FE Analytics

Mark Chanda, head of adviser sales at FE Analytics

What have you done to improve service over the past 12 months?

Over the past 12 months we have continued to invest in our training capabilities to support advisers in their use of the FE Analytics investment research tool. We have also significantly added to the number of providers featured in our MPS directory, which now totals more than 55. This allows advisers to research the underlying holdings of multiple model portfolio services and compare them against proposed investment options.

What challenges did you face and how did you overcome them?

It's been another year in which contact with advisers has mostly been virtual rather than face to face, however, our webinar programme continued for the first nine months of the year offering training and support to financial advisers. We also went out on the road for the final quarter of the year visiting eight locations around the country to offer FE Analytics training as part of a series of roadshows focusing on how FE fundinfo can support advisers in giving advice to clients in retirement.

What kind of investment does good service need?

Good service needs investment in people and product. During 2021 we invested significantly in our account management team including additional hires to support the increasing number of advisers using our services. We also created a separate customer success team to focus on enabling advisers to make more from their subscriptions to our services. Lastly, we continue to invest in improving the product itself including a better user interface to aid usability.

What do you plan to do for 2021-22?

We have lots of plans for 2022, including a focus on ESG data, bringing together ESG data and ratings from several providers into FE Analytics to help advisers address the growing need for in depth research into ESG investments.

Our other main area of focus will be to advance the integration between FE Analytics and FE CashCalc to enable advisers to streamline their investment process and have a seamless flow between cash flow planning and investment research.

What does good service mean to you?

Ultimately, good service is about providing a tool that is reliable and enhances an advisers business. As well as enabling our clients to access information support and training in various formats to empower advisers to use the tools in which they invest and get maximum benefit from them.