Perfecting teamwork

Depending on others is an inevitable fact of life. Whether it is business or personal, people usually always have to rely on someone else to accomplish tasks. In the case of client reporting, outsourcing is the most obvious case of one function relying on the other to get the client what they have specifically asked for. Normally this is a smooth process, however, when you put some distance between the camps, the task can become a little more challenging, even in this day of modern technology.

David Ayres, head of client reporting at AXA Investment Management, has to deal with cross-continental outsourcing constantly and he has written an insightful account of the challenges associated with this type of outsourcing in the cover story, Continental Leap of Faith (page 10).

Ayres’ examination of this topic shows how world banks truly are global organisations but, he asks, how do they work together when the London and the Paris office are trying to complete the same project? For those in a similar situation, perhaps this will give you further insight into the types of problems and solutions involved in this complex method.

Other challenges in client reporting today are also examined in: Modify Model Mistakes Early On (page 14). Author Brian Reid of The Connect Partnership gives us lesson on what can go wrong when a client reporting data project is rushed.

There are two great columns in this issue, Custody Reports Ripe for the Picking (page 6) and Being Portrayed in the Best Light (page 8). The first article, written by John Sheridan of BoISS, examines how the custody report is beginning to gain ground and there is a solid case to be made for choosing these reports over the asset manager’s. In the latter article, Sally Wakefield of Rhyme has shown that simple accountancy isn’t enough to keep your firm’s foothold with their best clients.

Rounding out a solid list of articles, Mark Goodey of Morley FM has used a car analogy to describe the present-day relationship between client reporting and performance teams in the article: Portfolio Assembly Line (page 20).

So sit back and buckle up because this is going to be quite a ride. Enjoy.

Darren Friesen, Editor