Any significant change in the way a global asset management firm performs its day-to-day business activities involves a fundamental re-evaluation of its business processes. While change brings both risk and opportunity to global asset managers, the manner in which the firm approaches and adapts to change can significantly impact its performance and overall competitiveness.

With experience and expertise across all middle and back office functions [see Middle and Back Office Outsourcing; Technology Outsourcing], ix Partners is uniquely suited to assist our clients in planning for and managing through changes in business processes that originate as operations or technology re-engineering in the middle or back office, but whose impact may naturally extend throughout the firm.

ix Partners' model of business process redesign is based upon seven key building blocks:

• Perform a needs or requirements analysis in the targeted area of the middle or back office




• Conduct a detailed analysis of existing processes in the targeted area to clearly identify and isolate those processes that require change




• Prepare a gap analysis to ensure that old practices are not simply "re-named" rather than "re-engineered"




• Analyze any information technology tools or applications that might be introduced into the redesigned processes for efficiency and compatibility




• Develop a functional specification that in detail defines the re-engineered processes, outlines an execution plan and timetable, and establishes performance benchmarks for post-implementation evaluation




• Develop and test a "prototype" of the redesign that permits feedback from all impact stakeholders to be incorporated into the redesigned processes




• Develop a series of test plans and test the redesigned processes in ensure that consistency with both the client's requirements and the functional specification

Through the process our team works closely with our client's management to facilitate knowledge transfer in both directions at each stage of the project and, once completed, to assist management in "rolling out" the redesigned process to maximize the benefit to affected stakeholders.

Whether the requirement is to identify and resolve symptoms of business process dysfunction, successfully re-design workflow and internal structures, right-size departmental personnel, introduce performance enhancements through the use of technology or better integrate staff productivity by matching process design to client needs, ix Partners offers effective solutions based on a proven model and the experience of a team of financial industry professionals.