GreySpark Case Study - eFX Trading and Sales
Technology Review
GreySpark’s client, a European Corporate Investment Bank, had an ageing eFX and sales trading platform evolved over a period of ten years to support its voice and digital agency trading for both institutional and retail flow. Trade flows included several asset classes such as spot FX, swaps, options, forwards, NDS/NFDs and cryptoassets.
Methodology
The client requested GreySpark to;
Conduct an evaluation and validation of the functional and non-functional requirements and business needs.
Map and define a target state. The target technology architecture / blueprint should be to support future business needs and ambitions.
In response, GreySpark deployed a team of subject matter experts (SMEs) with functional and technical knowledge in eFX and electronic trading. Specifically, GreySpark undertook the following measures;
Mapped the client’s current technology architecture and supporting infrastructure through a series of pre-arranged workshop.
Identified the challenges the client faced as a result of the current technology and operating model.
Identified the future needs and requirements of the client.
Assessed the current technology estate to evaluate and validate the suitability of the existing capabilities.
Provided remediation advice on the current ‘pain points’ across the full technology stack and trade lifecycle processes , and assessed opportunities for simplification, mutualisation and new services.
Mapped a target architecture to meet future business needs and requirements – including the addition of new products and services (i.e., cryptocurrency).
Outcomes & Deliverables
By using GreySpark’s experienced SMEs and consultants, the project output included:
Detailed mapping and documentation of the functional, non-functional and business needs to identify the challenges the business faced.
Assessed and reviewed the current functional architecture and technology stacks across pre-defined functional domains.
Created a target functional architecture and set of recommendations for technology choices for buy vs build vs re-use.
Detailed a list of potential vendors that could be mapped to meet the client’s functional future needs and future target architecture / business.
Client Benefits
Following the conclusion of the project, the client had a:
Documented and comprehensive assessment of current-state technology architecture and business that identified key pain points and opportunities for improvement.
Blueprint of a recommended target architecture and infrastructure which addressed the identified pain-points and challenges that the business faced.
Provided recommendations to allow the business to meet future needs and ambitions : improvement of operational technology platform to support increased volumes and flows, more distributed user and client base, introduction of new product types such as crypto for liquidity provision and trading.
Final report that incorporated insights about current market trends, vendor recommendations and recommendations to meet future business needs.
GreySpark’s project with this Corporate Investment Bank helped them to extract greater value and efficiencies from their eFX and sales trading workflows and improve competitive positioning going forward.
For further information, please do not hesitate to contact us at london@greyspark.com with any questions or comments you may have. We are always happy to elaborate on the wider implications of these headlines from our unique capital markets consultative perspective.