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WBR Insights and SimCorp surveyed 100 Heads and Directors of InvestOps, and those of a similar standing in North America, to find out more about the challenges they face and the innovative solutions they bring to the table. The survey was conducted by appointment over the telephone. The results were compiled and anonymized by WBR Insights and are presented here with analysisand commentary by the InvestOps US community and SimCorp.

For investment firms to compete in today's market a truly global 24/7 service must be provided with teams that can work from a centralized source of accurate, accessible, and timely investment data with a click of a button, but with Global Heads of Operations citing global scalability and legacy systems as some of their biggest challenges, how do firms ensure that they provide a modern service and reduce costs?

In the future, the most important differentiator for an investment manager’s business will be the client experience that it delivers.  As the complexity of investment portfolios increases and investors become more sophisticated and demanding, the nature of communication between the organisation and the client needs to evolve.

In Q3 of 2018 SimCorp Coric commissioned WBR Insights to conduct research with 100 senior finance executives responsible for reporting and communication. The research prioritized buy-side firms, including: pension funds, insurance companies, wealth managers, and asset managers. The interviews were conducted by appointment over the telephone. WBR Insights aggregated and anonymized the results of the survey, and the resulting information is presented here along with analysis from SimCorp Coric.

As part of a series of insight papers exploring the impact of regulation on its core client base, HSBC Securities Services takes a look at what lies in store for the post-trade industry in 2019. In a world being remodelled by disruption and transformation, clients have been confronted with a number of significant regulatory changes and evolutions over the last year.While some of these new rules are introducing additional costs and barriers to the industry, other reforms – chiefly market liberalisation and crossborder harmonisation programmes in emerging economies have been very constructive and are likely to result in greater foreign institutional investment and liquidity. HSBC Securities Services takes a look at some of these issues and analyses their collective impact on the post-trade community

As part of a series of insight papers exploring the impact of regulation on its core client base, HSBC Securities Services takes a look at what lies in store for the global investment funds’ industry in 2019. In a world being reinvented by disruption and transformation, clients have been confronted with a number of significant regulatory changes over the last year.While some of these rules are introducing additional costs and barriers to the buy-side industry, other reforms – such as improvements to existing regulations and the roll-out of new cross-border passporting initiatives - have received awarmer reception from market participants. Nonetheless, the next 12 months could pose a number of challenges for asset managers and asset owners, as anew crop of regulations and market changes take hold

WBR Insights & SimCorp recently surveyed 100 North American Heads of Investment Operations from buy-side asset management firms, hedge funds, and institutional investors on their strategic priorities, challenges and key initiatives for 2018. The survey results reveal an emerging theme where operations are becoming recognized as providing a competitive advantage to the buy side.Watch this webinar to hear professionals from Aegon USA and SimCorp discuss the key findings and to hear more about what your peers are experiencing today and focusing on for the future. 

Buy-side Firms Must Invest in IT to Meet Challenges of Regulatory Compliance.The wave of new challenges hitting buy-side firms are impacting the ways in which they operate greatly. Amidst the rising number and increasing complexity of new regulation, buy-side firms and administration companies around the globe are left scrambling to keep up with changes in order to minimize risk, and guarantee compliance at the lowest cost and with the lowest operational impact. Read the full article here

This article explores Blockchain technology and reveals how it is likely to effect buy-side operations. Also find out:- Blockchain and the Buy-side- Savings and Efficiencies- Existing Projects and Trials- Industry predictionsRead the full article here

Both IT and Operations are critical to success in the investment management industry today, and either facilitate or frustrate a firm’s performance: Achieving superior operational agility allows you to pursue the full range of growth strategies while operating more efficiently than competitors, ultimately yielding “operational alpha”. In this report, we assess the degree of operational agility in buy-side firms, as well as the degree of confidence that executives have in the ability of their investment platform to support growth.

In Q4 of 2017 SimCorp commissioned WBR Insights to conduct a survey of 100 Heads of Investment Operations based in North America. The research prioritised firms on the buy side, including Asset Management firms, Institutional Investors etc. Respondents to the survey were Directors/Heads of Investment Operations, Head of Derivatives Operations, Head of Securities Operations or others of an equal standing. The survey was conducted by appointment over the telephone. The results were compiled and anonymized and presented here with analysis and commentary from SimCorp and the WBR Insights research team.

In March 2017, Tampa transformed into a buy side investment operations hub for 2 days. With 169 total attendees and over 50% of them representing buy side heads of investment operations, InvestOps Leaders Summit delivered on its promise to create the market leading buy side event.