Unit Pricing Optimisation
The Unit Pricing Challenge
Unit pricing is a repetitive multi-stage process, carrying high operational risk and is subject to a strict compliance regime. Timely and accurate data processing within the ‘end-to-end’ workflow is fundamental to successful unit pricing operations. Investment operations face major challenges to meet delivery deadlines for accurate unit prices, especially when there are intensive controls and checking procedures needed to meet firm compliance requirements.
Impacts of Inadequate Unit Pricing Operations
Inadequate automation and control at any point during the unit pricing operational workflow may cause service delivery problems and, at worst, negatively impact both existing and new business opportunities:
Lack of timely and accurate underlying market data - affects productivity by consuming valuable time spent identifying and repairing the problematic source data and re-running calculations
- Slow unit price production – too much time spent calculating unit prices reduces the time available for quality checking
- Failure to meet service level agreements (SLAs) – late unit price delivery has a knock-on effect to the operations of downstream clients and failure to meet SLAs impacts market reputation
- Increased operational costs – unless supported by an automated unit pricing workflow, headcount levels to service the unit pricing operation can be high. In addition to high IT overheads, significant manual intervention increases potential for errors which may result in financial penalties if compliance targets/SLA deadlines are missed.
- Inability to scale – it is imperative to have the flexibility to easily scale unit pricing operations up and down in response to significant movement in transaction volumes. Additionally, operations need to be able to scale to add new clients or funds seamlessly.
How can SS&C help?
SS&C has supported unit pricing processing for many years as a core component of HiPortfolio, our comprehensive investment accounting and asset servicing solution. HiPortfolio has been extended to provide the opportunity for greater levels of automation, workflow and exceptions management through the unit pricing process. SS&C also offers an end-to-end Unit Pricing Optimisation service, designed to increase efficiency and accuracy in your unit pricing operation through expert analysis, documentation, planning and implementation of improvements to your unit pricing operations.
Unit Pricing Optimisation Operational Review
Unit Pricing Optimisation is a programme of work which adopts a collaborative approach between SS&C HiPortfolio & Anova (SS&C),
the unit pricing teams and the supporting investment operations. By analysing the existing end-to-end unit pricing process, SS&C’s unit pricing expertise can be leveraged from both a systems and a business perspective to deliver a holistic review of infrastructure and processes. The process review is conducted in conjunction with business operational units, project teams and IT departments, with three phases of work:
Phase 1 - Structural, operational and detailed process review to gain a clear understanding of the systems environment,
workflow, infrastructure, resources and team structure. An ‘analysis framework’ is applied across the end- to-end unit
pricing process, targeting the business challenges, pain points and bottlenecks.
Phase 2 - Fully documented and substantiated proposals are delivered with the aim of streamlining current processes,
introducing processing efficiencies and enhancing operational controls. The resulting model will be designed to service the
current business requirements whilst providing capacity for future growth projections.
Phase 3 - Project planning and professional services engagement is undertaken to implement the agreed solutions
in partnership with the relevant business and operational departments.
Further information regarding our unit pricing solution capability, thought leadership and operational review expertise is available below.
HiPortfolio Unit Pricing Overview
HiPortfolio Unit Pricing Workbench Overview
HiPortfolio Unit Pricing Operational Review Overview
HiPortfolio Unit Pricing Operations Case Study
HiPortfolio Unit Pricing Optimisation Process Review Examples
The Unit Pricing Challenge - Executive Briefing
For further details, please contact your Client Relationship Manager directly, log your request through the IMS Client Centre or email hiportfolio@sscinc.com
