According to Deloitte’s 2025 Investment Management Outlook, firms today face headwinds from all sides: shifting investor expectations, tightening margins, persistently high interest rates and an ever-changing regulatory landscape.
The pressure to remain competitive has never been greater.
In these markets, your firm’s success requires each team member to contribute to growing revenue, streamlining operations and managing risk more precisely.
Yet without the right resources, traders are unable to support those goals.
Modern traders need technology to analyze markets accurately, execute trades quickly and adapt seamlessly to rapidly changing conditions. Just as important, these tools should create efficiencies and enhance traders' job satisfaction in one of the industry's most demanding environments.
With the right trading technology, firms can empower traders to make smarter, faster decisions, driving both individual performance and firm-wide success.
Thriving in Dynamic Markets: The 7 EMS Features Traders Need
To succeed in today’s fast-moving markets, traders need more than speed—they need the right tools. Here are 7 advanced EMS features every trading desk should have:
1. Flexible Trade Automation
In turbulent markets, freeing traders to focus on what matters most is critical. Automated trading tools—such as algo wheels and automated order routing—allow firms to handle low-touch orders quickly and efficiently, especially when headcount is tight.
By offloading routine, automatable trades, traders gain valuable time to concentrate on higher-value activities: building relationships, identifying alpha-generating opportunities and managing complex trades.
This shift optimizes productivity and boosts engagement and job satisfaction, helping firms retain top talent while driving stronger outcomes.
2. Smarter, Faster Access to Liquidity
Accessing liquidity quickly and efficiently is essential in today’s fragmented markets.
Manual or cumbersome workflows can slow execution and cause missed opportunities. Modern EMS technology cuts through that complexity by centralizing multi-broker access and enabling real-time management of positions, portfolios and risk across equities, futures and options worldwide.
But speed alone isn’t enough. Advanced tools that uncover hidden liquidity—such as IOIs (Indications of Interest) and AIOIs (Actionable IOIs)—can improve pricing, increase fill sizes and surface opportunities often overlooked. Features like algo wheels, hot keys, intelligent routing and access to global broker networks make execution faster and more precise.
With these capabilities, the EMS evolves beyond execution and becomes a true front-office partner that streamlines access, surfaces hidden opportunities and empowers smarter trading decisions.
3. Integrated Compliance Functionality
Compliance is a constant concern, and in high-volume, fast-moving markets, it's even more of a concern. The last thing traders need is clunky compliance checks to slow them down.
An advanced EMS integrates compliance directly into the trading workflow, enabling smooth, uninterrupted execution while ensuring evolving regulatory requirements are met.
With the right EMS, traders stay efficient, and compliance teams remain confident.
4. Best Execution Measurement and Transaction Cost Analysis (TCA)
In shifting markets, it is essential to know whether trades are being executed efficiently and effectively.
Built-in measurement tools, such as charting and market fragmentation analysis, help traders track performance, monitor obligations and identify areas for improvement.
Integration with third-party TCA providers adds another layer of insight, turning raw data into actionable intelligence.
Together, these tools provide the transparency and accountability firms need to meet best execution standards and refine trading strategies.
5. Scalability Through APIs
Open architecture and API access are no longer nice-to-have—they’re fundamental. Managers expect to plug in their data, models and downstream systems without friction.
Yet many users remain unsure how to fully leverage APIs. Many modern EMS platforms solve this by offering marketplaces of trusted third-party solutions supported by well-documented, plug-and-play integrations.
Whether it’s custom analytics, risk management tools or proprietary models, APIs give firms the flexibility to tailor workflows, expand capabilities and scale without overhauling infrastructure.
6. Mobile Capabilities
In today’s 24/7 markets, agility is non-negotiable. Traders need the ability to monitor and respond to opportunities anytime, anywhere. That requires seamless access across browser, desktop and mobile.
With robust mobile capabilities, traders can stay connected, act quickly and maintain peak efficiency—even when away from the office.
7. Client Service That Meets Your Needs
Technology is only as strong as the service behind it. A vendor’s support team should understand the platform and how and why your firm uses it.
When evaluating providers, consider the depth and responsiveness of their service and the options they offer. For example, can their managed services help your firm expand capacity without adding headcount?
The best vendors act as true partners—supporting daily operations while providing the expertise and stability firms can rely on long term.
In Changing Markets, Don’t Be Left Behind: The Essential EMS
Navigating today’s market headwinds requires more than resilience—it requires the right technology.
SS&C’s RealTick delivers the advanced capabilities traders need to stay ahead. With high-speed, multi-asset, multi-broker support, RealTick centralizes access to liquidity, sharpens execution and adapts to the evolving needs of institutional trading desks.
Ready to explore what these EMS features can do for your firm?
Learn more about the essential features of the EMS, or contact us to start the conversation.
Whether you’re looking to buy, upgrade or change trading systems, SS&C's Trading Technology Buyer's Guide is your definitive resource for understanding how to apply the trading technology available to you to navigate today’s uncertain markets and set your firm up for success.
