Rockland, MA – May 1, 2025 – Cutter Associates, a leading provider of consulting services and research for asset managers, asset owners, wealth managers, and other investment companies around the world, conducted a survey of 42 firms with a total of USD 7.2 trillion in assets under management to benchmark their performance measurement and attribution processes and practices.
Maintaining the integrity of data required for calculations and meeting the increased demand for more frequent and detailed reporting are the top performance challenges according to 54% of firms. But as performance teams try to respond to investor demands for more frequent and detailed reporting, technology has been the problem and not the solution. Less than half (48%) of firms are satisfied with their performance solution, and many are looking to make a change.
“Performance measurement teams are facing more investor demands and playing a greater role in the investment decision-making process than ever before, but many still have to rely on inadequate technology and manual workarounds that contribute to operational errors and inefficiency,” said Jon Chandler, Cutter Research Analyst and the report’s author. “Finding and retaining qualified staff is, and may always be, an issue as some firms see the performance function as a talent pipeline for the investment team.”
Looking forward, 61% of firms have plans to implement a new performance system or service in the next two years, while 59% plan to initiate or expand a data integration program, and 51% intend to consolidate their performance system with other platforms or onto a single platform. Only 22% say they’ll increase staffing.
“In the past, it was difficult for firms to obtain funding for performance measurement-related projects, and it was very unusual for investment teams to regularly communicate with the performance teams,” said Gina McCafferty, Head of Research at Cutter Associates. “But much of this is changing among leading firms.”
For more details, view the Executive Summary. Cutter member firms have access to the full report.
About Cutter Benchmarking
Cutter has conducted over 80 benchmarking surveys that span the investment management lifecycle. Each survey is designed to reveal critical insights to help firms see how their processes and practices stack up among peer firms and Cutter’s Capability Model, highlighting areas for improvement while reinforcing areas of strength so that they can save time and money, improve efficiencies, and reduce risk.
About Cutter Associates
Cutter Associates LLC serves the operational, technology, and client experience needs of the global asset and wealth management industry, providing companies with the tools and services they need to be successful. With deep industry and domain experience and expertise, Cutter Associates provides global consulting, independent research, exclusive members-only events, process benchmarking, and a vast peer network. Headquartered in Rockland, Massachusetts, and owned by Tokyo-based NRI Group, Cutter Associates offers services in the United States, Canada, Australia, United Kingdom, European Union, Singapore, and Asia. For more information, visit us at www.cutterassociates.com and connect with us on LinkedIn.
About NRI
Founded in 1965, NRI is a leading global provider of consulting services and system solutions, including management consulting, system integration, and IT management and solutions for the financial, manufacturing, retail, and service industries. Clients from all layers of these individual industries partner with NRI to tap NRI’s research expertise and innovative solutions across the organization to expand businesses, design corporate structures, and create new business strategies. NRI has over 16,000 employees in more than 100 offices globally, including New York, London, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Australia. NRI reports annual sales above $4.9 billion. NRI is rated “A” by S&P Global Ratings Japan. For more information, visit www.nri.com/en.
For more information or to get in touch with a Cutter Associates’ representative in your region, contact us at [email protected].
Media Contact:
Jennifer Murray
Cutter Associates
(781) 223-5251
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