Axxsys takes a top-down approach converting management visions to sustainable solutions. Each client is unique, but we leverage our experience, Axxelerators and  proven methodology when working with clients on defining the business and technology strategy. At the heart of our strategic services is our Target Operating Model (TOM) framework where we assist our clients in defining the high-level blueprint describing organisation, operational processes and technology. The aim is to allow the client to understand how people, processes and technology creates value and how to redesign the operating model to optimise the business.

The TOM helps the firm to achieve its strategic vision, serving as the road map and reference framework to manage the change programme, helping to set direction, track progress and ensure that any changes and initiatives are aligned with the overall strategy.

Axxsys Target Operating Model Service is offered across the industry including Asset Management, Wealth Management, Insurance companies, Pension Funds and Capital Markets.

The financial industry is a data-driven business where data volumes and data requirements continue to grow exponentially. Across the industry, data is recognised as a strategic asset that can provide competitive advantage. Firms are investing in data and data quality to facilitate good investment decisions, deliver timely and accurate reports to clients, improve operational efficiencies, for regulatory reporting and mitigate risks.

Axxsys Data Strategy Service is offered across the industry including Asset Management, Wealth Management, Insurance companies, Pension funds and Capital Markets. Our starting point is that the firm’s data strategy should be business-driven and not technology-driven. It must align with the overall strategy, create value for the business and it must be flexible and actionable. In collaboration with the client, we create the Data Blueprint comprising Data Governance, Data Architecture, Data Management and Data Delivery.

The Data Strategy Service is based on the use of Axxsys Axxelerators™, including Axxsys standard data strategy methodology, guidelines and templates.

Across the industry, new regulatory pressures and evolving business models are putting pressure on the IT organisations to both increase efficiency and support innovation and the rapidly evolving business strategies. Potentially one of the greatest areas of opportunity for any financial firm is the alignment of the technology strategy and architecture with the operating model and business needs. The technology strategy and IT operating model should be key components of the firm’s Target Operating Model.

The service is offered across the industry including Asset Management, Wealth Management, Insurance Companies, Pension funds and Capital Markets. We work with the client to create a Technology Blueprint which will set the future direction for the IT function for the key IT areas, such as infrastructure, application, integration, service, innovation and sourcing strategy.

By leveraging Axxsys Axxelerators™ and our business and technology expertise, we can help our client’s ensure their technology strategy will meet the future needs for an agile, comprehensive, value-creating, cost-efficient and solid IT-platform.

Quality Assurance (QA) is an integral part of any large change programme or project in the industry. The overall objective is to manage risk and improve the likelihood for delivery on time, on budget and to required quality standards.

Axxsys QA Services is offered across the industry and targets the core change elements – Business requirements, designs, testing and deployment, together with QA of change management processes, project governance, people and capabilities.

Our QA service aims to ensure transparency  and traceability between business requirements, design and business strategy.  Our Axxsys Traceability Methodology and Trace Matrix ensures consistency, completeness and provides management overview, confidence and actionable programme insight on progress, pain points and risks.

Axxsys QA Services is based on the use of Axxsys Axxelerators encompassing QA Best Practice guidelines, QA tools for Planning, Audit and Controls. The service includes independent quality audits and reviews to identify quality gaps, inefficient procedures or processes in the project.  We offer comprehensive deep-dive QA reviews of business requirements, designs, test processes and deployment.

To effectively manage change, a suitable change management process and governance model needs to be in place. The Axxsys approach will apply a proven change management process and governance structure to any form of change in our client’s organisation, from smaller initiatives to large-scale change programs. The objective is to create overview, coherence and transparency of decision-making and ease stakeholder management.  This will ensure that projects can be delivered on time and on budget.  Our Programme Management service will allow your organisation to perform the right initiatives or activities effectively. Axxsys can also help you prioritise your project portfolio and align this to your company objectives and goals.

Axxsys has a proven successful Programme Management, Change Management and Project Governance Model, and we have all relevant project templates and a repository of the relevant roles for a project.

We are experts in assembling high performance teams, and we have successfully managed large changes as well as smaller projects for our clients.

Most software solutions mandate an upgrade. These upgrades consume staff and systems resources which can block for other value adding projects. Axxsys’ Upgrade Service helps our clients to be more efficient and with less dependencies on key people and business users involvement.

The first time the process is used, benefits are gained by having a better understanding of the way the system is used in a business context. This will lead to better testing coverage, reduce unnecessary testing and provide justification on why each test case is implemented.

The long-term benefits of Axxsys Upgrade Service is the continuity it creates, since our clients don’t have to start from scratch at every upgrade. Test cases may be re-used in future testing, and technology and business users can utilise the same set of test cases. All test cases are based on scenarios previously processed by the client.

Benefits by using Axxsys’ Upgrade Service:

• You will lower the cost and time of upgrades
• Achieving sign-off is easy as the justification for the testing is defined and transparent
• Axxsys’ approach can be tailored to the clients needs
• Independent consultancy providing upgrade service

Axxsys Business Continuity Planning Service is offered to businesses spanning the financial arena, which include Investments banks, Asset Management firms, Pension Funds and Insurance companies. We provide the service to support IT infrastructure, Operational process, Data Management and Front Office activity. This service will provide planning around key supplier/vendor information, prioritised lists of critical business functions, disaster response plans, copies of essential records and an inventory of equipment.

The foundation of this service is the Axxsys Axxelerators™ model, which will incorporate proven methodology and implementation after a full review of the current process. Using comprehensive planning material and our in-depth experience and knowledge of this area, the project will be documented and tailored to suit your needs. Working in collaboration with the client, we will build the scope and create the objectives and exercises which will ensure the plan is fully tested.

Axxsys also offer a follow up service to schedule regular reviews of the plan to ensure any changes in the model, infrastructure, systems and people are kept current to minimise further risk.

Axxsys Business Case Service covers a full range of business case services from system selection, business capability improvements, in-sourcing/out-sourcing, to business cases for individual programmes and projects. We provide the service across many areas, including Data Management, Market Data, Front- Middle and Back Office and Regulatory Changes.

Our Business Case Service is based on the use of Axxsys Axxelerators™, including Axxsys standard methodology, business case templates, guidelines and analysis tools based on Axxsys standard TCO model for calculating Total Cost of Ownership & Return on Investment. The Axxsys Axxelerators™ in combination with our in-depth knowledge of business and technology, enables us to efficiently identify business options, to quantify costs and benefits, to assess risk and finally to determine roadmaps for each business option or initiative.

We have a modular approach to the business case creation, which is based around identifying the possible options and building a business case for each of the business options/initiatives. Our approach is tailored to meet our client’s specific needs, budget and culture.

Axxsys Business Review Service is offered across the industry including Asset Management, Wealth Management, Insurance companies, Pension Funds and Capital Markets. We help the client to maintain control of the business by addressing the overall objectives of efficient business control, risk mitigation and operational excellence. We cover all critical aspects of the business including:

• Business Overview  – to create overview and daily monitoring of critical processes;
• Operational Control – addressing practical challenges of efficient business processes;
• Operational Risk Control – addressing operational risks across the business;
• Regulatory Control – addressing regulatory obligations ensuring compliance;
• Technology Control – controlling architectural and technical reorganisations and roll-outs;
• Data Control – addressing Data Governance, client data protection and data security;
• Change Control – managing system changes,  significant organisational and project changes;
• Cost Control – managing cost, efficiency and outsourcing processes;
• Financial Product Control – addressing operational risk and excellence for single products;
• System Inside-Outs – examination of specific system use addressing risk, efficiency and cost.

The Product Control Service is based on the use of Axxsys Axxelerators™, including Axxsys Product Control methodology, guidelines and combination.

The generation of Alpha for clients is a key requirement in any successful investment relationship, but more and more clients are demanding better transparency as to how the performance was achieved.

Asset Managers are having to respond to this increased granularity of information, through stronger Client Reporting, including Performance Measurement, Attribution and Explain as well as demonstrating what Risk parameters where considered as Investment Decisions are made.

Axxsys have helped organisations address this richer functionality ask of Clients, develop Future State Target Operating models and provide comprehensive System Selection for Performance Measurement.

The emphasis on accurate and effective Portfolio Implementation over the last few years has led some Investment Managers to bring their Trading operations partnerships closer or even in-house.

Axxsys has helped several firms review their Trading operations to understand the complexity and cost effectiveness of right sourcing, and to understand the efficiency of the trading operation in terms of offering the client the best value.

Many systems are used in this space, and a trend in Asset Management to stay with ‘what they know’ needs a shake-up. Axxsys has provided expertise in providing clients with a platform that allows them to review all options, providing market intelligence and embracing some of the newer techniques in accessing the markets.

The focus on Client Relationship Management and the seamless ability of a firm to communicate with the client on key performance information with respect to their holding has had a major shift in importance the last couple of years.

The problems of ensuring consistency of data in CRM systems, the aggregation and consistency of data from many disparate sources and timeliness of data from Administrators/Accounts is a problem represented amongst many parts of the investment lifecycle not just CRM/Distribution, but the effect is amplified when it comes to Client Relationship and Reporting.

Axxsys has had experience in resolving many Target Operating Model complications in data aggregation, client expectation on the way their fund performance can be represented and system technology landscape in the way an architecture can be put together to resolve some of these issues.

Our experience in the digital integration space to ensure seamless distribution of this information to clients in the new forms expected currently has been gained through significant engagements with some thought leaders in this space.

The financial services industry is experiencing unprecedented levels of global regulatory change. All organisations face common challenges, trying to balance the cost of meeting the regulatory burden, whilst integrating new processes into existing business functions and roles.
We have hands-on delivery experience within the Regulatory space, across multiple regulatory requirements, and with our knowledge of the business and the systems that firms rely on we can translate these challenges into efficient solutions, minimising risk and ensuring compliance.
In addition, we will always look for ways in which any changes can be used to create value within the business and the organisation’s operating model.

Our approach:

• We conduct our own internal research on regulatory changes and invest in the development of tools and methodologies
• We assess the impact regulatory changes will have on your organisation and can advise you on the best strategy.
• We manage, design and implement the best-fit solution for your organisation
• Post-regulatory health-check, leveraging our hands-on experience in delivering solutions.

Axxsys Business Requirements Collection Service is driven by Axxsys Axxelerators™, incorporating standard business requirement methodology, guidelines, templates and tools. Our standard 5-step methodology begins with the Discovery phase where the requirements are gathered through a series of workshops and one-on-one meetings with stakeholders and SMEs. Following this Analysis, the results of the Discovery phase are taken and formed into coherent requirements in-line with the organisation structure. Documentation of the requirements including exceptions and current pain points is undertaken from the Analysis. Communication/Dissemination to stakeholders and SMEs for clarification is then undertaken and the requirements refined through an iterative process until ready for Validation/Sign-Off from stakeholders.

The Axxsys Target Process Modelling Service is available to industry clients including Asset Management, Wealth Management, Insurance companies, Pension Funds and Capital Markets. We work to create a baseline using the current process model, documenting key business processes, flows and pain points. We conduct a gap analysis, identifying redundant and missing processes and functions in the current process are identified, leading to a Target Process Model.

Axxsys offers a Business Architecture Service to describe your business model and end-to-end business processes, to ensure that they are clearly aligned to reaching your goal and support the needs of your organisation. We can then work with the client to identify and build the more appropriate structure maximising the potential of the priorities of your business. This service can be aligned and delivered as an integral part of our Target Operating Model (TOM) Service or separately as a service to further evaluate the operating structure in its present state and align this with future requirements and overall strategy.

Experienced Axxsys consultants will evaluate your specific requirements, assess and make strategic suggestions in close collaboration with the stakeholders, assisting with the development and roadmap for all key initiatives. Furthermore working closely together with the client to analyse the current process model and to create the target business architecture encompassing:

We will then determine and recommend the structure for each business area, forthcoming implementation or change project. The ideology of this service is based on the use of Axxsys Axxelerators™, which incorporate our standard methodology, templates, guidelines and analysis tools.

The Axxsys Target Data Architecture (TDA) service will enable the target business architecture and Target Operating Model. We have a rigorous approach to the creation of the TDA and our process follows a number of logical steps leading up to creation of the TDA blueprint:

• Capture Business Strategic vision and it’s Target Operating Model;
• Develop Baseline Data Architecture Description;
• Develop Target Data Architecture Description;
• Identify GAP’s between Target and Baseline DA;
• Define Roadmap, with new data components, priorities, cost, benefits and time-frames;
• Analyse Impacts across the architectural landscape for business, technology and data;
• Finalise the Data Architecture and Create Architecture Definition Documents & Artefacts.

We will represent both the baseline – and target data architecture with a number of documents and artefacts comprising catalogues of Data Entities/Data Components, Data Integrations, Data Entities/Data Components matrix, Application/Data matrix and finally a number of diagrams describing the Conceptual Data Model, Logical Data Model, Physical Data Model, Data Distribution, Data Lifecycles, Data Security, Data Management and Data Migration.

For large Change Programmes, the design and related process changes are a key activity which closely link to the firm’s business strategy. Taking point of departure in the current process model, the business requirements and client strategy form the input to the future process model. Functional requirements and designs are aligned and validated against the model ensuring that the final design of systems and operational processes are cohesive with the Business Strategy

This service is based on the Axxsys Axxelerator™ platform which enables the client to take advantage of predefined best practise standards and guidelines, allowing implementation of applications in a shorter space of time and with less dependency on key resources from the business.  The Axxsys Axxelerator™ platform contains a set of templates, training materials and guides “ready to go” and deploy to a client, populated with their details, taking operational risk and audit requirement into consideration.

Axxsys Build Service is offered to clients across the Financial Services industry including Asset Management, Wealth Management, Insurance companies, Pension Funds and Capital Markets. We believe that whoever is building the final solution should possess extensive business and product knowledge in order to extract maximum benefit in the minimum time, ensuring that business requirements are delivered upon in a well-functioning system. Axxsys offers a range of build services across the entire organisational spectrum, providing expertise in Business Configuration, Integration Development and Technology/ Development Configuration.

The Build Service utilises Axxsys Axxelerators™, incorporating Axxsys standard best practice solutions for a broad suite of popular financial industry-leading products, developed through years of experience across dozens of clients. A typical Business Configuration build process will involve taking the finalised business requirements and building a prototype solution using existing Axxsys builds as a template. In close collaboration with our clients, the solution is refined through an agile process until it is ready to take to the testing phase of the project.

Axxsys are experts in a number of standard products including SimCorp Dimension®, MarkitEDM, eFront and Charles River (CRD).

The Axxsys Testing service aims to provide a strategy and execution plan for testing, providing a best practice framework. This service is designed for institutions such a Fund managers, Investment banks, Pension Funds and Insurance companies implementing or upgrading their current system infrastructure.

Axxsys Testing Framework includes identifying the Test Goals, Deploying the right Test Strategy for an organisation, Test Management, Test Measurement, Test Evaluation and Test Improvement.

Axxsys can provide dedicated Quality Assurance Managers, Test Leads, Test Analysts and Business Analysts to work with the business users during User Acceptance Testing.

Our Axxsys Testing service is based on the use of Axxsys Axxelerators™ which provide proven methodology and best practice guidelines along with our in-depth knowledge across multiple systems. We include templates and standard test tracking tools.

The Axxsys Data Migration Service provides a best practice solution to fully understand what data is being migrated, where it’s stored, what form it’s in and the form it will take at its new destination. The wealth of experience offered by our consultants will ensure data migration policies will be implemented and will fully test, validate and document the entire data migration process.

Axxsys’ Data Migration approach combined with our system expertise, technical know-how and solid business knowledge will be the key accelerators that will enable us to deliver a high-quality, timely and efficient migration solution to our client. We recommend a Migration Plan in coordination with company Change Programme that incorporates;

• Analysis & Design – Data and Migration Design
• Data Mapping between source/legacy and target systems(s)
• Extraction of Data from Source/Legacy system
• Conversion & Reformatting of extracted Data
• Load of Source Data to the staging area and target systems
• Migration Test
• Tools and Scripts for validation and cleansing of Data

Our service is based on the Axxsys Axxelerator™ methodology, which is built around the extensive knowledge of the consultants and proven best practice guidelines developed on multiple successful data migration projects. We offer a comprehensive project plan, tools, detailed timelines, identify roadblocks and potential risk areas which will be fully evaluated prior to the commencement of the migration.

With a packaged support solution Operational Services (OS) from Axxsys Consulting, an asset manager can manage its software platform needs quickly, expertly and in a cost-efficient manner. OS gives a fund direct access to technology expertise and project management skill – all in a uniquely flexible format that reduces both overhead and operational risk.

The service is based on our Operational Service model, but is tailored to suit the specific client. Axxsys realise that clients need different types of skill sets at different times to support the on-going usage of their financial software applications. Obtaining and retaining the appropriate level of expertise as and when needed, as well as planning for major or minor changes, have proven to be a challenge for many clients.

We have therefore found that creating a specialist pool of consultants with different areas of expertise is a cost efficient and useful service to the standard application client base. The consultancy skill sets cover Business Consultants with general Asset Management proficiency as well as Front, Middle and Back Office expertise and Technical Consultants with reporting and integration skill sets.