UCIM improves data management, reporting and approvals with Intapp DealCloud and Intapp Employee Compliance
Seeking to improve operational efficiency and knowledge sharing, University of Cambridge Investment Management Limited (UCIM) turned to Intapp DealCloud to generate high-quality reports and unify its deal and relationship data. UCIM also uses Intapp Employee Compliance for compliance record keeping and to automate trade pre-clearance, allowing the company to reduce risk and improve its internal processes.
Executive summary
UCIM uses Intapp DealCloud to centralise its data and generate reports — saving professionals time and enabling easy information sharing. The company also uses Intapp Employee Compliance to mitigate risk and accelerate trade pre-clearance.
Client
University of Cambridge Investment Management Limited (UCIM), a private company owned by the University of Cambridge, manages the Cambridge University Endowment Fund. UCIM invests on behalf of the fund for the University, as well as numerous Cambridge colleges and associated trusts, to fund more than 800 projects and programs. As of 30 June 2024, the net asset value of the fund was £4.2 billion.
Challenges
- Data management
Documents, interactions and data were stored in multiple applications. - Reporting
Professionals were creating reports manually, increasing the risk of human error and hindering teams’ ability to make accurate decisions quickly. - Compliance
UCIM’s compliance processes and monitoring activities were manual, with little automation.
The solution
Successes
- Centralised data management
DealCloud stores more than 40,000 documents and 5,500 interactions, so teams can easily find, share and manage data in one place. - Quick and accurate reporting
DealCloud saves professionals, on average, 4–5 hours per report by automatically generating accurate weekly, monthly and quarterly reports — so teams can make faster, better-informed decisions. - Efficient compliance
Intapp Employee Compliance automates trade pre-clearance using UCIM’s specific criteria, while its record-keeping capabilities ensure critical data is both securely stored and easily accessible. Automated tracking and comprehensive documentation help UCIM streamline compliance processes and meet regulatory requirements.
Enhancing data management and reporting
In 2020, while in the process of developing its global multi-asset portfolio, UCIM recognised the need to establish a comprehensive internal information management system. The company wanted to enhance the monitoring and recordkeeping for due diligence and authorisations of investments.
UCIM also wanted a tool to support more efficient internal reporting, since report creation had historically been a relatively manual and time-consuming process. The company began looking at solutions that could meet its needs.
UCIM sought a secure, cost-effective tool that was easy to implement and adopt, and that would scale with the organisation as it continued to mature. Following a review of technology vendors, UCIM decided to invest in a single, centralised solution that would serve as both a CRM and a document management platform: Intapp DealCloud.
Investing in an industry-built solution
DealCloud offers a scalable deal and relationship platform specifically designed for the unique needs of investment companies. Built on a secure cloud infrastructure, DealCloud provides a central hub where company professionals can easily access documents, proprietary and third-party data, and AI-driven insights and reports — allowing them to collaborate more easily and make faster, better-informed decisions.
DealCloud also automates data capture, deal execution and task workflows, saving professionals time so they can focus more on higher-value work. Plus, the platform’s low-code, user-friendly interface makes it easy for professionals to learn and adopt the solution.
‘The fact that it’s so intuitive for everyone in the team makes DealCloud very helpful,’ said Vincent Rustill, Investment Associate at UCIM.
Impressed with DealCloud’s flexibility and user-friendly interface, following internal sign-off, UCIM selected DealCloud as its deal and relationship platform.
Working with implementation experts
Made up of industry experts, the Intapp Implementation Services team worked closely with UCIM to ensure DealCloud met the company’s needs. During implementation, the team helped UCIM unify its data by transferring around 15,000 documents to DealCloud over a short period of time.
‘The implementation process took about 10 weeks, with significant contributions from the Intapp Implementation Services team,’ said Sam Sturge, Director of UCIM. ‘They understood our requirements and facilitated a smooth transition.’
To ensure the user adoption process was equally successful, UCIM communicated the business need internally, encouraging staff to embrace and use the new tool. They also started using DealCloud-generated reports in weekly team meetings to keep all staff members updated during the adoption process.
‘The transition was straightforward,’ said Sturge. ‘Now, pretty much every single person in our organisation uses DealCloud on a daily basis.’
The implementation process took about 10 weeks, with significant contributions from the Intapp Implementation Services team. They understood our requirements and facilitated a smooth transition.
SAM STURGE, DIRECTOR, UCIM
Reducing risk and improving business intake
Around the same time as the DealCloud implementation, UCIM was also reviewing its compliance management process. Previously, the company had spent a substantial amount of time manually managing its compliance records and processes. To work more efficiently, UCIM implemented Intapp Employee Compliance.
Intapp Employee Compliance integrates with DealCloud and other internal systems, such as HR management and trading platforms. It assists in the monitoring of each employee’s personal account dealing and pre-clearance, and disclosures and approvals of outside business activities and business-related benefits. The solution tracks required documentation and compliance attestations, and helps staff easily adhere to internal policies and procedures.
Intapp Employee Compliance also automates trade pre-clearance using UCIM’s own criteria, reducing the risk of noncompliance while speeding up the pre-clearance process. In fact, Intapp Employee Compliance has significantly reduced UCIM’s approval process time.
‘I get instantaneous approval after the automatic checks, so it’s a far better user experience for me,’ said Sturge.
Boosting transparency, efficiency and compliance
Since implementing DealCloud, UCIM has significantly improved portfolio management and tracking. The platform — which stores more than 40,000 documents and 5,500 interactions — provides a single source of truth where team members can easily access the information they need. And by centralising this institutional knowledge, UCIM can onboard new hires more efficiently.
UCIM professionals are also saving time and keeping their teams informed by automatically generating weekly, monthly and quarterly reports. It’s estimated that team members are saving 4–5 hours per report, with monthly and quarterly reports produced almost instantly.
And with Intapp Employee Compliance, UCIM professionals can easily manage and track documents, attestations, disclosures, activities and approvals in one place. UCIM now has an improved compliance monitoring process, which also saves time and boosts productivity.