DIAM International, the London-based division of the major Japanese pension fund asset manager, DIAM, has selected the SimCorp Dimension investment management system after a comprehensive review of the market in front and back office systems.
The switch to the seamless, front to back office processing system has led to greater flexibility and efficiency for the future while ensuring continued firm control of the day to day running of DIAM Internationals business.
Implementation commenced in November 2006 with a detailed analysis phase to ensure the best configuration. The system went live in less than a year.
“It was a demanding but well implemented project,” says Jan Weber, chief financial officer, DIAM International.
Primary considerations when choosing a system were compliance and reporting. Both these issues have been addressed. Compliance rules are now checked automatically pre-trade by the system; and client reports, are now generated directly from SimCorp Dimension’s core Oracle database using the standard report writing tool, Crystal Reports.
For DIAM International, the accommodation of its future needs is one of the greatest benefits of the new system. With all functionality based around a core database, implementation of new functions in SimCorp Dimension is very straightforward. New functionality can be added without the need for new databases or interfaces.
“We’re confident we’ll be able to meet the future requirements of our clients and maintain our strict operating controls. For example we may bring performance measurement and attribution in-house, which would not have been practical before we had SimCorp Dimension. Overall we have a system in place which caters for our needs, both now and going into the future,” says Weber.
“We have very much enjoyed working with DIAM International and are delighted that they have already realised desired benefits from their SimCorp Dimension system. This is a good example of the type of partnership we like to have with our clients and look forward to continuing this into the future,” adds Elizabeth Gee, sales director, SimCorp Ltd.