Collaboration in the investment management environment can lead to huge potential savings, yet little attention is paid to it. This is because, in general, people are already used to things taking time to get done. This is because cross-departmental and, quite often, international collaboration is coordinated by e-mail and checklists. This approach works up to a certain number of companies and investments and then quickly becomes inefficient due to an unnecessarily high administrative burden.
Cross-divisional and cross-country collaboration places high demands on the associated work processes and procedures. The biggest challenges are usually the creation of a centralized repository accessible to all, traceability, and end-to-end compliance with legal requirements and internal compliance.
However, there is another way. The basic prerequisite for this is the end-to-end digitization of all workflows and processes in your Legal Entity Management (LEM) environment in a centralized IT system. Our Legal Entity Management enables you to do just that and much more. Because, from our point of view, collaboration in Legal Entity Management takes into account the following three points:
1. Centralized master data base
So far, with virtually all our clients we have experienced that they have no centralized data storage for the information on their companies and investments. There are individual files that are more or less well maintained, and folders where additional documents are stored. In the worst case, this data is sent around by e-mail for processing. Sooner or later, poor data quality and a certain amount of disorder are inevitable, despite going to great lengths to prevent this. This can be avoided by implementing the Enterprise Suite as the centralized IT system for your Legal Entity Management. All internal and external employees always work with the same centralized, correct and complete database of their companies and holdings. Because in the Enterprise Suite, you centrally store all data records and files with a time stamp or validity. These consistent data records are created from all previous data sources and systems and are enriched with key figures if necessary. In this way, you share the same, time-related and correct data view for all companies and investments within your organization and also with external consultants. Everyone has access to the data they need for their work and there are no different data statuses and versions.
2. Digitize & standardize workflows
Our Enterprise Suite is the centralized IT system of Legal Entity Management. It is a work system, data hub, data storage and administration system for your companies and investments. All internal and external employees work across departmental, company and country boundaries in a single, centralized IT system. Individual access is controlled as well as processing via user-defined authorizations that can be defined in detail, down to the level of individual data elements and files. Existing workflows and processes are mapped in the integrated workflow engine and then processed by everyone involved. This way, everyone knows who has to do what, and when, with a centralized overview of progress. Furthermore, all legal regulations and applicable control principles are adhered to at all times. Because even approvals and the Four Eyes Principle can be easily implemented and tracked with the workflow. In this way, all tasks and activities are digitized in your corporate and investment management environment and simultaneously standardize the associated workflows. Depending on the amount of data you have, this will cut down on your administrative workload and overhead costs in the medium term.
3. Traceability & auditability
Trust is good, control is better. In particular when it comes to activities and tasks in the legally strict environment of Legal Entity Management (LEM). Because you can only rely on your company and investment master data if it is audit-proof, in other words, tamper-free, correct, traceable and findable. The integrated workflow engine and reporting engine, automatically ensure that you meet these requirements. Because everyone is only granted access to the data and files, they need to perform their work. Furthermore, there are strict controls with regard to who is allowed to edit what. Furthermore, the origin of data elements and files is always automatically saved, and the user and time stamp are also stored for changes and additions. In the Enterprise Suite, it is not possible to accidentally overwrite or delete anything. The storage creates individual, time-related 360° views of your complete investment portfolio. In this way, you know at all times what a particular data record or even the entire database looked like at a particular point in time. This prevents tampering and, with just a few clicks, provides you with audit-proof, key date-related data views. This principle is also evident in your reporting. Everything you need for reports, comparisons, analyses and graphical displays is already available in the Enterprise Suite. With the workflows, you again control the cooperative collaboration in reporting and also keep an eye on your deadlines. Manual calculations and diagrams are replaced by digital support for drawing up your reports. As a result, you always draw up correct, audit-proof reports, evaluations and graphical representations, just as you need them ad hoc or for key dates.
One thing is certain; collaboration in your legal entity management environment has a significant impact on costs, audit security, and also administrative workload. The end-to-end digitization of your Investment Management ensures greater efficiency and permanently high data quality. This takes your LEM to the next level while also providing you with the information you need to make informed, data-driven strategic and operational decisions.
