WH Ireland, the corporate brokerage and private client wealth manager, has implemented a state-of-the-art technology solution, to enhance and streamline its collective investment funds selection and due diligence process.
It recognises the need for technology to deliver the operational efficiencies needed to make discretionary investment management accessible and affordable to Financial Advisers and their clients.
WH Ireland identified the need to streamline the gathering of due diligence data and could see the role that a central repository would play by doing the heavy lifting. It had observed the inconsistent approach to due diligence data and the benefits there would be of having a standard, and having the fund providers deliver the information needed at the click of a button.
The data repository provides a “golden-source” of comprehensive due diligence information available in a consistent standard format for all funds in the repository. The comprehensive set of questions and answers are a combination of input received from the many hundreds of firms using the repository. WH Ireland is one of the recent firms who will provide ongoing input to the repository and benefit from the input of the significant existing user community.
By using a field-based approach, the questions are posed in such a way as to avoid ambiguity in the answers provided by the fund managers. This approach also provides a straightforward like-for-like comparison of funds and eases analysis and integration to WH Ireland’s internal systems and processes.
The subscribers to the database know that all their questions are answered and will receive updates from the fund managers. “Access to information on all funds is key when it comes to adopting a standard for due diligence” said John Goodall, Head of Private Client Research at WH Ireland. “A new fund can be added at the click of a button and the fund provider will then provide answers in a set format, easing fund analysis.”
The solution readily evidences that comprehensive due diligence has been undertaken which is more than sufficient to ensure that the needs of the end client are met and that the investment meets the suitability requirements of the FCA.
Goodall goes on to say “The implementation of this data repository forms part of our transformation strategy. It helps us to streamline the investment operations at WH Ireland, and enables us to quickly and efficiently undertake funds selection and due diligence.”
Amery Thomas at AssetQ, says “The “golden-source” data repository adopted by WH Ireland enables it to scale its business and ease the burden on Investment Managers by lowering the costs of making high-quality portfolios readily available to investors.”
Eric Dickinson, Independent Consultant