Cincinnati Asset Management has been in business for more than 30 years and has been an Advent customer for 20 of those years.
In that time, the firm experienced its share of growth and change. Recently, as it looked to the future, it asked a fundamental question: Do we have the right technology foundation to support our next phase of growth?
Despite having used Advent technology for two decades, the firm refused to get complacent. It needed to know: Was Advent still the right technology partner for its future?
For Tom Grelak, COO at Cincinnati Asset Management, the answer couldn't be based on familiarity alone.
"To feel confident in whether this technology made sense for the future, I needed to find out what was out there,” said Grelak.
The firm spent roughly a year evaluating nearly every major investment management technology provider, weighing functionality and capabilities, infrastructure, industry experience, operational support, cost, and each provider's roadmap.
The result was not a decision to maintain the status quo. It was a decision to modernize with the partner that could best support the firm's future vision.
A Fresh Look at a Familiar Technology Partner
Cincinnati Asset Management began its evaluation by looking for solutions to specific operational challenges, particularly in reconciliation and order management.
As the firm grew to manage approximately 6,000 accounts, the cost and complexity of maintaining and reconciling data across systems had become increasingly difficult to scale. As Advent worked through the firm's requirements, it recognized an opportunity to address more than individual pain points.
Rather than recommending separate solutions for each challenge, Advent took into account the firm's operating model, growth objectives, and long-term vision. The result was a modernization strategy designed not only to address immediate operational concerns, but also to create a more connected, scalable operating model capable of supporting future growth.
At the center of that strategy was Genesis, providing a connected foundation for the firm's future operating model. From there, Advent was able to address the firm's operational priorities through a broader modernization approach rather than a series of point solutions.
"Advent came back with a really compelling solution," Grelak says. "The proposal from Advent resolved the operational challenges we were facing and gave us a path forward."
Investing in the Future with Confidence
Cincinnati Asset Management’s decision wasn’t a choice to stay the same. It was a decision to move forward with a refreshed vision for how the firm could operate.
After roughly a year, the firm had thoroughly tested the market, challenged its assumptions, and asked every provider, including Advent, to demonstrate how they would support the firm’s future vision.
What emerged was more than a technology upgrade. It was a modernization strategy aligned to the firm's business objectives and growth plans.
Built around Genesis, Eze OEMS, and managed services, the approach addressed the firm's immediate operational challenges while creating a more integrated and scalable operating model.
By simplifying key operational processes, the strategy also allowed internal teams to spend more time on higher-value activities and less time managing complexity.
In the end, after challenging every assumption and evaluating every major alternative, Cincinnati Asset Management didn't choose SS&C Advent because it was familiar; it chose Advent because, as Grelak puts it: “After evaluating the alternatives, we felt confident this was the right path forward.”
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