News from FSL – April 2020

In light of the Coronavirus pandemic we have implemented a Working From Home policy. This has been running smoothly and we are fully committed to providing you with the service level that you are accustomed.

CGiX:

• SQL Server Update:
  As part of our continual improvement to service, we have upgraded our production servers to SQL Server 2017.  The benefits of which include better performance and improved statistical analysis services.  The work was performed out of hours in order to avoid any client downtime.
• ERI & Offshore Equalisation CSV Extract:
  One of our largest clients went live with a new CSV extract from CGiX to provide all new CSV Extract from CGiX to display all calculated ERI and Offshore Equalisation data within a given tax year. Providing the ability to feed these values directly into their back-office banking system.
• Partial Exchange:
  The Partial Exchange functionality has now been extended to enable the activity to take place between multiple assets at a prescribed ratio. The CGiX import functionality has also been extended to cater for these latest enhancements. This allows users to confidently setup high volumes of Partial Exchange transactions with ease.

What-if:

• The New What If is currently undergoing UAT testing.
• We expect to release it to clients in Q3.

Offshore Reporting Funds (ORF) Data:
We have been working hard to provide the functionality for uploading ORF data directly into CGiX with several new clients before tax reporting season begins. 19/20 tax year has seen a marked increase in interest in ORF data with clients wanting to mitigate any potential crackdown from HMRC for their investors.

WFH Survival Guide:
Our resilient workforce with a great sense of humour, share their top tips on staying sane productive while working remotely.

FSL Chain Mail:
The 3rd and 4th editions of the FSL Chain Mail are now available. The latter focuses on the impact of Covid–19.

Celebrating International Women’s Day:
The day was a call to action for accelerating women’s equality and a group from FSL attended the Women in Investment Festival 2020 to understand how the industry we work with drives equality.

FSL Award for Innovation in Wealth Management:
FSL were proud to be involved with the Goodacre UK COLWMA 2020.  The event was held at The Guildhall on Wednesday 4th March.

World Book Day 2020:
To celebrate World Book Day a few of the avid readers at FSL share what they are currently reading – maybe there’s something for you?

FSL Support of Stand By Me:
FSL began its association with Stand By Me in 2014. The charity supports children’s welfare in extreme circumstances and does whatever it takes to provide the care, love and attention they need to thrive.

FSL Customer Portal Launched:
FSL’s customer portal was launched at the end of January and aims to make accessing useful information easier for our customers.

New starters to FSL:
2019 was another year of growth for FSL. Here we introduce, three new members of our team.

Though many events shaped the beginning of Q1 2020, Coronavirus is now having the biggest impact on all aspects of our industry.

• Brexit, the main driver of the political agenda for several years, has all but been forgotten as daily government updates focus on the virus.
• The key concern is no longer whether there will be a global recession, but what shape it will take and how long it will be before the global economy recovers.
• New legislation has been focused on easing the impact of a recession on businesses and the self-employed.  Though the FCA have released their latest business plan and priorities.
• Technology has become an enabler for adapting to the new environment, making it easier to work from home and conduct ‘socially distanced’ communication.

A positive outcome from the global lockdown has been on the environment, through the reduction of carbon emissions.  Though many think this will be short-lived.

We are pleased to confirm that a Focus Group will be running in June via a digital platform.  The suggested themes for the next focus group are:

• Additional Product Coverage – How can we expand the classifications and types of securities of data that’s currently held within CGi
• CGiX Reports – Understanding the usage and the suitability of the current CGIX reports.
• ESG – Identifying client needs for ESG data and how it can be applied.
• Hosting and Service Bureau – A review of our  Bureau Service and API facilities.
• Offshore Reporting Data – Identifying client needs, optimal functionality and how our offer is currently working for your business.

Our live Focus Group will take place on Tuesday the 23rd June. Vote for your preferred theme here.