Enterprise Investment Research Platform
Technology Modernization for Investment Management
Airlift
Custom Applications
Business to Business
Their Challenge
Our client is an investment management firm with a technology problem on three fronts.
The applications: Research management was spread across SharePoint, spreadsheets, and disconnected tools—functional, but fragmented. Analysts spent hours assembling reports manually because the pieces didn’t talk to each other. Their existing targeting system couldn’t meet current needs, let alone future ones. Critical functionality lived partly in the application, partly in SharePoint, partly in spreadsheets. No single source of truth.
The technology: Legacy systems and on-premise infrastructure. A development team that wanted to modernize but needed guidance on cloud-native architecture, Single Page Applications (SPAs), and modern DevOps practices. They knew where they wanted to go—they needed a partner to help them get there.
The future: They didn’t just need two applications. They needed a way to build all applications going forward—consistent patterns, reusable components, and infrastructure that wouldn’t require heroics every time they deployed something new.
Our Approach
This was a Traditional Airlift engagement—working software in 8-week cycles, with knowledge transfer built in from day one.
For the applications: We consolidated fragmented systems into unified platforms. A Research Management System that brings together analyst workflows, ratings documentation, and report generation in one place. A Portfolio Targeting System rebuilt to handle current requirements and extensible for future needs—replacing the patchwork of applications, SharePoint, and spreadsheets.
For the platform: We built the foundation for everything that comes next. Shared component libraries for consistent UX across applications. Style guides so every application looks like it belongs to the same organization. Shared Terraform modules and infrastructure-as-code patterns that enable one-click deployment—from Angular frontend to API to database. The two applications weren’t just products; they were reference implementations showing how to build on the platform.
For the team: We worked alongside our client’s developers. Code reviews. Architecture discussions. Showing them the patterns and practices that make modern development sustainable. By the end, they weren’t dependent on us—they owned the platform and knew how to build on it.
What We Built
Research Management System
- Centralized platform replacing scattered SharePoint and spreadsheet workflows
- Rich text commentary with proper formatting
- One-click PDF tearsheet generation
- Bloomberg integration for market data
- Role-based access matching organizational structure
Portfolio Targeting System
- Rebuilt from the ground up to meet current and future needs
- Multi-tier allocation management (up to six levels)
- Formal approval workflows with audit trails
- Support for weight-based and spread duration targets
- Integration path to order management systems
Application Platform
- Shared UX component libraries for consistent experience across applications
- Style guides and design patterns
- Shared Terraform modules for one-click infrastructure provisioning
- CI/CD pipelines and deployment automation
- Azure cloud infrastructure patterns (frontend, API, database)
- Reference implementations showing how to build on the platform
The Takeaway
The Research Management System is now central to how the firm operates. Analysts use it daily. When they host prospective clients, they demo RMS as an example of their technology capabilities—in an industry where internal tools are often embarrassingly dated, this application is polished enough to show off.
More importantly, their team can build what comes next. The platform we created together—shared components, consistent patterns, automated infrastructure—means the next application doesn’t start from scratch. They’ve moved from legacy infrastructure to cloud-native development, from manual deployments to one-click provisioning, from scattered practices to a real foundation. The transformation stuck.
Deliverables
- Azure cloud infrastructure with automated provisioning
- Shared Terraform modules for one-click infrastructure deployment
- CI/CD pipelines and deployment automation
- Shared UX component libraries and style guides
- Angular frontends, .NET APIs, SQL Server backend
- Research Management System consolidating scattered workflows into a unified platform
- Portfolio Targeting System rebuilt for current and future requirements
- Bloomberg and SharePoint integrations
- Knowledge transfer and team mentoring throughout
