Streamlining ESG and Market Data: Ruth Asset Management's Strategic Collaboration with Kidbrooke®

Flexibility, Expertise, and a Client-Centric Approach - Why Ruth Asset Management Chose Kidbrooke®

In this interview, we speak with Ruth Asset Management about their decision to partner with us at Kidbrooke® to address the challenges of ESG and market data aggregation. Facing a significant transition period after a merger, Ruth Asset Management needed innovative solutions to manage complex data from various sources. They share their reasons for choosing Kidbrooke® over other analytics providers, highlighting our flexibility, expertise, and commitment to their needs. They also discuss how our solutions have streamlined their operations, enhanced compliance with evolving ESG reporting requirements, and contributed to their overall digital transformation. This conversation offers insights into the successful implementation of our platform and the future opportunities for continued collaboration to further optimise their data management processes. 

Can you describe the initial challenges that led Ruth Asset Management to partner with Kidbrooke®? 

Ruth Asset Management faced a significant transition, navigating the complexities of a merger between two companies with differing data management practices, the launch of a new webpage, and the challenge of consolidating multiple data sources. These issues presented an opportunity for Kidbrooke® to step in and provide effective solutions. 

What factors influenced your decision to choose Kidbrooke® over other analytics solutions providers? 

Kidbrooke® were very attentive to the different challenges that we had and provided us with several solutions to our problems where other analytics solutions providers were not as flexible. Throughout the process and after implementation, Kidbrooke® has proven to be a dependable partner, consistently available for problem-solving and support. This reliability sets them apart from other providers. Additionally, Kidbrooke®'s collaboration with Ruth Asset Management extends to Max Matthiessen, which acquired Ruth Asset Management in 2021. This partnership helps streamline processes across the entire organisation, enhancing alignment and efficiency. Managing data related to funds and investments requires deep expertise in navigating the complex regulations and requirements in this space. Unlike other analytics solution providers, Kidbrooke® brings the necessary knowledge and proficiency to effectively address these challenges, ensuring seamless compliance and operational success.

Can you share insights on how the aggregation of fund information from various third-party data sources has streamlined your operations? 

Gathering and working with data from several third-party data sources can be a challenging task, especially since different sources work with data in different ways. Rather than spending time and resources on our side, the aggregation of fund information from Kidbrooke® allows us to use our time and resources more effectively and lets us focus more on the actual fund management and providing great products for our clients. 

How does the solution assist in maintaining compliance with evolving sustainability and ESG reporting requirements? 

The landscape of sustainability and ESG reporting requirements is constantly evolving and becoming more complex. That, in combination with the strong sustainability and ESG ambitions of Ruth Asset Management, creates a hard task to manage and comply with. The solution provided by Kidbrooke® enables us to efficiently comply with daily regulatory and reporting requirements. It streamlines the aggregation of data for both internal and external reporting, saving significant time and resources. Without Kidbrooke®, Ruth Asset Management would have faced substantial challenges in developing solutions to these issues, making this partnership invaluable to our operations.

Could you elaborate on the impact of having a consolidated view of investment product data, including sustainability KPIs, on your digital transformation journey? 

As mentioned earlier, the solution significantly aids us in meeting regulatory and reporting requirements. Additionally, it enables us to provide our customers with clear and comprehensive data, giving them a better overview of their investments and empowering them to make informed decisions.

How has introducing Kidbrooke’s aggregation tool to describe funds impacted your engagement with current and potential investors and distributors? 

The introduction of the aggregation tool has enabled us to present significantly more detailed and advanced data about our funds. This has led to a noticeable increase in feedback and engagement from both our current and potential clients compared to our previous solution.

What feedback have you received from stakeholders regarding the enhanced mutual fund information provided through Kidbrooke's solutions? 

The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with stakeholders appreciating the enhanced detail and sophistication of the data we can now provide using Kidbrooke’s solution compared to our previous system. We have also had more constructive feedback where we notice that our shareholders are engaging and questioning our data much more thoroughly than before, which is very positive and allows us to better tailor the information and data to their needs. 

Can you walk us through your implementation experience of Kidbrooke’s analytics suite? 

The implementation process can be divided into two parts: the initial setup and the ongoing enhancements to the data we present. The initial implementation was highly collaborative, with Kidbrooke® demonstrating a strong understanding of our needs and effectively addressing the challenges of integrating complex data from multiple sources. As for the continuous improvements, Kidbrooke® has proven to be an excellent partner. Whenever we approach them with a problem or a suggestion for improvement, they consistently deliver timely and efficient solutions, ensuring our data continues to evolve and meet our requirements.

How did the actual implementation timeline compare to your initial expectations? 

Regarding the initial implementation timeline, Kidbrooke® delivered everything that we needed to implement the solution. We had a hard deadline on when the solution was to be in place, and Kidbrooke® delivered everything that we needed in ample time to meet this. Throughout our ongoing collaboration, Kidbrooke® has been highly responsive to our questions and consistently delivers timely solutions to any inquiries we raise.

Can you highlight any specific results or improvements you've seen since integrating Kidbrooke®'s solutions for investment product data aggregation? 

Kidbrooke®'s solution has significantly enhanced how we present our funds compared to our previous approach. A standout improvement is the ability to seamlessly combine data from multiple sources. This capability has allowed us to provide a far more detailed and comprehensive view of our funds, benefiting both our organisation and our clients by enabling clearer insights and better decision-making. 

Based on your experience, how would you rate the user-friendliness and flexibility of Kidbrooke's platform for managing and analysing mutual funds and model portfolio data? 

The flexibility and user-friendliness of the Kidbrooke® platform has been great. The flexibility of the platform is very good, and any shortcomings in the user-friendliness of the platform is not a result of the platform itself but rather shortcomings of the different data providers. As the latter evolve and improve, we will be able to further harness the power, flexibility and user-friendliness of the Kidbrooke® platform. 

Would you recommend Kidbrooke®’s solutions to other fund managers, and if so why? 

We would absolutely recommend Kidbrooke®’s solutions to other fund managers. Their platform addresses a highly complex task with an advanced infrastructure, saving us significant time and resources. This allows us to focus more on fund management and serving our clients effectively. What sets Kidbrooke® apart is their deep understanding of the intricate financial landscape, their technical expertise, and their attentiveness as a partner. They consistently demonstrate a commitment to meeting our needs and delivering reliable solutions. 

Considering the capabilities of Kidbrooke’s Market and ESG Data Aggregation solution, are there new functionalities or enhancements you hope to see in the future? 

Currently, we are delighted with the solutions that Kidbrooke® has provided both on a Market and ESG Data aggregation. However, going forward we still see a lot of potential improvements and developments we can work on together in both areas. Regarding the aggregated data, the constantly evolving landscape, and requirements for ESG data will facilitate further collaborations. The same goes for market data, where we think we can develop the way we present our portfolios further. Internally, we believe Kidbrooke®’s solution is instrumental in addressing ongoing challenges. It has the potential to automate many of our manual processes, saving both time and resources. Additionally, we see opportunities to integrate further data sources, enhancing the quality and depth of information available for our funds. Overall, the collaboration has been excellent so far, and we’re excited about the opportunities for continued development and innovation moving forward!