Clément Mercier, Managed Services Director & Laurent Lett, Managed Services Director at PwC (Photo: PwC Luxembourg)

Clément Mercier, Managed Services Director & Laurent Lett, Managed Services Director at PwC (Photo: PwC Luxembourg)

With PwC embarking on a seamless journey with Managed Services, arrive at an ultimate destination for the dynamic realm of investment funds offering an extensive array of over 50 services tailored to cater to the diverse needs of the industry (from the Investors to the Investment level). PwC has rethought and slightly adapted its operating model to satisfy market players opting for the Managed Services approach. This organisational model relies on an empowered Client Relationship Manager (CRM) to oversee the services and implement a joint and common approach to deliver the services.

The CRM is the key point of contact managing all services from Fund Administration to Tax & Regulatory Compliance. CRMs are the orchestrators of operational excellence, empowering clients to concentrate on the core of their business and navigate the intricate landscape with precision and efficacy.

“With the current economic outlook, human resource shortage, and increasing needs to use fit-for- purpose technology, we see a clear trend with players in the market looking for co-sourcing solutions. Those players are keen to rely on an external service provider to outsource certain tasks like accounting, tax or reporting for example with the condition of having an efficient integrated solution ensuring them to free time and not adding them a layer of coordination. That is the reason we have rethought the role of the CRM to ensure synergies with our clients,” said Clément Mercier, Managed Services Director at PwC.

A CRM part of the delivery team

The Client Relationship Manager (CRM) sits at the heart of the operating model as the main point of contact for all PwC services, serving as the primary contact for clients and collaborating with the different experts.

At PwC Luxembourg, the CRM is part of the delivery team and knows client business and processes. He has a 360° view of the scope of services and connects the business delivery teams and all key stakeholders together on a daily basis. The CRM role is to orchestrate everything ensuring smooth and cohesive coordination of all services in addition to his own area of expertise.

 “The CRM is part of the delivery team, working closely with clients and not only a tool or a project manager who is not involved in the day-to-day activity of our clients,” said Clément Mercier.

The CRM serves as a pivotal figure in client engagement leadership. Beyond mere coordination, this role demands a level of involvement that transcends traditional coordination, resembling more a seamless integration into the client's team. Those in this position must possess the capacity to align their thinking with that of the client, fostering a collaborative approach to service delivery.

“The idea is to really develop a way of working that is more in tune with clients enabling them to save time and work more efficiently, while we take care of the coordination between services internally. This is one of the main roles for the Client Relationship Manager,” said Laurent Lett, Managed Services Director at PwC.

CRM: A collaborative approach to enhance service delivery (Illustration: PwC Luxembourg)

CRM: A collaborative approach to enhance service delivery (Illustration: PwC Luxembourg)

Ensuring a unique client experience

This approach aims to empower a more efficient operating model and create even more synergies among the services.

As drivers of their business, market players should not be worrying about the smallest technicalities that make their machines work, and instead focus on the road ahead to ensure they are going in the right direction in deploying their strategy and avoiding obstacles.

The primary objective of the CRM, serving as the central hub for all of PwC's services, is to make the ride as smooth as possible, harmonising the various business components, ensuring all the services are fine-tuned and achieving best-in-class execution.

In this distinctive role, the CRM acts as a highly trusted and skilled passenger who can provide fully transparent information and advice based on the entire knowledge base of the industry-leading professionals who oversee the execution of the services. By liaising with the key stakeholders, analysing business critical data, creating synergies across services, and providing actionable insights, the CRM’s mission is to provide our clients the necessary peace of mind to steer their business and focus on what really matters.

The CRM also serves as a guardian, ready to spring into action when the need for escalation arises. Picture it as the strategic commander of customer service, adept at navigating the terrain of challenges, complexities, and delicate issues that demand a heightened level of attention and resolution. Mastering the art of escalation is more than a mere skill; it's a capability for any customer service professional. The finesse with which escalation is handled can wield a profound impact on customer satisfaction, retention rates, and the coveted realm of customer loyalty.

CRM enabled by the latest technology

At PwC, we are committed to ongoing innovation, striving to enhance our clients’ experience by foreseeing their needs. This is why we believe that technology should be at the core of this collaboration.

We have gone ahead and streamlined high-frequency tasks such as monitoring dashboards and corresponding with multiple parties. Through this evolved model, our clients will be able to dive into actionable business insights, have real-time updates and collaborate with delivery teams with the click of a button and all in one place. Some features include having access to customisable dashboards, built-in approval processes and in the near future, AI-based forecasting models. Our clients access their data and obtain all KPIs and analytics with one glance.

“Our CRMs are leveraging their experience, deep knowledge of clients and markets, and connected technology to enable consistent, quality compliance across the life cycle that is cost effective, lowers risk, reduces errors, and makes tax and more broadly all compliance journey simple,” said Laurent Lett.

PwC’s Client Relationship Manager reaffirms our commitment to providing top-tier services to the investment fund industry. This role is testament to PwC’s dedication to innovation and client satisfaction, ensuring that every client receives a personalised, efficient, and comprehensive service.

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