The Wealth Manager's dilemma is to effectively aggregate and manage information from disparate sources to meet all of his or her clients financial, investment, tax and financial planning needs. Whether it be client acquisition, performance, portfolio accounting, portfolio reporting, partnership accounting or integrating your technology and operation into a fluid process, Windward can help. Using our structured consulting methodology, we work to understand the specifics of your business needs and challenges and work with you to identify the best approach and solution to meet your needs.

Our professional consulting team brings extensive experience and expertise implementing innovative technology and right sized operations in wealth management firms to work for you. Our goal is to understand your business and build on your strengths to craft a cost-effective solution which may range from a complete transformation of your technology to small operational and process improvements. 

We offer both broad based Consulting Services and a retainer-based Strategic Technology Advisor program, which provides you with access to technology expertise to validate and guide your decision process.

To supplement our consulting services, we offer Focused Programs, which address the discrete building blocks of the organization.

Our consulting services are focused in:


 

Technology Services

Integration and management of data is paramount within the financial services firm.  When providing technology services for our clients, we work to understand the specifics of your business practices and implement solutions that are scalable and can grow and adapt as your business needs change. Anticipating your future direction is as important as meeting your current demands. Our knowledge of the wealth management business and the available technology solutions combined with our proven process will guide you to a successful implementation.

  • Technology assessments:  complete reviews of your technology from immediate fixes and inconsistencies to long-term redevelopment of the technology platform. The typical issues we address range from data aggregation (Check out Hugh Bagatelle's article on data aggregation in Private Wealth magazine), to integration of disparate systems, to reviewing and fixing Excel subsystems - related specifically to the Family Office.
  • Solution provider searches:  complete requirements definition,starting with a functional analysis, gap analysis to determine technology strengths and shortcomings, to RFI/RFP development - leading to the selection and evaluation of the right technology component and provider for your organization.

Operational Consulting

Clients rely on the private wealth managers to protect their assets and privacy, preserve their wealth, and provide a wide array of administrative and support services. We have extensive experience in working with wealth management offices and understand the complexities of operational requirements including proper internal controls, logical workflow, best practices and effective tools and technology. You benefit from our objectivity and ability to see through the trees to analyze not only the big picture, but also the underlying components.  Our operational consulting services include:

  • Operational Assessments: To identify those areas where inefficient processes are preventing the office from achieving its maximum service potential.  The scope of an operational assessment can range from a narrow functional focus with a specific high-level objective to an all-encompassing evaluation of the entire operation.
  • Solution provider searches: complete requirements definition, alternatives identification, RFI/RFP development, selection and evaluation of the right MFO or outsource service provider.
  • Process Improvement Projects: How do you change from what's not working to a new way of thinking and still maintain service levels to your clients? Process improvement in the private wealth management office focuses on industry best practices and encompasses the whole organization,with an integrated, cross-functional scope.  Change can be difficult, and requires a managed process with measurable steps. We can assist your organization in transforming fragmented activities into a continuous stream of value added processes, with the workflow being driven by client needs.
  • Strategic reviews and guidance- to assess direction as the business needs change through positioning in the marketplace or internal personnel shifts.