Xinn Blog

Investment Management Flying to Cloud

pstansbury@xinn.com (Paul Stansbury) — Thu, 07 Jun 2018 18:54:55 GMT

Despite the many different forces pushing and pulling the financial services industries in various directions, a single quality can help firms effectively adapt to each of those forces - flexibility. Between tightening regulation, market dynamics, a hypercompetitive marketplace, and continuously evolving technologies, firms must be flexible and agile in every facet of operations to keep pace with investor expectations and a fluid landscape.

The Age of the Virtual Agent is Here

jwilliams@xinn.com (Jeff Williams) — Tue, 29 May 2018 19:57:01 GMT

One of the biggest criticisms concerning financial technology is the way it isolates us from our clients. Everywhere you turn, people are staring at a screen rather than participating in the interpersonal communication that is so important to the success of our clients.

As is often the case, however, technology can provide effective solutions for the issues it creates - as illustrated by the highly immersive, connective potential of virtual reality (VR).

What's the Data Story You Want to Tell?

mblanchard@xinn.com (Michael Blanchard) — Tue, 15 May 2018 21:06:46 GMT

These days, enterprise companies have the ability to take advantage of massive amounts of data in order to improve their offerings and their marketing strategy as well as other business operations. But with SO many data points collecting every moment, it can quickly become overwhelming trying to figure out which areas to focus on and how to interpret the large amounts of information in order to better help our clients.

Don't Let GDPR Become Your Nightmare

pstansbury@xinn.com (Paul Stansbury) — Tue, 15 May 2018 20:11:49 GMT

There's a storm on the horizon. Skies have darkened, sunlight hidden behind gray, ominous clouds that cast shadows over the landscape, and those that didn't heed the weather report are bound to be caught in the storm and drenched if they can't quickly find cover.

For American industry, the dark clouds that were born over the EU have been steadily making their way across the Atlantic, leaving many companies still scrambling for protection. After years of methodical movement over land and sea, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is ready for its heralded entrance on the industrial stage despite many American firms still unclear on the impact it will have on their daily operations.

Compliance Scan Complete: Financial Regulation in the Age of the Robot

pstansbury@xinn.com (Paul Stansbury) — Thu, 19 Apr 2018 19:24:07 GMT

With so many moving parts, there aren't many industries more complex than financial services. Between the investments themselves, volatile environments and ever-evolving compliance issues, firms within the financial services space need to be agile, proactive and perpetually in tune with both their client base and regulators to simply survive.

Making Client Reporting an "Amazon-Like" Experience

jwilliams@xinn.com (Jeff Williams) — Thu, 19 Apr 2018 18:51:26 GMT

As business processes become increasingly digitized, the lines separating departmental functions such as client service, marketing and sales are rapidly blurring. Many companies are starting to realize that the best client experience lies at the intersection of marketing and service - an experience that requires a new approach to selling.

ETFs' New Target: Blockchain

Kenneth Bunney — Wed, 21 Mar 2018 18:01:16 GMT

Like mutual funds in the 80s and 90s, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have proven to be transformative to the investment markets in the last two decades or so. With unparalleled cost efficiency, convenience, tradeability and precision, ETFs have become stalwarts to institutional and individual investors alike.

Business Presentation Tips: Tell a Story

jwilliams@xinn.com (Jeff Williams) — Mon, 05 Mar 2018 19:53:43 GMT

We've all been to meetings where the presentation seemed to suck the soul out of your body...

Dry facts with no analysis or insights
Lots of problems with no solutions
Tons of text and complex data charts
Static pages of content

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...

Business presentations are more important than ever in the Age of Customer, and they are frequently a total let down. We've all probably sat through an incredibly boring or sloppy presentation and left feeling like it was just a big waste of time. Many business teams make the mistake of thinking a great presentation is packed with information, but the reality is that they can end up being dry, painfully dull and ineffective. That's where storytelling comes in.

Investment Management Growth Drivers for 2018

pstansbury@xinn.com (Paul Stansbury) — Tue, 27 Feb 2018 22:56:52 GMT

Just partly through the first quarter, 2018 has already proven to be a memorable year for the investment services industry. Between historic tax cuts, remarkable volatility and an ever-shifting sociopolitical landscape, our short time spent in 2018 has only demonstrated what the investment services industry has long known -- expect the unexpected.

Why Automation Can Improve Your Performance

jwilliams@xinn.com (Jeff Williams) — Wed, 14 Feb 2018 16:04:08 GMT

Let's face it; we live in a world of increasing automation. It's reported that up to 45 percent of the average office employee's work could still be automated. Just imagine how much your work day would be improved if you spend 50 percent of your time on high-value tasks, rather than glorified data entry or paperwork. Automation technology has the potential to give us our human-ness back.