Our Services

Implementation

  • Requirements gathering & Workshops

  • Change management

  • System configuration

  • Data assessment & migration

Consultancy

Training

  • Targeted system training

  • Process automation and report generation

  • Microsoft Office

  • Financial Services

  • Power Platform

For more information on our services, see below.

Implementation

  • Understanding what technology is required to do, requires a detailed understanding of a firm’s requirements, now and in the future. We can support and document these, including:

    • Workshops

    • Business process mapping

    • Implementation management

      (Qualified Managing Microsoft Dynamics Implementations)

    • Training needs analysis

    • Project management

  • Implementing systems is not only about technology, but also about people, and both need to be considered as part of any project.   Trying to implement systems without understanding the priorities, required resources and, importantly, the impact on the people on whom the business will be relying for maintaining a business-as-usual state can seriously impact the success of any project. 

    In Financial Planning terms, “Nobody ever plans to fail, they only fail to plan” and we can create a structured change management program to ensure goals are achieved, on time and on budget.

  • Much of the efficiency of any system is derived from the time and consideration invested configuration and personalisation, recognising that this is not a ‘one-size-fits-all’ situation. Ensuring that this system supports the way the business works ensures that things are done efficiently, consistently.

  • Data sits at the heart of any system and, put simply, a system and indeed a business cannot function efficiently without good data.   Yet many systems contain data that is incomplete, contradictory or simply incorrect.  Whether this results from poor data migrated from legacy systems, poor working practices or a combination of both, a vital constituent for the success of any project is good data.  We can help, whether it’s assessing the data in the system to identify issues, creating plans to rectify issues or reviewing new data pre-migration.

Consultancy

  • Reviewing how a system is used – or not used – is the first step to improving it’s integration into the business.  Through a combination of system assessment, workshops and job-shadowing, we can identify issues and work to resolve them.

  • Systems cannot be simply ‘overlaid’ on existing business processes.  Understanding how the business actually works is a vital precursor to implementing any system and achieving efficiencies.

    Implementing systems requires an understanding of how the business works at a highly granular level and although there is a great deal of commonality within most Financial Services businesses, there is also a great deal that is unique and this needs to be clearly understood in order for any implementation to be successful. 

    Understanding not only what individual users do, but how the various roles and departments interact is imperative and we can assist in conducting workshops and staff interviews/job shadows, to map and document business workflows and understand how the system can support and enhance these.

  • One of the greatest strengths of the Microsoft Dynamics platform is the availability of true process automation tools and these can be configured to create powerful workflows, which can be triggered manually or automatically, creating and updating records, managing tasks and documents and sending emails, whilst the use of wizard-like ‘Dialogs’ can save time, ensure consistency and often accelerate training and system use.

  • Much emphasis is often placed on the importance of data, but without a way to actually use that data, to interrogate and apply it, a system is little more than an electronic filing cabinet.  A firm’s reporting needs, whether they be client-facing or internal will evolve, but the ability to quickly and consistently report and analyse data in the most appropriate way will be vital.

    Reporting can take many forms and we can support the creation of custom documents using Word and/or SmartFlows, charts and dashboards, and the generation of Excel-based analysis at the click of a button, as well as assisting in the validation and production of regulatory reporting (see below).   For more complex requirements, we can provide consultancy on the use of Power BI to analyse data and our in depth knowledge of the system and data structure allows us to provide valuable insights.

  • The reporting requirements, both scheduled and ad-hoc, of the Regulator, other bodies and PI Insurers, create an increasing onus on firms to both ensure their data is recorded in such a way as to support and evidence compliance with the regulations, and facilitate any request for information that may arise.  This has naturally become even more rigorous with the implementation of Consumer Duty and we have substantial experience in all aspects of regulatory reporting, including configuration of records to support the Cross-cutting rules and Consumer Outcomes.

  • The introduction of the Power Platform, with its associated tools, offers a massive opportunity for firms to revolutionise the ways in which their technology is utilised to support the business and support clients, but it represents far more than just the implementation of a new back-office system and consideration needs to be given to many elements in order to ensure maximum benefit. For more information on the Power Platform, click here.

Training

  • Whilst generic system training is fine, it rarely addresses the specific needs of a business or individual and often additional, targeted user training, which takes account of both these needs and the role, experience with systems and preferred learning style of any given user.  Providing training geared towards these requirements can greatly enhance users confidence in the system, to the benefit of all.

  • “Give a man a fish…”

    Building custom processes, such as Workflows and Dialogs for clients can make a huge difference to system efficiency and for many businesses, a small suite of processes is all that is required, and minimal ongoing maintenance or amendment is required.

    However, in some cases, rather than resorting to consultancy, some firms prefer to nominate specific team members to maintain existing or in some cases, author new processes and we have significant experience with a number of clients of training staff on the use of these tools.

  • Unlike so many systems, Microsoft Dynamics allows almost totally unrestricted access to data and there are a multiple tools which can be leveraged to interrogate, analyse and report on this data. Sometimes this involves the creation of standard reports which will be used on a regular basis, but in others there is a need to report on an ad-hoc basis, often with urgent time constraints. We are able to train not only on the use of the native and external reporting tools - Charts, Dashboards, SmartFlows, Excel and Power BI - but also provide a detailed understanding of the data structure to ensure that users understand the relationships between different record types.

  • On occasion, the ability to fully leverage the tools mentioned above relies on a good knowledge of the tools in Microsoft Office and we are able to provide training on some of the more advanced features of these tools, in particular Excel.

  • On occasion, in order to fully utilise systems, a knowledge of the Financial Services environment, products, regulation and in particular, industry-specific terminology can be hugely important and we are able to provide coaching, geared to the relevant level, ensuring that staff who do not perhaps have the relevant background can fully appreciate the why as well as the what.

  • The opportunities that the Power Platform offers are huge, but there is no doubt that it represents a significant change in the underlying technology and to truly take advantage of these, knowledge is required. We are able to provide training on the Power Platform and it’s associated components, geared to the relevant level of knowledge required. For more information on the Power Platform, click here.