Article

Reporting reinvented: the asset management trends reshaping efficiency and control

By:

Shona O'Hea

10 Dec 20254 min read

QUICK SUMMARY

Every financial statements that leaves a fund administrator’s desk now faces greater scrutiny, tighter regulation and higher client expectations. The days of static year-end cycles and manual processes are ending. In its place, we see round-the-clock operations, dispersed teams, and fast-changing regulatory demands. As firms expand across jurisdictions, financial reporting teams holds everything together. It translates complex portfolios into clarity for investors, auditors, and regulators.

That clarity is harder to achieve. Administrators are grappling with surging data volumes, new ESG and transparency mandates, and growing demands for speed and accuracy. Financial reporting teams are expanding, but so are the pressures on control, quality, and cost. In this environment, efficiency is the ultimate benchmark: every additional hire, vendor spend, or technology investment must deliver measurable gains in control or faster delivery timelines.

Grant Thornton’s Global Financial Reporting Benchmark Survey explores how leading administrators are adapting to this new reality. Drawing insights from more than half of the world’s top 15 fund administrators, it benchmarks how staffing, technology, and regulation are reshaping reporting functions—and where the best performance gains are emerging.

Contents

Rising headcounts, uneven efficiency

Regulation keeps reshaping reporting functions. Each new fund launches brings unique data, audit, and compliance demands that must align with various accounting standards. Global operating models magnify the challenge. Firms must interpret and apply multiple rule sets. They also must maintain accuracy and timeliness.

Our survey reveals that 86% of fund administrators increased their financial reporting headcount this year, up from 67% in 2023. Yet more people have not meant greater efficiency. Across the industry, the average stands at 12 funds per employee, with a range from 11 to 36 - a wide disparity that points to structural rather than staffing challenges. Because reporting sits in a cost center, every hire must justify itself on efficiency grounds. Managers ask not “How much revenue per person?” but “How many statements per dollar of cost?” The implication is clear: bigger teams must standardize, automate, and innovate to bend the cost curve without sacrificing quality or speed.

The shift to global operating model

Financial reporting is now a continuous, global process relying on shared technology and cross-time zone collaboration.

To handle larger workloads, most administrators now utilise hybrid models that combine onshore oversight with offshore execution, often involving third-party providers to manage seasonal peaks. Offshore capacity has increased by over 30% in some firms, while onshore teams grew by about 10%.

These models help control costs and manage seasonal peaks but add complexity. Governance, communication, and knowledge transfer all become more challenging with dispersed teams. Global capability centers and automation tools now handle much of the work, while smaller onshore teams focus on governance and quality assurance.

This shift demands new management skills. Project oversight, workload visibility, and cross-location communication are now as crucial as reporting expertise. Firms that treat reporting as a single global process, not a set of local tasks, achieve the best outcomes.

Technology: from discussion to deployment

Half of the administrators surveyed report active discussions around automation, AI, and finance transformation tools. Many are deploying platforms such as ARC Reporting, Data Snipper or bespoke in-house systems to accelerate financial statement preparation and review cycles.

These tools can reduce timelines and improve visibility, but technology alone does not guarantee efficiency. The real gains come when automation is embedded within a well-designed operating model—where ownership is clear, workflows are standardised, and data moves seamlessly across teams.

The opportunity is integration: linking fund accounting, financial reporting, and compliance systems so information flows seamlessly from source to final statements.

Measuring performance: progress with gaps

Firms are embracing data-driven oversight. 65% now use KPIs, up from 50%, signaling a shift toward systematic performance management. The common metrics are:

Time to deliver the final draft of financial statements (68%)
Capacity utilisation per employee (60%)
Quality or accuracy of drafts delivered (59%)

Yet, gaps remains. Only 30% track full-cycle timelines, and just 4% measure profitability per fund – a critical omission as cost pressures rise. The next step is a balanced view that combines accuracy, rework, cycle time, and cost. This full-cycle lens gives leaders clearer insight into where efficiency gains are possible.

The road ahead

The 2025 survey shows an industry ready to adapt. Costs are rising, skilled talent is in short supply, and regulations are becoming increasingly complex. Adding staff alone won’t solve the gap. The next progress will come from better design, smarter data, and clearer accountability.

Key takeaways

Pressure points: rising fund counts and headcount growth highlight mounting complexity.
Discipline: KPI adoption is accelerating, but profitability tracking remains rare.
Technology: platform adoption is no longer a question of “if” but “when.”
Operating models: hybrid approaches dominate, signaling a globalized, flexible future.

Financial reporting is no longer a back-office function—it is a strategic capability. Firms that invest in people, embed right performance metrics, and leverage technology will be best positioned to navigate the convergence of regulatory, operational, and technological forces shaping the industry. For those still relying on legacy processes, the message is clear: the time to act is now.

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