• This article reveals which tools asset managers are using and what needs they face in their daily operations, according to the III Annual Report of the Asset Securitization Sector 2025–2026, prepared by FlexFunds in collaboration with Funds Society.
• The information is aimed primarily at asset managers who want to understand how their peers operate in an industry as competitive as portfolio management.
• FlexFunds offers an asset securitization program that helps improve the liquidity of various types of investments. For more information, feel free to contact our experts.

The asset management industry is undergoing a profound transformation. As investors demand greater transparency, efficiency, and agile access to information, managers face mounting pressure to modernize their processes and optimize their resources.

This shift does not come without tensions: operational complexity, regulatory pressure, and the growing sophistication of investment vehicles make it difficult to achieve a truly integrated and sustainable management model.

The III Annual Report of the Asset Securitization Sector 2025–2026, prepared by FlexFunds in collaboration with Funds Society, provides a detailed overview of the most necessary tools, the most complex processes, and the most critical issues currently shaping the industry.

Priority tools for asset managers

The first part of the study examines which solutions are most in demand among portfolio managers. The results show a strong preference for tools that enhance operational efficiency and simplify processes.

In the highest priority range (scores 9–10), three key areas stand out:

• Facilitating client onboarding: 52% of respondents consider it highly necessary. The initial onboarding experience has become a critical point, both for its impact on the client relationship and for the regulatory requirements involved.
• Improving distribution of the investment strategy: at 43%, reflecting the importance of clearly communicating and executing value propositions across different investor segments.
• Automated NAV calculation and reporting: 42% rank it in the highest-need category, highlighting the urgency of reliable and efficient processes to determine a fund’s net asset value.

In contrast, centralized account management received only 34% of responses in the top priority levels, positioning it as a secondary need compared to the areas above.

The common pattern is clear: managers value solutions that reduce operational friction, streamline client communication, and automate critical processes. In other words, they seek simplicity, transparency, and scalability.

Processes that create the most difficulty

Beyond tools, managers identified which functions represent the greatest day-to-day obstacles. The analysis shows that the highest-friction points are not related to investment decisions but rather to validation, control, and support processes.

The most challenging function is auditing and due diligence, with 54% rating it in the high-difficulty range (7–10). The combination of regulatory requirements, legal sensitivity, and extensive documentation makes this process particularly burdensome.

This is followed by reporting to clients and regulators (49%) and conflict-of-interest management (37%). In the case of reporting, the challenge is not just timeliness but also the need to adapt information for diverse audiences—from supervisory authorities to institutional investors.

Middle-office and back-office operations also appear as complex areas: 65% and 52% of respondents, respectively, place them in the medium-to-high difficulty range. These functions—linked to risk control, reconciliations, and operational execution—remain exposed to technological limitations, lack of standardization, and reliance on third parties.

Meanwhile, front office, accounting, and investor risk profiling show lower levels of perceived difficulty, suggesting more standardized or internally integrated processes.

Main structural problems

The third section of the report analyzes the issues managers perceive as most critical in portfolio management. The results reveal a multifactorial landscape where commercial, regulatory, and technical challenges converge.

The biggest identified issue is capital raising. More than two-thirds of managers rate it as important to critical.

This result reflects the difficulty of attracting investors in a highly competitive and fragmented market, where product differentiation and client trust become decisive factors.

In second place is reporting and marketing, with 38% in high-difficulty levels and 10% in the critical range. Effective communication is constrained both by regulatory obligations and the need to clearly convey value propositions to investors.

From a technical perspective, NAV calculation and reporting emerges as the most problematic operational aspect. More than half of managers place it in the moderate-to-critical concern range, reflecting the complexity of maintaining precise, automated, and auditable processes—particularly in collective structures or sophisticated strategies.

Other friction points include portfolio rebalancing, simultaneous opening and closing of trades, and parallel communication with multiple clients. While not as critical as the issues above, they remain sensitive areas that limit operational efficiency.

Asset managers face a dual challenge. On one hand, they must enhance their technological infrastructure to automate processes, reduce risks, and simplify the investor experience.

On the other, they must strengthen their commercial and communication capabilities to compete in an environment where raising and retaining capital is increasingly demanding.

To explore more about the asset management industry, you can download the III Annual Report of the Asset Securitization Sector 2025–2026, prepared by FlexFunds in collaboration with Funds Society.