The new normal that is the COVID world of business presents many challenges and changes to how we all operate, but like the saying goes, where there are challenges there are also opportunities. These opportunities have shown us how to pull together, rely on one another, and accept help when offered. It’s been a silver lining in this very challenging year.
As part of the SS&C Advent Professional Services team, I see firsthand how we’ve been able to deliver and accomplish extraordinary results for our clients – even in these uncertain times. We’ve also been able to see the resilience and dedication among our clients in asset, wealth, and alternative management as we’ve worked together to ensure they know we’re here to help them with their business continuity plans and quick pivots as needed.
As we near the end of this truly memorable year, I like to remind clients that it’s a great time to start thinking through the business challenges they want to address in the coming year. Several questions I often ask are:
- Are there urgent (1-3 year) business challenges that need addressed?
- Any lingering technical issues this year that haven’t been solved?
- How about back-office opportunities for improvement (think compliance) and key workflows?
Whatever opportunities for improvement exist, our Professional Services team can help fill the gaps. Usually around this time, I get to ask these questions in person at SS&C’s annual conference, Deliver.
The high watermark of my year is attending the SS&C Deliver conference, however this year we quickly pivoted to Advent Engage, our first virtual conference, hosting our clients with insightful panels, product demos, and timely discussion. I always look forward to the opportunity to meet and interact with the clients I’ve built relationships with over the years; it’s what makes my job incredibly rewarding. Not only is it great to catch up with the people we’ve spent hours with working through tough business problems, it’s a wonderful opportunity to meet new people and discover their business challenges that need solving.
In catching up with our clients at Engage, the key takeaway was identifying better opportunities to expose our clients, and potential clients, to all that Advent Professional Services has to offer, including:
- Consulting services
- Custom reporting and software development
- Best practices and compliance advisory
- Product implementation, optimization, and upgrades
Many clients simply aren’t aware that we have a robust team of consultants, engineers, and project managers available to help them grow and streamline their business. Often clients believe that we’re only involved with implementations, and they must go elsewhere for their ongoing needs, which is not the case. We love to build deep continuing relationships with our clients so we can be a critical partner for not only their success in realizing value from their software but for attaining maximum efficiencies in their back-office workflows.
Unfortunately, this year there wasn’t an opportunity to interact with people in the hallway or share a breakfast table with new faces. I didn’t get to chat industry news or thought leadership with old friends and hear how their families are doing and what trips they’re looking forward to taking. So much has changed for us all in such a short time.
Which brings me to the most important takeaway—the power in a strong team.
I miss seeing our clients, at the end of the day, Advent Professional Services is a people business, and I am a people person. We all must focus on the people within our organizations and the fact that we’re all more than the sum of our parts.
Over the years, and 4,000+ engagements later, we’ve helped thousands of clients realize more value from their technology investments through automated or streamlined workflows, custom reporting and software development, and best practices guidance to make their critical back-office systems more efficient, stable, and supportable. I am proud to work among the best people in the industry and share that even though we’re more than 6 feet apart and fully remote, we’re still able to engage with our clients in meaningful ways and share new, insightful information that helps them succeed.
I call that a win.
To learn more about the Advent Professional Services suite of solutions, or to request a complimentary proposal, contact us.
