In a world of ever-increasing demands from internal stakeholders, investors and regulators, are we at the beginning of a revolution in how Asset Managers manage, plan and analyse their businesses?
Asset and Wealth Managers are not immune from the global drive towards automation and the inherent complexity associated with this, which is why Alpha FMC think we are approaching an Enterprise Performance Management (EPM) revolution in the industry. Alpha’s view is that Private Markets firms are generally leading the way when it comes to adopting dedicated EPM tools, but we can see that other firms are now waking up to their benefits and are starting to catch up.
Cloud-based EPM tools provide Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A) and reporting capabilities across large complex data sets. They are custom-built to provide cutting edge insights to Finance and Operational teams with a depth and speed beyond the capabilities of Excel or legacy technology.
This article outlines how Enterprise Performance Management tools are being used by firms, and considers why those who fail to adopt these technologies will fall behind. It also provides some “lessons learned” from successful EPM implementations based on Alpha’s deep experience of these engagements.
What are EPM tools most used for in the industry?
EPM tools such as Anaplan and Workiva have a wide variety of applications, and Asset and Wealth Managers will typically opt for a bespoke implementation to best suit their needs. Some non-exhaustive but key activities being enhanced by EPM solutions in the industry are:
Profitability Analysis & Revenue Planning
- AuM modelling
- Fee modelling
- Revenue Forecasting
- Cost allocation
Expenses Planning
- Expense budgeting & forecasting
- Workforce planning & staff costs
- Incentive Compensation
- Resource Capacity planning
Reporting
- ESG reporting
- Production of annual reports & global statutory reports
- Automated document production
Why are firms selecting EPM tools?
As demonstrated below, EPM tools are a big upgrade on Excel and legacy technology when it comes to financial planning, analysis, and reporting activities:
How can Managers ensure an EPM implementation is successful?
EPM solutions which are custom-built around a firm’s needs and existing architecture can be implemented in under six months. Based on Alpha’s extensive experience in similar projects, we have outlined some “lessons learned” at every step of the way to ensure a rapid time-to-value for these tools:
Alpha is seeing first-hand how interest is ramping up for these solutions, and has deep experience of EPM strategy, vendor selection, and implementation projects – if you are interested in joining the EPM revolution and want to know how we can support your firm, please get in touch here.
About the Authors
Michelle Sutherland
Director – Lionpoint
Michelle is Director of the EPM Practice at Lionpoint, an Alpha company, and oversees the project delivery and implementation of technology projects to help solve client data modeling challenges, including workforce planning, budgeting, scenario modelling, forecasting, and reporting. Michelle brings deep and relevant experience to the role, having worked internationally in consulting, FP&A and operations management roles for management and software consultancies.
James Bryson
Director – Lionpoint
James is Director of the Financial Services EPM Practice bringing significant expertise in Anaplan, financial planning and management accounting to Lionpoint. He oversees the delivery of client EPM projects across financial services clients. With a background in FP&A across various industries, James initially experienced the benefits of Anaplan as a client, and its ability to connect the front, middle and back office to create a line of sight for collaborative, agile and IT-independent modelling, forecasting and decision making.
Alex Shelley
Senior Manager
Alex is a Senior Manager at Alpha FMC with over nine years of financial services advisory experience. He is aligned to the Operations and Compliance practices at Alpha, and has worked on a range of system implementation projects since joining the firm. He has been collaborating with Lionpoint on our joint Enterprise Performance Management (EPM) campaign over the past twelve months.