Return of the boutique technology providers
19 May 2023
As clients search through a sea of boutique providers and large technology vendors, Matthew Battaini, director of product management at Helix Financial Systems, breaks down why the ‘boutique provider’ is the top choice
Image: Matthew Battaini
In the securities finance space, we see a constant expansion and contraction of the service provider category. This includes the acquisition of smaller boutique firms by larger organisations with more resources and a wider range
of offerings.
Over the past 10 years, we have seen multiple new players enter the securities finance space. Some have succeeded while others have missed the mark. Helix Financial Systems has been a boutique software firm for more than 30 years. We would like to review what makes the “boutique provider” a better choice when reviewing your technology needs.
Smaller offerings, larger impact
The phrase “Jack of all trades, master of none” comes to mind when thinking about larger technology vendors. Boutique firms, on the other hand, can focus on a smaller suite of projects and drive the success and expertise of these products rather than be stretched across dozens of products.
Cost
Smaller teams mean lower overhead costs, since a boutique firm does not need to support unnecessary headcount. Firms like Helix can be laser-focused and hire the exact support and development resources needed for maximum productivity. This allows us to pass savings on to our customers.
Product KYC (Know Your Product Manager)
At boutique firms like Helix, people tend to wear multiple hats. This is a good thing. Our sales team and product team interact with a firm on day one and continue to be the point of contact for the life of the client relationship. In contrast, larger shops typically have a separation between sales and product teams — this leads to conflicting information and causes a lack of time efficiency.
What boutique firms offer is a lack of bureaucracy and red tape. Smaller boutique firms, like Helix, do not require you to go through multiple levels of support to talk with a product manager or get to the right support person.
A vendor like no other
We are a hybrid vendor that gives our clients the best of both worlds. We are a nimble boutique vendor, but we have the benefit of being wholly owned by a primary dealer in the same industry as our clients. This gives our company financial stability and longevity, giving clients peace of mind that we will be around to support them in the long run.
Our boutique shop model allows us to provide a higher quality customer experience in all aspects of vendor support and development. We maintain a very close relationship with our clients and remain constantly aware of the pulse of the market
of offerings.
Over the past 10 years, we have seen multiple new players enter the securities finance space. Some have succeeded while others have missed the mark. Helix Financial Systems has been a boutique software firm for more than 30 years. We would like to review what makes the “boutique provider” a better choice when reviewing your technology needs.
Smaller offerings, larger impact
The phrase “Jack of all trades, master of none” comes to mind when thinking about larger technology vendors. Boutique firms, on the other hand, can focus on a smaller suite of projects and drive the success and expertise of these products rather than be stretched across dozens of products.
Cost
Smaller teams mean lower overhead costs, since a boutique firm does not need to support unnecessary headcount. Firms like Helix can be laser-focused and hire the exact support and development resources needed for maximum productivity. This allows us to pass savings on to our customers.
Product KYC (Know Your Product Manager)
At boutique firms like Helix, people tend to wear multiple hats. This is a good thing. Our sales team and product team interact with a firm on day one and continue to be the point of contact for the life of the client relationship. In contrast, larger shops typically have a separation between sales and product teams — this leads to conflicting information and causes a lack of time efficiency.
What boutique firms offer is a lack of bureaucracy and red tape. Smaller boutique firms, like Helix, do not require you to go through multiple levels of support to talk with a product manager or get to the right support person.
A vendor like no other
We are a hybrid vendor that gives our clients the best of both worlds. We are a nimble boutique vendor, but we have the benefit of being wholly owned by a primary dealer in the same industry as our clients. This gives our company financial stability and longevity, giving clients peace of mind that we will be around to support them in the long run.
Our boutique shop model allows us to provide a higher quality customer experience in all aspects of vendor support and development. We maintain a very close relationship with our clients and remain constantly aware of the pulse of the market
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