The Two Kinds of Relationships Private Equity Firms Need to Stay Competitive

When we set out to survey the global private equity sector in 2016, we focused on technology – how firms we’re using it, how they plan to invest in it, where they see the value in it, etc. But the insights we received went far beyond that. What we found was that firms are concerned about relationships even more than their systems and platforms.

There are two levels to this discussion of relationships. The first is about enhancing the client experience. One of the most interesting points from our research was that private equity executives are placing major emphasis on improving the client experience as a key to positioning their firms to thrive in the future. Nearly 70 percent of those who took our survey identify investment in customers and markets as a priority over the next few years.

It’s a very competitive world now, and that’s unlikely to change. Customer experience will only become more important because, as managed services and many processes become automated, the customer experience is one of the key ways a firm can differentiate itself.

Where relationships connect to technology is in the method by which you improve the customer experience. In our view, one of the best ways to improve your experience is by providing a streamlined, intuitive approach to data transparency and reporting so that your investors can get what they need, when they need it. But creating this type of platform means you’ve got to invest first in your firm’s relationship with technology. You need one to achieve the other.

Future-ready firms understand that a stronger relationship with technology provides the platform for a stronger relationship with investors. That’s because a unique client experience encourages clients to return.

Interested to see how we turn operational technology into a platform for enhancing your client experience? Drop me a line.