The Challenge
Our client, the global markets research team of a leading European investment bank, had been reeling under ever-increasing cost pressure. The onshore team, already short-staffed, was wasting precious time on repetitive and low-value tasks. Research pieces required hours of manual effort to capture data; import it into Excel; add charts, tables, and text; and prepare the final content for clients. Clearly, the process needed re‑engineering, but the question was: how can such re-engineering be achieved?
Our Solution
We deployed a team with strong knowledge of capital markets and proven skills in programming and data analytics. Using a mix of Python and R, the team built highly efficient platforms for data manipulation.
Our solution had two aspects:
- First, we provided cutting-edge technology solutions tailored to the systems that the client team was already using
- Second, we identified repetitive tasks that did not require human judgment or intervention, and could be automated
We then re-engineered several of the client’s research processes and reduced the processing time from 12 human hours to 15 machine minutes. At the same time, we made the processes more robust and stable, while ensuring accuracy through multiple validation checks.
Business Impact
The reduction in processing time provided far more service flexibility. Processes that could only be carried out on a quarterly basis could now be run at the clients’ request – sometimes several times a week.
The processes not just became faster but also better. The newly automated tools could carry out complex analyses that were out of reach earlier. Fast and superior analysis enabled the ETF and derivatives desks to get key insights sooner then they earlier did.
Our client team can now spend more than 70% of its time on creating new analytical tools, conducting ad hoc investigations, and building financial models.
Our optimized framework can calculate a range of metrics and analytics on futures and options trade data. This allows the client team to publish a weekly research piece, which is an essential aid for its sell-side teams.
We also helped the client team to develop state-of-the-art periodic reports that analyse volatility – these are a ‘must read’ for investors.
Improved efficiency
Complex data analysis was achieved at a faster pace, using automation tools. Process time was reduced from 12 human hours to 15 machine minutes, leaving time for quality research work.
Business growth
The ETF and equity derivatives desks could produce four new reports, 50 custom baskets (customized portfolios), and around two thematic research notes every month, besides 30 new hedging portfolios.