Journey to tomorrow’s buy-side operating model

Today’s buy-side leaders know they need a clear, compelling vision to stay competitive. Attracting new assets, providing transparency and value, meeting growing regulatory demands, empowering people with efficient processes and tools, managing costs and maximizing performance are all essential. Balancing challenges in pursuit of that vision is not a trivial task.

To help buy-side leaders meet their operational goals, Bloomberg launched a white paper, “The journey to tomorrow’s buy-side operating model,” at the Bloomberg buy-side forums held in Hong Kong and Singapore recently.

More than 300 top investment professionals came together to discuss major themes moving the markets this year and the challenges ahead for the buy-side industry in Asia.

Presenting the paper’s recommendations at the forums, Philippa Thompson, co-author of the paper and head of Bloomberg’s Buyside Order Management division (AIM) for Asia-Pacific, highlighted that buy-side firms are no longer judged just by performance. They have to focus on differentiating themselves in a market that has become more competitive and that means thinking about their operational efficiency and managing data as a strategic asset. The paradigms are changing and they need a long-term technology partner to guide them on whichever journey they choose to take.

The white paper showcases key trends and challenges impacting the buy-side and important considerations to take to adopt data-driven operating models. Four different paths for managing data and technology transformation journeys are highlighted, to help buy-side leaders stay competitive and achieve their target operating models. The four paths are i) specialty-focused ii) firm-wide alignment iii) expansion-focused and iv) front-to-middle consolidation.

Buy-side practitioners in Singapore and Hong Kong were polled about the biggest challenges the fund industry will face in the next 12 months, and geopolitical risks emerged as a greatest concern in both markets. The majority also thought that machine learning will transform the buy-side industry in a material way in the next five years.

For more information about Bloomberg’s buy-side solutions, please visit https://www.bloomberg.com/professional/expertise/buy-side/ or request a demo.