposure for to put upward pressure on costs and downward
higher returns and risk diversification. Emerging pressure on revenue, leading to squeezed margins.
markets such as Asia will be explored for new
clients and investment opportunities.6 Moreover, asset managers’ margins are expected
to come under even greater pressure due to
As a result, asset managers aim to realize several factors:
more than half of their growth from emerging • Increasing client preference for passive
markets during the next five to 10 years by investments.
adopting a mix of strategies such as part- • Performance fees under the scanner.
nerships, joint ventures, organic growth and • Increasing compliance costs.
inorganic acquisition strategies.7 This widening
geographic presence presents challenges in Increasing client preference for passive
terms of regulatory compliance and managing investments: An analysis of actively managed
multiple operational systems that increase com- funds conducted during 2011 by KPMG indicates
plexity when aggregating data on a consolidated that over the past 10 years, 85% of “long-only”
level, among other organizational obstacles. This, active managed funds failed to deliver above
together with the demand for global assets and benchmark returns.10 This led to a marked shift of
the increasing proportion of emerging markets in risk aversion, as evidenced by a significant rise in
the global AUM business, will demand larger scale, demand for passive and exchange traded funds
which in turn will require additional infrastructure (ETF) investments.
investments that are resulting in increased
cost pressure. The global market for exchange traded products
(ETP) increased from $108.7 billion in 2001 to
Mounting Pressure on Margins $1524.4 billion in 2011, at a CAGR of 30.2% (see
Changing client behavior is motivated by grow- Figure 6, page 6). Passive investment products
ing risk aversion, preference for passive funds, are outpacing traditional active products and are
demand for a heightened level of service and set to garner a substantial share of global AUM in
greater momentum toward performance-based the coming years.11
fees. New, more conservative clients want value
for their money, less focus on alpha,8 robust risk The significant growth in lower margin
management systems and absolute clarity on passive products12 and the growing competition
Client Servicing Achieves Top Honors
What are the drivers for investor satisfaction?
Clarity in Absolute
explaining return
investment 8%
approach Portfolio volatility
9% 8%
Consistency
Risk
of returns
management
8%
9%
Performance vs.
Consistency of benchmark
strategy with 9%
expectations
9%
Client service
40%
Survey base: 1,726 investors surveyed between 2007-2009
Source: Investment Metrics, Chatham Partners
Figure 3
cognizant reports 4
5. Client Servicing: Emerging Priorities
Market/investment knowledge of portfolio team
Clarity of investment reports
Problem resolution skills of client service representative
Frequency of contact of client service representative
Timeliness of investment reports
Ease of navigation of Web site
Level of preparation for investment review meeting
Client service representative understands my unique needs
Responsiveness of client service representative
Reporting capabilities of Web site
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25%
Survey base: 1,726 investors
Source: Chatham Partners
Figure 4
for funds may further restrict fees applied to dilute the profitability of asset managers and
these passive products. There are two potential compel them to further squeeze their overall
future scenarios on the passive front. First is costs.
the view that this could be a secular long-term
trend that is unfolding gradually. The other likely Further, the ETF industry has lower levels of
scenario is that the trend may reverse when standardization and automation of processes
the markets start trending up, cyclically, and compared with other traditional funds in the
traditional funds are perceived as increasingly market. This forces asset managers to seek a
attractive. cost-effective operating model.13
In the short- to medium-term, however, asset Performance fees under the scanner:
managers cannot afford to miss the opportunity Investors are also carefully examining fee
of tapping into passives’ growth momentum. As levels in relation to the performance14 of their
low-margin products, passives could potentially asset manager. The rising demand of a fee-for-
Emerging Markets: New Growth Frontier
The U.S. asset management industry's share of global AUM and profits will continue to decrease as
emerging markets grow.
Share of global AUM Share of global profit pool
Percent Percent
100 100 Variation 100 100 Variation
37 31 -6
43 39 -4
33 -3
36
46 +0
46
35 +8
27
11 15 +4
2009 2015 2009 2015
U.S
Other developed markets (includes Western Europe, Japan, Canada and Australia)
Emerging markets (all other markets, i.e., not U.S. or other developed markets)
Source: McKinsey Global Banking Profit Pool
Figure 5
cognizant reports 5
6. performance model is likely to exert downward Growing Prominence of Reporting
pressure on revenues. To succeed in the emerging era of transparency
and compliance, asset managers need to substan-
Increasing compliance costs: The cost of doing tially improve their reporting functions to satisfy
business is increasing due to rising compliance clients and regulators. In the post sub-prime era,
requirements and the expense of managing ad hoc requests for reports by investors in areas
increasingly global operations. For instance, such as portfolio performance have increased
regulations around OTC derivatives are likely to exponentially. This sudden spurt in demand for
increase trading costs of these securities. reports is placing enormous pressure on asset
managers whose systems were not designed
The reporting requirements by clients and tighter to meet this deluge. To reassure clients, asset
regulations across the U.S. and Europe are bound managers need to offer traditional reporting
to raise the cost of operations. With the decline packages, as well as customized reports, with
in revenues and increase in costs, the operating additional requested analysis and information.
margin of some firms is likely to be impacted.
Asset managers will eventually be forced to Client needs apart, an improvement in reporting
assess models that enable them to maintain capability is also an important internal require-
flexibility in managing operating costs during ment for asset managers. Senior managers
both market upturns and downturns.15 require insightful reporting on processes
and risk exposures to ensure they are not caught
Emergence of New Technologies off-guard.
The emergence of new technologies such as
mobility and social media allows clients to access While demand for accurate and timely
real-time information and improve communica- information from all three users of the reporting
tion among stakeholders. platform — clients, regulators and both portfolio
managers and firm executives — is steadily
The use of cloud computing is also gaining increasing, many firms’ existing platforms are
momentum. This computing approach allows struggling to keep pace with these ever-growing
asset management firms to move toward a requirements due to multiple challenges:
variable cost model and quickly adapt to
changing business conditions with increased • In many cases, reporting continues to be
agility, scalability, flexibility and efficiency. performed through homegrown legacy
systems, most of which have significantly
outgrown their initial functional scope and
Global Exchange Traded Products Posting Stellar Growth
Global ETP market size (in $ billions)
1.800
1.600 1,524.4
1,482.6
1.400
1.200 1,155.7
1.000
851.3
800 772.3
598.1
600
428
400 319.1
218.3
145.7
200 108.7
0
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Source: BCG Global Asset Management Market Sizing Database, 2011
Figure 6
cognizant reports 6
7. outlived their architectural and technological or a budget to implement one, can result in
life expectancy. major data quality issues.
• In some other cases, reporting is achieved • Finally, most reporting platforms are tradi-
through data generated from disparate tional in that they comprise “reports” that are
point solutions that get stitched together specifically designed and developed per user
manually using office automation software group. In such cases, each little tweak to an
such as Microsoft Excel. As a result, it’s existing report results in a development cycle.
extremely difficult to both achieve a
holistic view and drill down into details through
a single report. The Case for Cloud-Based Reporting
• The trend of outsourcing middle-office Platforms
functions to asset servicers further compli- Given the increasing demand for reporting from
cates the equation, since managers are now the imposing duo of investors and regulators and
dependent on the capabilities of the servicer’s the prospect of declining margins and the fixed
platform. This issue is significantly aggravated cost structure, we believe there are two impera-
when outsourcing is handled by multiple tives for asset managers. First, they must reinvent
service providers for risk mitigation purposes their post-trade reporting platforms to comply
or limited to a specific entity or specific region. with the changing industry order. Second, they
Managers may be forced to aggregate data must seek tier-one providers to deliver report-
across providers or across in-house systems ing as a service. By using a cloud-based reporting
and the provider to obtain a firm-level view. platform in which services are paid for as they are
• M&A activity spread over multiple geogra- consumed, asset managers can obviate high up-
phies often results in data that is scattered front investments for the post-trade infrastruc-
across multiple systems. For example, an asset ture and variabilize their costs.
manager may use one portfolio accounting
system for traditional assets and another, Reinventing Post-Trade Reporting
more specialized system for alternative assets. Platforms
Some of the core systems used by managers A robust, insightful and self-help-based
are legacy and do not lend themselves to easy post-trade reporting platform is a key component
integration. Lack of a consistent data strategy, of the operating model of a global asset
Anatomy of a Post-Trade Reporting System
Mobile and Tablet Internet Client Portal Data Extracts
Distribution Channels
management tools
Business activity
Audit trail/SLA
Governance & Control Framework
Operational Efficiency Enhancers
monitoring
Workflow
tracking
Data
Business Intelligence
& Visual Dashboards Operational Reporting Client Reporting
E-mail integration
Business rules
Integrated issue
Entitlements
management
engine
Configurable data extraction, transformation and validation
Reporting Platform
Middle Office Bank Office Reference Data Custom data
Fund Configuration
Trade processing Performance &
attribution Security master
accounting data
Unstructured
Corporate actions Reconciliation Custody Product master data
Investment Billing Transfer agency Client master Source systems
accounting
Source: Cognizant Business Consulting
Figure 7
cognizant reports 7
8. management firm. In the changing industry order, will also prove to be a significant differentiator
such a reporting platform can satisfy the exacting and a strategy for attracting new money.
demands of clients and regulators alike, as well as • In the case of internal users and decision-
the organization’s internal need for improved risk makers, the reporting paradigm can be shift-
management and portfolio decision support. ed significantly. New technologies make it
possible to create intelligent, context- and time-
We believe that three key aspects of the new sensitive interfaces that can “understand”
post-trade reporting systems — operational the need of information consumers and their
reporting, client reporting, business intelligence actions and display the most relevant data
and data visualization — should be structured to at any point in time. For example: The de-
serve the increased demands for transparency, fault start-of-the-day interface for a portfolio
client service, regulatory reporting and risk manager managing an active strategy could
management (see Figure 7, previous page). be a visual dashboard of the performance
of his/her portfolios, while that for a port-
Positive developments are allowing asset folio manager managing a passive strategy
managers to leverage these platforms to address could focus primarily on cash inflows and
emerging requirements and challenges. outflows. Toward the end of the day, the
• In light of the dramatic advances in user default dashboard could change to those
experience technologies, it is now possible to focusing on status of executed trades. The
create an intuitive and easy-to-use interface dashboard produced for the firm’s chief in-
that can empower business users to define vestment officer would be an aggregate of all
their own workspace and reports with minimal portfolios and associated risk measures, allow-
dependency on technology staff. This can dra- ing the executive to focus on the most critical
matically reduce the technology development data points.
pipeline for “new” or “custom” reports and the
associated cost of maintaining such reports. Road Ahead: Sourcing Reporting
• Client reporting and client servicing can be as a Service
dramatically changed by exposing an easy-to- On the one hand, having an innovative reporting
use analysis toolkit to sophisticated investors, platform can help asset managers address most
akin to the decision-support tools used by the reporting requirements and potentially attract
firm’s portfolio managers. Savvy investors new money; on the other hand, many firms are
could utilize the toolkit to quench their thirst unable to fund multi-year programs to modernize
for transparency and for custom reporting on or rebuild their current platforms.
their portfolio. Going a step further, the next
generation of features could allow investors Sourcing new post-trade reporting platforms
to create their own custom, aggregated views from a trusted tier-one partner can help asset
by merging data on mandates held elsewhere managers variabilize fixed costs and enable them
with those held at the manager. This would to focus on their core functions (see sidebar,
empower the investor to analyze the entire below) of generating investment performance.
investment book, not just those investments
managed by the firm. Such features will not Migrating to a cloud-based reporting platform
only eliminate ad hoc reporting requests but delivered in the form of business process as a
Advantages of Reporting as a Service Model
• Increased business agility/flexibility.
• Improved quality of service.
• Avoidance of capital expenditure.
• Transfer of ownership responsibility to the provider for infrastructure, technology and resources.
• Usage-based fee, which enables conversion of Cap-Ex to Op-Ex.
• On-demand reporting, anytime, anywhere.
cognizant reports 8
9. Viability of the Cloud
Do you see your business running in the cloud/as a hosted solution?
22%
Already does
36%
In the next 2-3 years
Considering it for the future
24% Never
18%
Response base: 159 investment professionals
Source: Global Investment Management Survey, Linedata Exchange (2011)
Figure 8
service (BPaaS) can improve agility in reporting In a survey conducted by Linedata Exchange
while variabilizing fixed costs by enabling asset in 2011, 36% of investment management firms
managers to embrace a pay-per-use model. This queried said they were already using the cloud
model aligns very well with the current business platform. Moreover, 18% said they hope to be
environment. Asset managers, for example, can: using cloud delivery models in the next two to
• Provide online access to their clients with data three years (see Figure 8, above).
tailored to their specifications.
• Generate reports on-demand. Among the concerns associated with flexible
• Provide query tools that offer data mining and sourcing models such as reporting as a service,
analytics capabilities. This lends interactivity data security and confidentiality figure promi-
to the process, which is vital to customer nently. This calls for providers to embed effec-
satisfaction. tive data security and governance mechanisms to
ensure safety of the data being handled.
With the advent of sophisticated applications for
mobile and Web-based environments, significant Sourcing post-trade reporting as a service offers
changes are in the offing for asset management a compelling way for asset managers to stay
information delivery systems. It is imperative agile, while focusing on their business core. This
for asset management firms to use the latest is essential today, given the macro-economic
advances in technology, such as cloud computing pressures — transparency, regulatory, competitive
models, and utilize their benefits to strengthen or — and the never-ending quest to contain costs, as
advance competitive advantage. well as the need for operational scalability (upward
and downward, in sync with business cycles).
cognizant reports 9
10. Footnotes
1
“The Asset Management Industry in 2010,” McKinsey & Co., 2006.
2
“Global Asset Management 2011, Building on Success,” The Boston Consulting Group, July 2011,
http://www.bcg.com/documents/file81068.pdf.
3
“Performance: A Triannual Topical Digest for Asset Management Professionals,” Issue 6, Deloitte
Touche Tohmatsu Ltd., September 2011, http://www.deloitte.com/assets/Dcom-UnitedStates/Local
%20Assets/Documents/FSI/US_FSI_performance6_101411.pdf.
4
“Redesigning Operations for the New Regulatory Era,” Ernst & Young, May 2011, http://www.ey.com/
Publication/vwLUAssets/Redesigning-operations-for-the-new-regulatory-era/$FILE/Redesigning-
operations-for-the-new-regulatory-era.pdf.
5
“The Best of Times and the Worst of Times for Institutional Investors,” McKinsey & Co., August 2011,
http://www.mckinsey.com/clientservice/Financial_Services/~/media/Reports/Financial_Services/
Institutional.ashx.
6
“Formula for Success,” KPMG, January 2011, http://www.kpmg.com/NZ/en/IssuesAndInsights/
ArticlesPublications/Frontiers-in-Finance/Documents/FIF-Jan-2011-03-Formula-for-success.pdf.
7
“Growth in a Time of Uncertainty: The Asset Management Industry in 2015,” McKinsey & Co.,
November 2011, http://www.mckinsey.com/clientservice/Financial_Services/Knowledge_Highlights/
Recent_Reports/~/media/Reports/Financial_Services/McK_AM2015.ashx.
8
Alpha is a risk-adjusted measure of the so-called “active return” on an investment. It is the return
in excess of the compensation for the risk borne and, as a result, is commonly used to assess active
managers’ performance. Often, the return of a benchmark is subtracted in order to consider relative
performance, which yields Jensen’s alpha.
9
Neeraj Sahai, “The Crisis Aftermath: What are the Prospects for Traditional Asset Managers?”
Citi Securities and Fund Services, May 20, 2010.
10
“The Agile Asset Manager,” KPMG, August 2011, http://www.kpmg.com/Global/en/IssuesAndInsights/
ArticlesPublications/Documents/agile-asset-manager-full-report.pdf.
11
“Global Asset Management 2011: Building on Success,” BCG.
12
“The Agile Asset Manager,” KPMG.
13
“ETFs' New Operating Model Needs,” PricewaterhouseCoopers, http://www.pwc.com/gx/en/asset-
management/asset-management-insights/etfs-new-operating-model-needs.jhtml.
14
“The Agile Asset Manager,” KPMG.
15
“Formula for Success,” KPMG.
cognizant reports 10