Choosing the Best Way Forward at the MiFIDII Reporting Crossroads

It’s been an interesting time for all those involved in regulatory reporting. Just weeks after CME revealed they were winding down their NEX Abide reporting services, Deutsche Börse followed suit, announcing last week that it will be offloading its reporting business. 

For investment firms, these events pose important questions about their own operations. Larger service providers have long dominated the reporting industry, and bring with them big reputations. But their commitment to regulatory reporting – especially if it is an ancillary business or not a core focus – may now be called into question, and more providers could follow in the footsteps of CME and Deutsche Börse.

That makes finding a trusted long-term partner, and a specialist reporting solution, more important than ever.

Reporting at a Crossroads 

Regulatory reporting finds itself at a crossroads, and as a result investment firms now find themselves at a pivotal moment too. Many long-standing CME clients must have thought they had a trusted regulatory reporting ARM to depend on throughout 2020 and beyond. Although CME are helping their clients with the transition, ultimately these firms will have to conduct their own due diligence to find a solution that is as non-disruptive as possible. 

With very little warning, and against the backdrop of a global pandemic, this is hardly ideal. In fact, at AQMetrics we’ve been asking ourselves what will investment firms – whether affected by the CME and Deutsche Börse news or not – want now? 

While finding a non-disruptive alternative will be top of the agenda for those affected, all investment firms will want some reassurance that their provider is committed to providing MiFIDII reporting for the long haul, and that this remains a priority.

The last few weeks may prompt firms to rethink their own reporting strategy, and many will consider turning to a specialist technology partner that will be more committed to customer success in the field of regulatory reporting. Firms like AQMetrics are here to help.

Why Choose a Specialist Partner?

Given recent events, it’s understandable firms will want assurances that their provider will be around for the long haul. More than anything, AQMetrics understands that this gives firms peace of mind, with compliance and regulatory teams able to rely on their outsourced solutions. 

So why consider a specialist reporting solution? With specialist firms like AQMetrics, reporting is at the heart of everything they do – it’s not merely an ancillary business or legacy system.

Many specialist regtech reporting firms, for instance, have invested huge amounts of capital into product design, automation, regulatory approvals, and customer success teams, all to ensure that the reporting is seamless, pain free and available long-term for their end users.

Adapting to client reporting needs, specialist regulatory technology platforms are built by design for regulatory reporting. Teams of dedicated software engineers and regulatory specialists work side by side to make sure that their regulatory technology platform is always accurate, up-to-date, and easy to navigate.

That means that the regulatory platforms evolves in line with emerging regulatory change, and are fit for small and large firms alike. Smaller firms, for example, can rest assured that they are staying on top of any regulatory change, while larger firms can appreciate the scale that such solutions offer.

Moreover, unlike larger vendors serving hundreds or even thousands of clients, specialist regulatory technology firms provide better flexibility and service. Flexibility and service has become key differentiators for specialist firms compared to larger vendors, and specialist firms are usually far more accommodating when it comes to data management, migration, and licensing agreements.

Cutting-Edge Technology

Not only that, but the technology is generally better too. In fact, changing  your reporting provider – whether by choice or necessity – may give you an opportunity to explore the technology platforms of niche or smaller firms.

Here, greater automation, and greater use of Big Data and AI, are helping clients with their evolving regulatory burdens – something AQMetrics understands well being a regulated firm itself. 

There are many benefits. Some investment managers have started to appreciate the high level of automation available in a single platform, particularly as it lessens the time spent on some previously manual tasks and compliance work.

Others look for partners like AQMetrics for reporting because of features such as leading edge and best in class dashboards and reporting interfaces, backed up by robust data management, industry knowledge and quality of service.

Whatever the case, though, all of this means that when you partner with a specialist, you’re getting a reliable technology platform that is specifically dedicated to meeting your regulatory needs. Not only are you more likely to get better service and value, but you can rest easy knowing that your provider is in it for the long haul – and always has your best interests at heart.