Driving Efficiency Through Process Automation in Financial Services
Streamlining wealth management operations through automation, process optimization, and scalable, sustainable solutions
The Challenge
A leading financial services organization faced mounting inefficiencies within its wealth management team, which serves high-value clients with complex needs. While the team was committed to delivering personalized service, they were constrained by manual processes, redundant workflows, and a fragmented operations landscape. Duplicate procedures, inconsistent documentation, and a slow, committee-based decision culture made it difficult to scale efficiently or meet rising demand.
The organization had recently formed a Business Process Optimization team to address these issues, but momentum had stalled. When Point B was invited to respond to an RFP, we saw a unique opportunity, not just to assess, but to help activate a new operating model grounded in automation, risk reduction, and efficiency. We were tasked with establishing the team's structure, tools, and strategy to create a lasting impact.
The Opportunity
The newly created Business Process Optimization team within the Wealth Management group had a mandate to identify opportunities for automation, streamline workflows, and reduce operational risk. However, they needed help establishing a foundation, including surfacing current processes, building internal credibility, and prioritizing the right starting points.
What made this engagement especially powerful was the client’s openness to change. Executive sponsors were aligned and ready to make meaningful progress. The timing was right, and the appetite for a pragmatic, business-first approach to automation made it a strong match for Point B.
Our Approach
We partnered with the client over a focused 14-week engagement grounded in collaboration, simplicity, and speed. From the outset, we emphasized a "start simple to scale smart" philosophy, meeting the team where they were, and then building capabilities they could own and evolve.
Stakeholder Engagement + Process Discovery
- Conducted 78 in-depth stakeholder interviews, primarily on-site, across the business to understand the current landscape.
- Mapped an indented taxonomy of all processes, surfacing duplications, gaps, and inefficiencies.
- Built strong buy-in by introducing process optimization as a value-add rather than a compliance function.
Prioritization Framework + Co-Design
- Developed a right-sized, custom prioritization model to evaluate processes based on automation potential, cost-to-serve, scalability, and risk.
- Held weekly working sessions with client leaders to iterate in real-time, balancing feasibility with long-term value.
- Delivered a living tool that could flex and grow with the team’s evolving needs.
Enablement + Pilot Readiness
- Provided a sequenced roadmap of automation opportunities and recommended initial pilot candidates.
- Delivered a repeatable framework for continuous improvement, enabling the team to conduct future assessments without external support.
- Coached the new leader through real-time implementation challenges, setting the team up for sustainable ownership.
By co-creating practical solutions, Point B helped a newly formed team gain traction, earn trust, and spark progress from day one.
Outcomes
Our collaborative and pragmatic approach delivered both immediate wins and long-term value:
- 60% of current-state processes identified for automation, significantly reducing manual work, risk exposure, and inefficiencies.
- Initial recommendations projected a 15–20% reduction in total processing time, unlocking capacity for higher-value, client-facing work.
- Improved efficiency and productivity by eliminating redundant workflows and enabling teams to focus on strategic tasks.
- Enabled scalable growth by establishing operational practices that can flex as account volumes increase, without requiring proportional headcount growth.
- Reduced cost-to-serve through smarter process design, positioning the team to optimize spend while maintaining regulatory compliance.
- Strengthened client experience by laying the groundwork for faster turnaround times and more personalized engagement.
- Equipped the internal team with a sustainable framework, including tools, process taxonomies, and a prioritization engine to manage ongoing improvements without relying on external consultants.
- Activated an immediate pilot to accelerate momentum, with the internal team confidently leading the next phase of automation and optimization.
Key Takeaways
This engagement was about more than process. It was about potential. What started as a challenge to improve operations became an opportunity to transform how the wealth management team works, delivers value, and grows.
By co-creating practical solutions, Point B helped a newly formed team gain traction, earn trust, and spark progress from day one. We met them in the thick of complexity, equipped them with tools they actually use, and supported them as they stepped into new capabilities with confidence.
This is what Point B does best. Whether enabling operational excellence in healthcare or scaling transformation in global logistics, we help organizations take bold steps forward by putting people first, simplifying the complex, and building momentum that lasts.
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