August 05, 2019

Going Direct: The Evolution of Buy Side Corporate Access Practices

Corporate access used to be a three-way deal. Maybe it was an epiphany, or, more likely, it had something to do with MiFID II, but buy side corporate access practices are changing. Now, they are taking more control and going direct to corporations.

For as long as anyone can remember, brokerage firms and investment banks have been a provider of high-touch services, including advisory, to some of their most valued buy-side clients. But it’s gradually moving in a different direction, as the asset management community transforms its business model to take on more of these responsibilities in-house.

Changing Practices: Capital Markets

Capital markets practices have evolved due to a few factors. Changes are a result of the expanding regulatory landscape, the use of intelligent and automated technology, the drive to reduce costs, and the emergence of the buy side’s corporate access teams. In some ways, all these factors, in truth, are linked.

Technology has grown to accommodate the needs of institutional investors, eliminating inefficient and lengthy processes through electronification. In turn, time is saved, and money is made. The cost of doing business, though, still has a hefty price tag. But the buy side is finding a way to improve their operating model by using technology and increasing the need for collaboration.

Some of the biggest firms in the world are taking this unprecedented journey together, as reported by the Wall Street Journal back in June.

But the sell side isn’t being entirely circumvented. According to a summary on TabbFORUM of a recent discussion between corporate access professionals hosted by IHS Markit, the sell side’s relationships with corporate clients are still extremely important and valuable to the buy side.

Buy Side Corporate Access Growth

For buy-side firms to receive the most value out of their corporate access services and daily interactions, an open architecture-based platform can assist. Users can see tremendous gains in efficiency and transparency while reducing business risk.

Tier1’s event management solutions help firms align and direct all of their corporate access services, such as conferences and roadshows, in a single user-friendly view. Users are empowered to collaborate and coordinate events on various platforms such as Outlook, mobile, and in-house integrations. The functionality provided by Tier1’s flexible and interoperable solutions reduce the time it takes to make meaningful interactions, which in turn, monetizes daily workflows across all desks.

Present-day, there’s nothing more prudent for market participants than employing technology tools that make workflows more efficient and help navigate the evolving industry landscape. Solutions that grow and maintain corporate relationships and facilitate communication with capital markets’ counterparties are vital to join the new and complex world that we work in. Don’t be left behind.

 

Contact our specialists today to learn more how Tier1 Financial Solutions can help buy side corporate access growth.