Ninepoint Partners is a prominent Canadian asset management firm known for delivering innovative investment solutions. They focus on reducing portfolio risk by emphasizing diversification and steering away from traditional asset classes like stocks and bonds.
With a deep expertise in managing diversified core, alternative income, and real asset strategies, Ninepoint has become a leader in Canada’s asset management industry. As an independent, employee-owned firm, Ninepoint manages over $7 billion in assets and serves both investment advisors and institutional clients.
The challenge: Addressing the evolving landscape of investor communication
As Ninepoint grew its range of investment funds and its client base, producing high-quality fund fact sheets became increasingly difficult. These fact sheets are essential for communicating key information about each fund to investors, including performance data, portfolio composition, and investment strategies. However, manually creating and updating them was time-consuming, prone to errors, and often inconsistent.
This issue is not unique to Ninepoint; fund managers face growing pressure to deliver transparent, accessible, and engaging reports. Investors expect up-to-date and accurate information to make informed decisions. Traditional fund fact sheets, while necessary, are often slow to update and can be disconnected from the dynamic needs of modern investors.
Furthermore, there is a growing need for a more dynamic and investor-centric approach in fund reporting. Traditional fund fact sheets can be slow to update and may not effectively engage modern investors. Fund managers need to ensure their sales channels have accurate and appealing materials to cater to their clientele. This requires a fundamental shift in how organizations create, manage, and deliver information to investors.
Ninepoint realized that the manual approach was no longer viable. To meet investor demands and streamline communication, they needed an automated solution that could integrate with their existing data sources and workflows, helping them produce accurate, timely, and consistent reports.
Pagination’s Solution: A tailored approach to fund fact sheet automation
Ninepoint turned to Pagination for a solution that could transform their fund fact sheet production process. Pagination, with its expertise in data integration and document automation, provided a customized approach that addressed Ninepoint’s unique needs.
Working closely with Ninepoint, Pagination developed a customized solution that leveraged Ninepoint’s existing data sources and workflows. This ensured a seamless transition to an automated process and minimized disruption to their operations.
Key features of Pagination’s fund fact sheet software included:
Modular data management
Initially, Ninepoint considered using a custom value import system, but they quickly realized that while their data files were relatively consistent, they weren’t uniform enough for this method to be effective.
Any updates to the Excel file would require manual remapping in InDesign, making the process both inefficient and prone to errors. Instead of relying on a single Excel file, Pagination’s solution enabled Ninepoint to manage data from multiple sources. Ninepoint organized their data across different tabs within an Excel file, with each tab containing a distinct type of information—such as fund details, performance data, and portfolio composition—making it easier to maintain and update.
Dynamic layout engine
Ninepoint faced the challenge of fitting all necessary information onto a single page, even when dealing with varying amounts of data. To solve this, Pagination created a custom scripting solution that automatically optimized the use of space.
This approach was different from our usual method, which focuses primarily on balancing white space. In this case, the challenge was greater due to the inclusion of diverse elements like tables and graphs, which added complexity to the space management process compared to working with simple text. Our script first focuses on minimizing white space between elements, then adjusts font sizes and cell padding as necessary.
The ultimate goal was to ensure all content fit within a predefined space while keeping the layout clean, visually appealing, and easy to read. This type of dynamic layout adjustment, driven by content length, was a first for Pagination and highlights our commitment to crafting innovative, customized solutions that meet the unique needs of our clients.
Automated graph generation
Pagination’s fund fact sheet software automated the creation of line graphs, a key component of Ninepoint’s fund fact sheets. By pulling data directly from Ninepoint’s sources, the system generated graphs automatically, eliminating the manual work previously required and ensuring consistency across all reports. This time-saving feature also allowed Ninepoint to ensure that each graph was accurately updated in real time, providing investors with the most current data available.
Integration with static content
Ninepoint’s fact sheets included static pages designed in InDesign, such as cover and end pages. Pagination’s solution seamlessly integrated these static elements with the dynamic, automated content. This integration ensured that the final fund fact sheet appeared cohesive and polished, with no need for manual adjustments or inconsistent formatting. Whether it was the static cover page or the dynamically generated performance tables, the entire document maintained a professional, unified design.
Results and benefits of fund fact sheet automation
By implementing Pagination’s fund fact sheet software, Ninepoint Partners achieved significant improvements in efficiency, accuracy, and scalability.
- Increased efficiency and productivity: Automating key steps in the fund fact sheet creation process—ranging from data management to layout adjustments—saved Ninepoint countless hours. What once took weeks of manual effort can now be completed in just hours. This shift allowed the team to focus on strategic initiatives such as market analysis and developing new investment strategies. As Faiz Abidi, Digital Marketing Manager at Ninepoint Partners, notes:
«What used to take weeks now takes hours. Switching to Pagination improved our workflow. It’s seamless, reliable, and lets us focus on strategy rather than manual tasks.»
- Enhanced customization and scalability: As Ninepoint’s fund offerings and client base expanded, Pagination’s solution provided the scalability required to accommodate new funds, evolving data needs, and complex reporting requirements—all without major system changes. This ensured that Ninepoint could adapt seamlessly to growth and regulatory changes.
- Consistency and accuracy: Pagination’s dynamic layout engine and automated graph generation guaranteed consistent, error-free fact sheets. By eliminating manual data entry, the platform significantly reduced the risk of errors, ensuring that every report was accurate and up-to-date. Timothy Somerville, Vice President of Digital Marketing at Ninepoint Partners, shares:
«Pagination has been a game-changer for our team. Automating fact sheets has freed up countless hours and guaranteed precision. Connecting our data sources to Pagination was smooth, the platform is incredibly user-friendly, and the support team has been outstanding.»
- Future-proofing for a competitive edge: Ultimately, Pagination’s solution transformed Ninepoint’s fund fact sheet production process, giving the firm the tools it needed to enhance client communication, increase operational efficiency, and stay ahead of the curve in a competitive and rapidly changing financial landscape.
The power of automation in asset management
Ninepoint’s success underscores the transformative potential of automation in asset management. By automating fund fact sheet production, firms can boost efficiency, improve accuracy, and scale their operations, ultimately enhancing client communication and driving business growth.
Why choose Pagination for fund fact sheet automation?
Pagination’s fund fact sheet software stands out from the competition due to its:
- Comprehensive, integrated approach: A complete solution for data integration, automation, design, and distribution within a single platform, eliminating the need for multiple disconnected systems.
- Unmatched reliability and security: A robust infrastructure ensures secure, compliant, and reliable reporting processes.
- Adaptability and future-proof design: Support for personalized reporting, multi-channel distribution, and dynamic data visualization, keeping firms ahead of industry trends.
- Exceptional client support: More than just software, Pagination offers long-term partnerships, personalized onboarding, and ongoing consultation for sustained success.
If you’re looking for a streamlined, scalable fund fact sheet solution, Pagination provides a powerful, flexible platform tailored to your needs.
Ready to transform your reporting process? Contact Pagination today for a free consultation or visit our website to learn more.
