Insights from The Network Forum Asia 2024: Transforming post-trade efficiency

Taskize recently attended The Network Forum Asia in Singapore, an event sponsored by our parent company, Euroclear – writes Sam Gardiner, Head of Commercial. 

Representing Taskize together with my colleagues Miles Trueman and Jamie Sukumaran, we shared updates on our platform – in terms of product and feature news, as well as integrations and interoperability. 

The discussions at the forum offered a glimpse into the future of post-trade operations and below are my top takeaways from the sessions I attended… 

1. ‘Settlement cycle optimisation in Asia post T+1’ featuring speakers from Swift, ASX Limited, BNY, DTCC, NSE Clearing 

With settlement cycles shortening globally, Asia faces unique challenges. Late settlement rates in the region have climbed by 10%, exacerbated by the complexity of foreign exchange (FX) transactions settling on T+1 schedules. Interestingly, trade sizes in the region tend to be smaller, yet the operational burden remains significant. 

Key observations from the panelists included: 

• A striking 90% of settlement inspections in Asia occur between midnight and 8 AM Singapore time, with Fridays being the busiest day for many regional participants 

• Local labour laws limit the feasibility of extended working hours, underscoring the need for technological solutions 

• In the U.S., T+1 has driven a 30% reduction in collateral requirements – a testament to what Asia could achieve with the right approach 

While technology is pivotal in addressing these challenges, its success hinges on skilled implementation and operational alignment, with one panelist noting: 

“Technology is just a powerful enabler; it’s the people that implement it that make the difference.” 

2. ‘Collateral optimisation’  

In a presentation by Luc Vantomme, Managing Director of Business Development for APAC at Euroclear, Taskize received notable recognition. 

Luc highlighted how the Taskize platform empowers Euroclear to streamline processes and significantly reduce resolution times for exceptions.  

His other key takeaways?  

• Take a holistic and integrated approach  

• An open architecture solution is key 

• Optimisation drivers are changing regularly  

• Test the monetisation capabilities 

• Watch new technologies and their adoption 

3. ‘Debate: Emerging technologies, have they delivered on the promise?’  

This panel brought together experts from Deutsche Bank, Standard Chartered, Northern Trust, BNY, and Transparently. AI to evaluate the impact of innovation in securities services.  

When asked what drives innovation in the securities services space, the audience ranked operational efficiency (41%) as the top factor, followed by regulatory compliance (23%), new revenue streams (21%), and client experience (15%). 

Looking ahead, the top five game changers for asset servicing are expected to be: 

• Tokenization 

• Artificial Intelligence (AI) 

• Regulation 

• Advanced Technology 

• Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT)  

4. ‘The Network Managers Scorecard of the region – What’s good and what could be better?’ featuring speakers from State Street, J.P. Morgan, Thomas Murray and Deutsche Bank AG Singapore 

This session addressed ongoing inefficiencies in APAC’s account-opening processes. Despite advancements, account openings in countries like India remain a labour-intensive process, often delayed by weeks due to manual procedures and language barriers. 

Accurate and timely data delivery is becoming a top priority for organisations aiming to move from reactive query handling to proactive query management. This shift aligns with Taskize’s mission to provide seamless collaboration tools that preempt issues and drive efficient outcomes.