Financial Integration

A recent Moss Adams study concluded that RIAs who use “integrated technologies” had 36% higher

revenue per professional and 30% higher profits per owner.

So how can integration help achieve these higher revenues and profits? Examples include:

• Saved time: Tasks that used to take hours now happen in seconds
• Reduced risk: Accurate data means less risk
• Increased profits: You now have more time to spend recruiting new clients and services
• Increased flexibility: Single sign‐on – removes the need for separate usernames and passwords,

and single user interface ‐ eliminates the need to learn and remember different features &

functions But what does “integrated technologies” mean? Although there is no formal definition, here are four

examples to illustrate capabilities available today:

LEVEL 1: HYPERLINKS      

Hyperlinks allow an advisor to open                                    

another web site at a specific page. In              
                   
this example, the advisor clicks on a
                                                                                       
Financial Holding’s ticker, which

launches a new browser page, opening                

Google Finance containing that ticker’s

information.

This allows quick access to key data,

saving the advisor the time and

frustration of searching for specific

information. Hyperlinks are typically limited to passing small amounts of data

between services, and the lack of true data blending limits the ability to

search across the two services concurrently.

LEVEL 2: SINGLE SIGN‐ON

Single sign‐on allows the advisor to
                                                                                 
open another, secure, application.

In this example, the user wants to

open a trading platform. They click

on a link next to an investor’s

account details. Secure log‐in details

are passed to the trading application

as well as relevant account &

investor information. The trading platform opens at the client’s account, allowing immediate trading

and account maintenance.

LEVEL 3: DATA PASSING

Data passing pulls and pushes data between separate

applications. In this example, a Portfolio Accounting systems

account balances are integrated into the

advisor’s CRM data. The advisor can see

up to date account balances alongside

more traditional CRM data such as notes,

events and attached documentation. This proves a single

dashboard with all key investor data integrated into one screen for easy and error free access. Integrated screening and filtering is also

supported.

LEVEL 4: IN‐DEPTH WEB SERVICES


In‐depth web service integration allows

one application to run another without                   

leaving the first. In this example AppCrown

launches Orion Advisor and retrieves

detailed financial reports. The reports

appear directly inside AppCrown without

changing applications.
 
 
Joel Bruckenstein recently evaluated AppCrown's integration in April 09's issue of Financial Planning magazine:

• AppCrown is a really impressive integrated suite of products.
• the initial version is impressive
• .. navigation of AppCrown is intuitive
• The benefits of integration are unmistakable ..
• AppCrown is built on top of Salesforce.com, a leader in CRM and “cloud computing”

In conclusion:

True integration has enormous benefits to advisors:

• Time and money saved
• Errors reduced
• More time means clients are better served

Advisors can help themselves:

• Demand deeper integration
• Support the industry’s innovators

If your business comprises separate applications, data duplication, rekeying, error rates, wasted time,

and too little time with your clients:

• It is time to upgrade
• Embrace true integration

AppCrown

AppCrown is an operational system that delivers an innovative, single‐application turnkey solution to

financial advisors. AppCrow is built on the Force.com platform, benefiting from salesforce.com’s trusted

global service infrastructure, which currently supports 1.1 million users across 51,000 organizations

around the world. The open architecture platform can integrate virtually any existing technology,

including CRM; client, compliance and back office management, as well as data aggregation. The firm

recently announced that it has surpassed the $2 billion mark in assets under integration on its platform.

The firm serves broker/dealers, Registered Investment Advisors, money managers and custodians.

Please click here to review the list of our integration partners:

http://www.appcrown.com/