Opportunity Calls and Technology Answers
When opportunity knocks, investment firms must be ready to answer. Delays can mean lost business and risk firms’ long-term success.
At Applied Finance Capital Management, opportunity came in the form of a potential new client. An Asian pension fund was interested in investing with the firm. But before they could commit, Applied Finance needed to assure the fund that it could fulfill all its operational and technological requirements, along with the strict security demands of the fund.
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If they could not meet the criteria - and do it quickly - the fund would look elsewhere.
Could Applied Finance get the technology they needed up and running in time to capture this new business opportunity?
To meet the potential new client's demands, Applied Finance chose Eze Eclipse, a cloud-based, front-to-back solution offering all the features and functionality required by the client. Moreover, Eze Eclipse’s simplicity and ease of use made it the right choice for a firm looking to get its technology up and running in a short amount of time.
We talked to John McErlean, director of trading at Applied Finance, to learn why choosing the right vendor was the most critical factor in this fast-moving process.
"I have a twenty-year history of using SS&C Eze technology at other firms," says John. "When a former colleague, a person I trust and respect, said that Eze Eclipse was fast and amazingly easy to implement, I was immediately on board. Eclipse is the latest in investment management technology. Because it is a cloud-based application, it was essentially plug-and-play. This ease of installation reduced our ramp-up time, which was critical for capturing this business."
When Time is of The Essence, Service Makes the Difference
While all agreed that Eze Eclipse was the right technology, after making their selection, the challenge remained: securing the new client meant onboarding Eze Eclipse needed to happen fast. Luckily, the SS&C Eze Service team understood Applied Finance's urgency and was committed to making it happen.
Thanks to the work of this team, Applied Finance was able to deploy Eze Eclipse in just two months, giving the firm the functionality they needed to secure the deal with the pension fund.
How does your technology provider's service team measure up? Find out in this blog.
John partially attributes their speedy deployment to receiving one-on-one support from a consistent point of contact.
"In the past, I've worked with vendors with different contacts for different situations," says John. "But then I ended up having to deal with all these different people, repeating the same story over and over. That takes time and effort on my part, and there wasn't much time for this project."
He notes that working with the Eze Services team was a different experience. "With Eze, I had a highly responsive central contact who coordinated all the parties to get everyone on the same page. Our contact, Chris, did a great job getting us up and running in an incredibly short period of time."
A Technology Service Provider You Can Rely On
Since the deployment, Applied Finance continues to be happy with the technology and support they receive from SS&C Eze. John believes working with a company with experience makes all the difference.
"When choosing a technology vendor, the onus is on me to ensure it works for my firm," says John. "I needed a provider with a strong history and proof of performance – a company I knew would be there for implementation and beyond. When it comes to those qualities, SS&C Eze is the gold standard."
Like any technology, as Applied Finance uses the solution day in and day out, issues occasionally come up. When a problem did arise, John brought it to the attention of his Eze Service contact, who set up a meeting with the company's development team to discuss it.
"Another great thing about the company and products is that they're always working to improve and innovate," notes John.
The Attention and Expertise Your Firm Deserves
At SS&C Eze, we understand the demanding nature of your work and the urgency of your business demands. By providing a personalized experience for each project and client, we become more than a vendor; we’re a trusted partner.
About Applied Finance Capital Management
In 1995, Applied Finance was founded in a basement in Chicago. Their mission: create a better approach to measuring corporate performance and value. Today, Applied Finance maintains a long-only, value investing philosophy with strategies spanning small- and large-cap equities. The firm leverages fund vehicles across mutual funds, SMAs, and an actively managed ETF.