White Papers & Resources

White Paper: 6 PORTFOLIO INSIGHTS YOU'RE MISSING WITH AN UNDEROPTIMIZED DATA STRATEGY

Successful investing depends on turning data into insights. As institutional investment professionals, you have plenty of data: it flows in from custodians, service providers, internal and external research, market news, and a hundred other disparate sources. But are you making the most of the data and using it to generate actionable portfolio insights? 

White Paper: SHOULD YOU BUILD VS. BUY SOFTWARE? 

There are 4 questions financial services firms should ask when making the Build vs. Buy decision. 

If you find yourself facing this fork in the road, there are 4 strategic questions that you would do well to ask and answer to guide your next steps. Learn what those 4 questions are, and how their answers might change your firm's software strategy, in this complimentary white paper.

Case Study: Horsley Bridge

Learn how Horsley Bridge, a premier fund of funds based in San Francisco, CA, is investing in Backstop's client-centric technology for superior relationship management.

Infographic: True Cloud vs. Fake Cloud: Why It Matters

Businesses of all kinds are “moving to the cloud” these days. But not all clouds are created equal - in fact, some of them are brazenly masquerading as "cloud-based" solutions when in truth, they're really "fake."

Our infographic provides a framework that can help you "look under the hood" to determine if a vendor touting their cloud software is a true cloud offering, a fake, or somewhere in between.

White Paper: Performance Analysis of a Multi-Asset Class Portfolio 

Are you tracking performance and attribution with the rigor necessary to accurately measure success?

Comprehensive and accurate analysis, measurement, and optimization of the multi-asset class portfolio demands a detailed and quantifiable approach. Our new white paper discusses the issue in depth. 

White Paper: Valuation Timing for Alternative Investments

Are you managing differences in valuation timing as effectively and consistently as you could be?

The variations in valuation timings present an ongoing challenge. A rigorous set of standards, shared across the organization is a key to managing those variations effectively and efficiently.

White Paper: Visualizing the Family Office

The family office has evolved. Most now involve multiple entities, intricate layers, and byzantine ownership structures. This new normal requires management solutions that ensure clarity and accuracy across all stakeholders. Our recently released white paper examines the unique challenges posed by the family office today. 

Case Study: Geller Family Office

Backstop successfully helped seamless access to critical information, efficient processes and enhanced communications and better investment decision making

White Paper: Every Institutional Operations Team Needs to Be Better At Benchmarking Private Equity Investments. 

The better the quality and reliability of the information coming out of an Institution's Operations group, the more liberated the investment and management teams are to do what they do best: synthesize information and make decisions. 

For these reasons, it’s not an exaggeration to say that the performance of an investing organization hinges on its Operations team’s facility at benchmarking. Our white paper lays out the case for why a Public Market Equivalent element is essential to developing an accurate, defensible relative performance assessment of any Private Equity investment.

White Paper: These 6 Investment Research Silos Are Crippling Institutional Investment Firms

Instead of flowing freely across an organization, data is restricted within silos. This results in vital facts being buried and important connections being missed. Download our white paper to find out which 6 information silos are the most dangerous for institutional investors, and what you can do to optimize the situation.

White Paper: Building A Repeatable, Predictable, & Sustainable Capital Raising & Investor Retention Machine

Chances are, every alternative asset manager can claim to have a repeatable, predictable, and sustainable strategy for generating superior returns. However, it is unlikely that alternative asset management firms are applying the same discipline to their capital raising and retention efforts. Read out white paper to find out why focusing on business processes is crucial, as well as what the 4 critical components of building a repeatable, predictable, and sustainable capital-raising and retention machine are.

White Paper: Still Managing Billions in Spreadsheets & Static Systems?

If you’re still using Excel spreadsheets, Dropbox, Word Documents, or OneDrive to manage your data, you need to read this white paper. You’ll learn the 5 areas in which you’ll feel the sting of static systems. Alternative investment firms have increased fiduciary responsibilities in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis. To ensure investor satisfaction, regulatory compliance, operational efficiency, and solid decision-making, alternative investment firms need to make the move from relying on static documentation to practicing systematic data management.

White Paper: Scaling Up to $1 Billion and Beyond: What Institutional Investors Expect 

Your fund has posted solid returns. You are fully staffed with great analysts. You've invested in IT infrastructure, systems, and applications. But are you "institutional-ready?" Download this white paper to learn what institutional investors today expect from alternative investment managers.

White Paper: Cloud-based vs. On-Premises Solutions: Which is Better For Alternative Investment Firms?

Alternative investment executives frequently have questions about cloud vs. on-premises solutions. What are the issues they most commonly raise and how do you help guide their thinking? Download this white paper to find out. 

White Paper: 7 Objections Alternative Investment IT Professionals Still Have To The Cloud (And Why They Can Be Laid To Rest)

The world has moved to the cloud, but some IT leaders are still recalcitrant. What are their objections, and how can you lay them to rest? As a start, put this white paper in front of them. 

E-Book: 4 Common Mistakes Alt Firms Make During SEC Audits…Even Though They Know Better.

Industry leaders Backstop Solutions and Gartland & Mellina Group have teamed up to offer you an e-book detailing the 4 most common mistakes alt investment firms make during SEC audits.

White Paper: For Savvy Allocators, Performance Isn't Everything (No Matter What Managers Might Think)

What savvy asset owners look for when evaluating managers (it's more than outsized returns) Reasons why managers may not get funded or may receive full redemption notice (other than performance) Why performance isn't everything to an allocator

White Paper: There's A New Trend In Private Equity Investor Relations: Increased Data Requests From Investors

Learn how the transformation of Private Equity Investor Relations is substantial - and ongoing. As investors demand more comprehensive access to information, private equity investor relations professionals must transform how they communicate with them.

Infographic: Institutional Investment Outlook Survey 2017

We conducted a survey of alternative investment industry professionals at the tail-end of 2016 about what they expect for 2017. Here are the results. 

White Paper: How Can Alternative Investment Firms Attain Greater Business Agility? By Aiming for Operational Excellence

Learn the importance of both agility and operational excellence, and gain concrete steps firms can take right now to boost both, while remaining focused on exceptional performance.

Webinar: Improving the Investor Experience

Learn how to use technology to create a true partnership with your investors.

Case Study: University of St. Thomas

Backstop successfully helped this endowment increase data accuracy, report generation and team communication.

Case Study: Kingdon Capital

Backstop helped this hedge fund be more efficient and provided reporting solutions to save their team countless hours of time.

Case Study: Rivulet Capital

Backstop helped this hedge fund save time and create effective communication between internal teams and investors.

Effective Operational Due Diligence

Backstop's Vice President of Product & Market Strategy examines the drivers and challenges of performing operational due diligence, and shares four tips for transforming its results into actionable intelligence.

Surviving an Audit: Understanding Compliance Under the Dodd-Frank Act

Establishing a clear internal compliance program is key for fund managers that now have to register with the SEC, according to a new white paper published by Backstop Solutions Group, a leading software provider for the alternative asset industry...