The age of real-time data processing has arrived for asset servicing, driven by T+1 settlement cycles, 24/7 trading, and the acceleration of AI-driven operations. Today’s clients expect instant visibility, control, and seamless service — yet many providers are still hampered by fragmented systems, manual workarounds, and persistent data lags that simply can’t keep pace with modern demands.

The hidden risk of legacy systems

While legacy asset servicing infrastructure may appear to “work”, it is an increasingly silent threat. Behind the scenes, siloed systems and outdated technology form a brittle backbone that is increasingly unfit for the speed and complexity of today’s financial environment. As the volume and intricacy of corporate actions grow, inefficiencies can lead to avoidable delays, errors, and client dissatisfaction.

These obstacles were once tolerated as the cost of doing business. That logic has run its course. In a T+1 world where real-time performance is the baseline, the margin for error is thinner than ever. Legacy systems aren’t just outdated— they’re holding firms back. With industry change accelerating, action is no longer optional.

When operational risk becomes commercial risk

Corporate actions now sit at the crossroads of operational and commercial risk. Tighter deadlines and increasingly complex events leave little room for error, and today’s clients are less forgiving of missteps. A missed entitlement or mismatched election is more than an operational hiccup—it erodes client confidence.

The consequences no longer stop at the back office. Clients now benchmark their providers on responsiveness, transparency, and process control. What might once have gone unnoticed—a processing delay or a data discrepancy—can now directly impact client retention. In a real-time ecosystem, lagging firms risk losing business to faster, more integrated competitors.

Building a unified foundation

Bridging the real-time gap requires more than tactical fixes. What’s needed is a unified, scalable architecture – one that breaks down silos, streamlines workflows, and delivers real-time visibility across the entire asset servicing lifecycle.

Too many global institutions still rely on fragmented systems and inconsistent data across business units, each with separate data, technology, and workflows. This drives up costs and risks, while leaving firms unprepared in a market where speed and accuracy are non-negotiable.

A better path is emerging: an integrated, component-based model anchored by a single golden source of data. This enables straight-through processing, automation, and AI-powered insights, while offering the flexibility to address critical pain points like corporate actions or tax, and to scale incrementally over time.

The result is a modern infrastructure that elevates the client experience and manual intervention across functions from custody and tax to class actions and proxy voting management. In today’s real-time world, a new operational foundation is essential for speed, resilience, and sustained competitiveness.

The time to act is now

Real-time expectations are no longer a future aspiration— they are the present standard. The industry has shifted. The firms that modernize now will gain an advantage; those that delay risk being left behind.

Talk to us about closing the real-time gap in your asset servicing strategy.