Category: News

Advertising’s been around for as long as the world can remember. Way back when, Egyptians used papyrus to put sales messages on walls, and commercials of sorts have even been discovered in the ruins of Pompeii. Fast forward to the present day, we see crazy neon billboards lighting up the sky around Times Square, and countless amounts of ads are shown around our favourite online videos. So it’s a relatively fair assertion that advertising is big business.

By 2021, it’s estimated that 82% of all consumer internet traffic will be from video content. This is a market with an annual value of c.$312B and streaming media is set for the largest increase in video ad-spend over the next five years. But, according to Juniper Research, advertisers will lose $19 billion in 2018 alone due to ad-fraud. Why? Well the booming online video market has attracted fraudsters who see an opportunity to cheat companies out of money and are ramping up their efforts on a daily basis.

Pixalate recorded that an incredible 20% of all programmatically sold video ads were measured as suspicious in October 2017, and this has unsurprisingly prompted some of the world’s largest advertisers to voice their concerns. P&G alone was said to have cut its digital ad spend by c.$200m as it questions the effectiveness of online media buying.

These fraudsters manipulate online video views using bots, malware, and other crafty techniques; it’s an easy win on traditional platforms. What we’d see in an ideal world is a great piece of content being shared organically and growing in value as more and more people enjoy it. But with an ever-growing pool of content being produced every day it’s getting much harder to get noticed. The biggest barrier to getting eyes on your content is gaining favour with the algorithms which decide what goes centre stage, and what gets buried.

One way of befriending an algorithm is to fake the social proof which the algorithms prioritise by buying fake video views and engagement on your videos. These views trick the algorithms into showing these videos to more people. The real people who see these videos are then more likely to click on them due to the invented social proof.

Unfortunately for viewers, videos inflated with fake views are often disappointing and of poor quality. Likewise, the advertisers who are paying to put their promotions against these ‘popular’ videos are simply showing their ads to bots and they’re also paying for it. It’s an insanely inefficient return on investment, and ripe for disruption.

Every time an advert is delivered against a fake video view, the companies behind them are losing tons of cash. For all of you non-advertisers out there you might be asking yourself: why do I care if businesses making millions of dollars per year are losing a little money this way? The answer is that on traditional platforms, advertising revenue is how your favourite creators get paid. It’s how they can afford to live and make the videos we love.

But fasten your seatbelts, because here comes the clever bit: blockchain technology, has the ability to ensure that all videos and advertisements viewed are seen by real people. Our technology at Verasity – Proof-of-View (POV) – for example, analyses over 14 different interactions to ensure our audience metrics are accurate, secure, real, and made fully transparent on the blockchain.

This technology can also reinvent how creators make money. Instead of being paid by advertisers, the viewers reward creators on Verasity by spending our cryptocurrency – called VERA – which can be earned watching advertisements. This means content can now be surfaced based on its value to each individual viewer and not through fraudulent manipulation.

The blockchain really can become the guardian angel of online video advertising; it can ensure video platforms are kept safe and secure. Only real views from someone who’s actually watching content will get validated. Once a view’s been confirmed as legitimate, it can be anonymised and then added to the blockchain where it can be seen by everyone. By having a video platform full of real users, no-one needs to worry about artificially inflated metrics. Advertisers are simply paying for real views and real, quantifiable, advertising reach.

Finally, by paying viewers directly for their attention, advertisers can be sure that they’re actually reaching engaged people who have opted-in to watch adverts rather than those being sat eagerly waiting for the ‘skip’ button to save them.

This tech really is the secret weapon for advertisers in the war against fraudsters. Not only will they know that their advertising impressions have been seen by real people, they’ll also have full accountability of their campaigns thanks to the power of blockchain technology. So it’s time to reinvest the faith into digital ad spend, as major disruption is on its way.

Digital marketing may well be on the rise, but print marketing is far from obsolete. Although many companies are focusing more and more on digital platforms of marketing, they may well be losing out on the benefits of traditional method of marketing.

With digital platforms hosting so many people, companies are right to assume the audience potential is there. However, only 20% of online users click online banner adverts. Is it worth paying the competitive price for the digital space for just 20% – to which not all of those users will convert into sales? If you also consider that magazines are still very much a part of our lives, with 63% of UK adults still reading magazines, according to YouGov – whereas only one in ten UK adults regularly read online magazines – maybe digital isn’t so perfect after all.

Traditional marketing, such as print media, is a tried and true method. The fact it still exists is proof enough of its strength and it can be wildly successful, if used effectively. 34% of all printing is for advertising and marketing products, such as event programmes, tickets etc, and 30% is attributed to newspapers, magazine and brochures etc. The print industry is heavily reliant on marketing and advertising.

In this article, banner and offset print marketing suppliers, Where The Trade Buys, detail how and why entrepreneurs can benefit from print marketing, without having to set aside a huge budget.

Direct mail is often referred to as ‘junk mail’, but data shows that direct mail is not being treated as junk at all! In 2015, more than 2.5 billion direct mail coupons were redeemed and 54% of consumers that were surveyed revealed that they want to receive direct mail from brands that they are interested in. With 80-90% of direct mail getting opened, and just 20-30% of emails getting opened, there is a clear winner for start-up companies looking to get their message across to potential new consumers.

Many start-up businesses worry about their marketing budget, or lack thereof. But you don’t need to spend a fortune to run a successful marketing push. There are several print marketing techniques that can make your campaign a success whilst on a budget.

StartUp Britain, a government-supported national campaign, found that the UK sees 80 new businesses launch every hour, so the competition is tough. Direct mail and brochures are a good place to start – neither need to break the bank either, but it is a big business. In 2009, direct mail accounted for 10.7% of the UK’s whole advertising expenditure.

Having a smaller budget doesn’t mean your brochure or leaflet needs to suffer on quality. Simplicity works. Your main priority when designing your brochure is to ensure your branding is clear, your message stands out and your style is eye catching. Remember you are on a budget so you don’t have pages and pages to play with; stick to 8-12 pages. You want to encourage consumers to act after all, not take up an hour of their time reading your brochure. There are several must-haves, which even when designing on a budget, you must consider:

– Attention grabbing headline.

– Unique selling point(s).

– Call to action.

– Clear design.

– Concise content – keep this limited to ‘need-to-know’ information as you don’t want to throw too much information at consumers, and this will also save you money in printing costs.

– Keep everything accurate – don’t allow mistakes to slip through the net.

With your brochures or leaflets ready to print, be sure to print the right amount of copies. Whilst the more copies you order, the less you pay per copy, ordering 500 brochures if you are only going to use 250 is simply a waste. Your spent money is likely to sit on a coffee table or in a cupboard gathering dust on unused brochures too. Therefore, make sure you utilise your budget wisely.

To conclude, although print marketing is an older form of marketing, it is still around for a reason: it still works. If the figures aren’t enough to convince you, then the affordability of it could sway you. Whilst digital platforms are useful to have to engage with customers on a familiar and mobile platform, print marketing has been proven to drive results. For start-ups, print marketing is definitely something that should be addressed.

For any GP currently working in the NHS, my story is a familiar one. Exhausted after yet another busy clinic of back-to-back appointments, my colleagues and I took a moment to reflect: did the majority of our patients – and indeed ourselves – really need to be physically present in the consulting room? Or could digitally-enabled remote consultations provide a safe and effective alternative?

A chance meeting with a pioneering technology company a few days later led to exploratory conversations around how patients might be better served in our 21st century, technology-driven environment. The development of our digital consultation tool – an online platform which connects patients virtually with their own NHS GP – began to take shape.

Five years later, eConsult is the most widely used digital triage tool in the NHS. More than 4 million patients across the UK can now seek healthcare advice online at a time and place that suits them. Serious or sinister symptoms raise a red flag immediately, while more routine concerns can be dealt with remotely, saving both GPs and patients precious time. For tech-savvy patients who are used to accessing everything at the click of a button or swipe of a screen, digital access to healthcare is quickly becoming another new normal.

The health tech revolution

Technology is transforming the health sector in ways that were barely imaginable ten years ago. From apps and devices that let patients monitor their own health, to artificial intelligence-based techniques that accurately detect cancer, the UK health tech market is flourishing – with recent reports suggesting it is set to grow to £2.9 billion by the end of this year[1].  

It hasn’t always been this way. Digital innovation has been slow to disrupt the health sector compared to other industries – and for good reasons in many cases, namely those of clinical efficacy and patient safety. But a digital health revolution is finally underway. From top to bottom, the NHS is starting to realise the power of technology to sustainably relieve the immense pressures it currently faces. With growing demand and dwindling resources, harnessing digital innovation is critical to the future of the NHS, now more than ever.  

Clinically-led innovation

NHS pressures are no more acutely felt than in general practice, where I work. But instead of stifling innovation, the challenges of working in a system under strain have enhanced it. eConsult is one of many innovative models transforming the NHS, but doing so from within. Doctors and other healthcare professionals working on the frontline are in a unique position to understand exactly where time could be saved, efficiencies made, or patient experience improved. eConsult was developed by GPs for GPs, and maintaining that clinical connection has no doubt helped us throughout our journey.  

As well as being a full-time CEO, I work one day a week at a GP surgery in South East London. The majority of our senior team are also clinicians, with frontline experience working in primary, urgent or emergency care. This gives us a fuller understanding of the complexities and idiosyncrasies of the NHS, and what it takes to launch and market a product within general practice. GPs are fairly traditional when it comes to embracing potentially disruptive technologies. Being a GP myself has helped to bridge that gap and build trust in a product that is not there to replace doctors, but to enhance the care they give. 

Keeping up my clinical work as well as being a CEO is important to me. Although balancing both roles can be a challenge, I believe they complement and inform each other. Being a GP keeps me connected to frontline issues and continually reminds me why digital solutions like eConsult are so vital, while my role as CEO gives me the chance to instigate real change at a system-wide level. Surrounding myself with such a passionate, dynamic team means that I genuinely look forward to going to work each day.

Scaling-up within the NHS

The NHS is not short of innovative ideas; the real challenge is trying to scale-up and diffuse these new ways of working across the whole system. Early adoption in one hospital or GP practice does not guarantee any others will follow, which means many health tech start-ups find it difficult to gain traction on a national scale.

This is where being part of a dedicated start-up programme, such as the Digital Health London Accelerator scheme, can really help. eConsult was one of 30 small to medium-sized businesses selected as part of the 2017/18 cohort. The Accelerator programme specifically aims to speed up the adoption of innovation at scale. By connecting us with NHS stakeholders and industry investors, as well as supporting us with market access and navigation, the Accelerator helped us gain traction within the market – and is one of the reasons we are now live in 440 surgeries across the country and growing.       

A digital future

The health tech sector is a dynamic and fast-moving one, which is why we’re constantly evaluating, adapting and refining our system to create the best possible experience for our patients and practices. A key part of this is evolving our platform as technology improves.

There has recently been a lot of hype around artificial intelligence (AI), and its potential to revolutionise the way patients seek healthcare advice. Will intelligent chatbots remove the need to ever see a doctor again? I believe not. Although AI holds huge potential as a tool to support and supplement clinical decision-making, the technology is not yet sophisticated enough to be considered a viable alternative to seeing a doctor.        

For now, our focus is on using technology to create a more integrated and streamlined NHS. We have recently made the move into urgent care, pioneering a new integrated care system in Bexley, South East London, which lets patients start their clinical journey at home via an app or their practice website. The results so far have been promising, with the app signposting patients to the right service at the right time, helping to easing pressures on a stretched system.

This is one of the reasons why I feel so proud to be CEO of eConsult. All of us working in the digital health sector have an unparalleled opportunity to use technological innovation to create a health service that works better for everyone. With the NHS turning 70 this year, it’s exciting to reflect on how far we’ve come, and how far we can still go.  

Murray Ellender

CEO and co-founder, eConsult

GP Partner, Hurley Group

www.econsult.net

@murrayellender

For many finance teams, high-level board reports are often the most challenging type of report that they put together. And, in many ways, it is because board members want so much more than numbers, such as nonfinancial information and customised analysis. Standard slide templates and data charts may satisfy some board members, but today’s finance teams need to go above and beyond in order to establish the department as a strategic partner in driving the business forward. Here are three tips for finance executives to implement today to deliver better board presentations.

Tip one: Always start with ‘why’ and not ‘what’

When it comes to preparing a board report, data is the default starting place for most finance teams. Indeed, finance executives often begin their board reports by asking what numbers they have and how they can be best presented. However, before diving into the nitty-gritty numbers, they should take a step back and imagine the board’s perspective—why are they coming to this meeting? Maybe there are strategic decisions that need to be made or business opportunities to consider, or perhaps they are eager to parse long-term trends or to right the ship when things slide off course. When the team approaches the data with the board’s perspective in mind, the presentation is both more focused and more relevant.

For instance, consider how the team might present profit and loss (P&L) data. Some of the board’s questions will likely be very straightforward, such as are revenues on track? Did we close the second quarter strong as planned? Are expenses under control? Answering those questions can be accomplished with a simple yes or no—and if the answer is yes, there is no need to spend 10 slides or 20 minutes walking through every data point.

Instead, brainstorm what actions the board might consider based on these simple questions and pony up relevant data to help them take action. If we missed our Q2 numbers, how should we adjust our summer forecast? If expenses are not well controlled, what items need to be attended to? The more the finance team can align itself with the board’s perspective, the faster and better those strategic decisions can be made, positioning the board presentations as a crucial part of business operations.

Tip two: Remember to tell a story

When it comes to telling a story during a board presentation, this does not mean spinning a yarn or sharing personal anecdotes. Rather, it means if the slides are crammed only with dry data, finance executives will be doing the board members a disservice. Indeed, the meeting will either devolve into a free-for-all of speculation, or board members will leave scratching their heads about what the data actually means.

To be a savvy presenter, finance executives should highlight the logic and narrative of why one number rose higher than expected and another moved slowly. For example, did that sales slump correspond with a competitor entering a market the company had previously dominated? Did a regulatory shift impact revenue last quarter? Has a construction delay meant lower headcount and payroll than expected?

Context is also king when it comes to narrative presentations. Board members need to quickly grasp the company’s big picture, rather than a snapshot of performance at a moment in time. A three percent sales bump is more significant if one knows whether past growth has hovered closer to one percent or 30 percent and how that growth rate compares to industry competitors. In the Adaptive Insights CFO Indicator Report titled “How the pace of finance threatens corporate agility,” nearly 60 percent of CFOs reported that their boards ask how company performance stacks up against benchmark companies.

When finance teams can logically illustrate how the business environment is impacting performance and how this compares with competitors, they are both saving time and providing value to the board. Put simply, it is this that can make finance teams more influential members of those meetings.

Tip three: Ensure credibility with an error-free presentation

Finance teams can quickly and easily kill their credibility in front of the board simply by including data errors within the presentations. When the same data point is different on two different slides, it kick-starts a conversation about data veracity and sourcing, and it can seem like the insights and analysis that follow are built on a shaky foundation. Messing up numbers is easier than many would like to admit, especially when presentations are pulled together manually and have to be double- and triple-checked for errors. On the other hand, using a presentation tool that draws from a single source of up-to-date data dramatically increases the credibility and trust the finance team has with the audience.

However, beyond presentation content, consider its design. It is easy to think of design as an afterthought or flourish, but streamlined, uncluttered slides can actually bolster credibility. In one classic study that pitted a strong speaker against a less compelling one using no slides, well-designed, or ugly slides, researchers found that well-designed slides significantly influenced the audience—regardless of the speaker’s skill. That is because how information is presented evokes an emotion—and when the audience saw crisp, professional slides they were more likely to rate the speaker’s idea as credible and worthwhile. For board presentations, creating the best slides doesn’t have to mean hiring a full-time graphic designer, but it should mean choosing a presentation tool with an intuitive interface that allows even non-designers to create professional-looking slides.

Ultimately, it is easy, in the run-up to a board meeting, for finance teams to want to focus all of their time on picking out data points and streamlining analysis. However, it is critical that they keep in mind that the way they present that information can sway everything from the conversation that follows to the board’s view of the finance function.

Plastics in the sea, straws, billions of unrecyclable coffee cups. 2018 has been the year of environmental sustainability…or at least that’s how it seems.

As soon as environmentalism landed on the news agenda, brands started jumping on, going to greater and greater lengths to tell consumers about their green credentials. 

Of course, as with all grand claims, a healthy dose of scepticism is required. There are some fantastic businesses out there doing brilliant things for the environment, but for every genuine act altruism, there’s a claim that doesn’t quite match up to the reality.

The perils of “Greenwashing”

Greenwashing is when a business makes unsubstantiated or misleading environmental claims. In a world where consumers are growing more discerning about the environment, greenwashing is a way of connecting with consumers on a more emotional level.

It’s not a new idea but I think we could argue that we’ve now entered the golden age of greenwashing. The question to ask is: does Greenwashing fundamentally help or harm my business? There may be no real answer to this question, but in my view, Greenwashing might win short term gains, but it quickly erodes long-term trust. And a business whose stakeholders don’t trust it is not long for this world.

Greenwashing pitfalls: how to identify and avoid

Greenwashing manifests in a number of ways, and to be clear, it often happens unintentionally with the best of intentions but without proper forethought or strategy. Thus the fight against greenwashing requires constant vigilance.

If you want to avoid falling into the greenwashing trap, here are some key things to look out for:

1.       It’s opportunistic and doesn’t go far enough. With environmentalism riding high in the media, it may be tempting to make a bold claims to capitalise on this interest. All well and good, but it’s very worthwhile thinking through whether this is going to offer a genuine benefit to the wider world, or just a reputational boost. I would argue that, unless it’s something you’re already exploring, it’s hard to be sure you’re making the right call if you rush into it.

2.       It doesn’t see the big picture. In all things brands should be responsible for thinking through the long-term implications of their decisions. That means more than just asking “Could we do it?” but more importantly “Should we do it?”.

3.       It makes long-term promises. Making commitments about future operations is often sensible – after all, real change definitely takes planning and time. But sometimes if the commitment is too far in the future, it can just be a way of making short term reputational gains.

4.       It’s about accomplishing low hanging fruit. Lots of businesses – and particularly large businesses – are quick to announce when they’ve met or exceeded sustainability targets. Which is all well and good, but we should ask of these announcements “Did they make it easy on themselves or did they really try to change the status quo?”

5.       The motivation is more selfish than altruistic. Even if the initiative will have some benefits, if your primary motivation is selfish, you’re in danger of being in greenwashing territory. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is often more about charitable initiatives i.e. a business deciding to give back. A better approach is Creating Shared Value (CSV) which is about finding ways to grow businesses via a long-term commitment to sustainability. CSV is rapidly being adopted as the more sustainable model – and the model that leads to financial success.

Avoiding greenwashing – an example from English Tea Shop

Recently there has been a big move towards compostable tea bags, often produced using genetically modified corn. So while this move does solve the plastics issue, in our view, it actually creates other, potentially more serious issues. This is for a number of reasons, including the long-term agricultural and environmental impact intensive GMO farming has on land, and the fact these materials may not be as compostable as they seem in all circumstances.

Our decision was therefore, to choose a GM free alternative that isn’t bio-degradable, but is recyclable, making it a better option in the short term. In the long term we are working closely with pyramid material suppliers to develop a Non–GMO sourced biodegradable mesh and we are confident that this material will come to the market latest in 2019. 

Green light

As I said earlier, avoiding greenwashing is a constant battle and one that does take soul searching. Like all businesses, we are far from perfect ourselves, but our strategy very much is to grow through true sustainability. On that note: I don’t expect you to take everything I’ve said at face value, so if you want to find out more, I’d very much like to open a dialogue with you.

To stop your business from failing prematurely, it’s important to understand the costs that are involved in starting up a new business. In order to be successful, a business must plan and understand the costs involved in a new start-up venture. To ensure that your venture starts on the right step, together with Flogas – specialists in mains gas supply – we explore those hidden costs that you may not have originally considered.

Gas and electricity bills
Micro businesses that are based in the UK use an average of 7,500 kWh of electricity, which costs around £1,062. Moving up to a small business, they would pay £2,038 per year, which is around 15,000 kWh of power. A medium sized business is likely to pay £3,146 (25,000 kWh), whereas a large industrial business will more than often pay for 60,000 kWh, which equates to £7,346 per year.

If your business uses a gas connection, it should also be considered that a small business will use 10,000 kWh per year, which will cost around £430 annually. A medium-sized business will pay £856 a year, using 25,000 kWh of power, while a larger business will use 45,000 kWh, which will cost around £1,424.

How to make sure your staff feel valued
When a business is starting out, it can be difficult to ensure that everyone feels valued when a team of new staff members are put together. Therefore, when employees are working hard and delivering results, it’s important to show them respect and appreciation, so that your labour turnover stays low and you are not having to repeatedly pay for the training of new employees.

Employee of the month initiatives and workplace socials are great ideas to ensure that morale stays high within the workplace, and so that everyone in the business stay involved and interconnected. Although there is a cost involved with these types of events, it helps employees bond and get to know each other on a personal level.

So that employees can stay on top of their workload and their targets, continuous training should be given to those who feel that they need it.

Using a business model that is always current
You’re bound to face a lot of fierce competition, no matter what industry you’re working within. Technology can help you to implement your business model effectively, which will help you to stay on top of orders and ahead of your competitors.

In the workplace, more efficient practices can be encouraged in this way – this is because employees can carry out tasks on the move with smart devices and tablets. By adding robust security measures alongside these technologies, you will avoid becoming a victim of the 3.6 million cases of fraud and 2 million cases of computer misuse reported this year.

Even though there are many costs involved within a start-up business venture, by investing in the right ways in the short-term, this may lead to cost reductions in the long term.

United We Stand

Ian Watson is the CEO of Altia-ABM, a specialist provider of software for criminal and financial investigations, intelligence gathering and enforcement operations. The firm is the result of the merger between Altia Solutions and ABM Software in 2016. Here he gives his tips on successfully bringing two businesses together.

In 2016 Altia Solutions was almost a victim of its own success. Having begun as an idea in the CTO’s head, the firm had grown to become the leading provider of software for financial and criminal investigations conducted by police forces and enforcement authorities. In essence we had captured almost 100% of our (fairly specialized) target market. All potential customers were our customers and the business had exceeded targets for turnover.

Having achieved all we could through organic growth, the next logical step was an acquisition. Our aim was not only to expand the business but also to enable the evolution of our products and to enable new markets to be targeted. The three founding members of the firm began a process of evaluation to assess potential targets. Our criteria were to acquire a firm with a similar customer base, operating in the same field (in our case, software) and with complementary products. These criteria would be the same for any business looking to grow through acquisition. This is the easy part.

After conducting the first stages of the due diligence process, ABM Software was an ideal candidate. Its products offer a complete suite of tools for the management of covert operations, including informant management, surveillance, intelligence, and management of protected persons. Its customer base was extremely similar to that of Altia Solutions and the end-result of acquiring these technologies would be to provide a more complete set of capabilities to our customers in law enforcement.

The acquisition of ABM took place in August 2016. The process of rebranding for the group started with the commissioning of a new logo for the merged entity, new web site and corporate strapline which reflected the full suite of services provided.

The hard part for any business really begins at this point. With any business acquisition or merger there is a real risk of a ‘them’ and ‘us’ culture developing within the firm. It is important to spend time outlining the mission of the business and ensuring that you are taking everyone with you. There has to be a period of adjustment, which is to be expected, but it is up to the senior management team to ensure that everyone is focused on the end-goal. Clear communication with all employees and an investment in staff training and development is an important way to achieve close collaboration between new colleagues and a common commitment to the business strategy. Start by explaining the details of the merger as soon as is practically possible – leave it too late and your people will already have found out on the grapevine and will feel that they were an after-thought. Equally, don’t do one round of communication and consider that sufficient. The briefings must be sustained over a period of time and must come from the top of the organisation.

It was made clear from the very start of the process that we would be looking for the ABM staff to stay with the company and their jobs were safe within the group.  This promise was fulfilled and no staff left the company. Since 2016 we have significantly increased the headcount of the combined firm. 

We ensured that at the earliest possible moment staff were told of the plans and how that would affect their futures – in a positive way.  All the terms and conditions of both sets of staff were maintained post-acquisition.

Initial discussions were kept between the directors, however at an early stage the staff of both companies were informed because events including the customer roadshows required the staff to attend and participate. The confidentiality of the transaction was impressed upon the staff and there were no leaks.

The only advice I would give in relation to this situation is to trust your staff, keep them informed and in return there are no nasty surprises. This also ensures they feel fully involved in the post-deal merger.

Along with staff briefings and presentations we also went on a “roadshow” to ABM’s customers to explain that as far as they were concerned nothing had changed. The same contacts and support personnel will be on the end of the same phone number and email address. We also took the opportunity to share with them the high-level plans for the group going forward.  In every case there was buy-in to the new group and the plans and, as both Altia and ABM did before joining together, we continue to involve our customers in all development plans for the software.  Our user-group and focus-group meetings are well received and many good ideas come from these users which we then look to develop and incorporate in future releases.

There are some economies of scale to be realised by having a common infrastructure, common financial and IT systems or common marketing for both elements of the new firm. However, the costs of an acquisition are often significantly higher than many businesses would expect at the outset. It is important to be prepared for additional one-off costs such as additional staff training needs or a programme of internal communications. We have instituted a policy of encouraging all staff to offer ideas to their managers and every idea is treated with respect – as I state at company presentations, “There are no bad ideas, just some may take longer than others to implement”. We have encouraged a new approach to networking and invested in our social media activity to tap into cost-effective business opportunities.

Some of the benefits of the merged firm have been entirely unexpected.

The most significant change since the coming together of the companies is the increased access we have to senior people in our markets due to our size as well as the breadth of software solutions we now provide.  Altia built its customer base on referrals driven by robust software and excellent customer service.  This has not only continued but has been enhanced in the larger group.  Due to this we are now rapidly expanding across the world as we are referred between investigators and police forces.

Quantifi: Innovation in Fintech

Quantifi is a FinTech provider of risk, analytics and trading solutions. Led by CEO Rohan Douglas, the firm has achieved incredible success over recent years. We caught up with Rohan to explore the initiatives he has implemented and the techniques he has employed to drive the firm to its current position.

Founded in 2002, Quantifi has over 180 clients across 40 countries including 5 of the 6 largest global banks, 2 of the 3 largest asset managers, leading hedge funds, pension funds, insurers, brokers, clearing members, corporates and other financial institutions.

Rohan has over 25 years’ experience in the global financial industry. Prior to founding Quantifi, he was a Director of Research at Salomon Brothers and Citigroup, where he worked for ten years. He has extensive experience working in credit, interest rate derivatives, emerging markets and global fixed income. Rohan taught as an adjunct professor in the graduate Financial Engineering program at NYU Poly in New York and the Macquarie University Applied Finance Centre in Australia and Singapore. He is also the editor of the book Credit Derivative Strategies by Bloomberg Press.

He founded Quantifi in his attic in New Jersey with the goal of delivering the same sophisticated risk management and analytics used by the largest banks to all market participants. Quantifi has come a long way since then, having expanded its footprint in EMEA, NA and Asia Pacific.

Today Quantifi is a global leader in its field and at the forefront of innovation in the rapidly changing financial markets. The company continues to grow through innovative solutions and initiatives, focusing on building value through recurring revenue streams, all of which is driven from Rohan at the top of the organisation. He explores how he works alongside his team to drive creativity and innovation in this dynamic company.

“As CEO of Quantifi, I am responsible for setting the strategic direction of the company and executing on that strategy. I believe in success through sustainable growth and maintaining a long-term perspective. This results in a focus on adding value for our clients and a significant reinvestment in our employees, our business, and our community.

“Determination, hard work, and a bit of luck are part of any success. As Quantifi has grown, both I and my team have had to adapt and constantly learn new skills. This is reflected at Quantifi by a continual process of adaptation and improvement and a significant reinvestment in our business. I have a great management team who I rely on and our goal is to ensure Quantifi is a successful company – where through collaboration, fun and hard work we can help shape some of the significant transformations currently happening in the financial markets.”

As with any company, the Quantifi employees are vital to the success of the company, and they have helped to support Rohan and ensure that Quantifi is constantly able to support its clients and offer them the service they need. His role as CEO offers Rohan a unique perspective of the firm’s culture, as well as the chance to steer it towards a supportive and collaborative way of working, as he explains.

“At Quantifi, we have created a culture focused on success that encourages innovation and engagement. Our people are at the heart of our business and we value individual intellect as much as teamwork. By collaborating with some of the smartest minds in the industry, our employees have a real opportunity to shape the way in which our clients do business.

“Individual growth is as much a priority as corporate growth and we firmly believe in investing in our people. As a manager, I try to set clear goals and hold people accountable for those goals. I encourage creativity and personal development and focus on getting to the best decisions through meritocracy. Attracting and retaining talented individuals enables Quantifi to exceed its commitment to our clients.”

Ultimately, over the past 16 years Quantifi has achieved incredible success and worked with a wide variety of clients. With regards to the future, Rohan foresees even greater achievement for Quantifi as he proudly concludes.

“Looking ahead, there are transformational changes occurring in the financial markets driven by market changes and technology innovation. As a FinTech company focused on innovation, Quantifi is uniquely positioned to participate in and help shape many of these changes. Building something new is exciting and with a strong, stable, and diversified client base, I am looking forward to continuing to grow Quantifi and deliver ground-breaking solutions for our clients.

“Overall, clients can expect to see some exciting releases from Quantifi over the next year as we continue to apply the latest technology developments to the finance market in innovative and ground-breaking ways.”

Company: Quantifi

Contact: Rohan Douglas

Address: 3rd Floor, 4 Snow Hill, London, EC1A 2DJ, UK

Phone: 020 7248 3593

Website: www.quantifisolutions.com