Ortec Finance did not achieve that alone. The organisation developed the OPAL Salesforce application, which enables financial institutions to make integrated and cost-effective investment decisions, in partnership with Appsolutely. Decisions that are entirely in line with their clients’ objectives. The result? Impressive. Development of the app went well and responses from clients are positive.
To help financial organisations make better goal-oriented investment decisions. Ortec Finance ensures pension funds, banks, asset managers and insurers, along with their end clients, get the best out of their investments. Ortec Finance fulfils that promise with the aid of advanced, macro-economic models. And now also with the application they have brought to the Salesforce AppExchange with Appsolutely. That app is now available in the Salesforce Financial Services Cloud as well as the Salesforce Sales Cloud.
Ortec Finance uses the OPAL solution, which was developed in-house, to offer solid investment advice. A software application for financial planning and monitoring. Goal-oriented, because the focus is on the client’s savings or investments. OPAL clarifies whether these objectives – a pension objective, a savings objective, sufficient income now and later – are feasible or not with the existing investment portfolio.
OPAL helps devise the ideal portfolio, including a suitable investment strategy, to achieve set objectives based on advanced, real world economic scenarios. OPAL also provides an insight into the returns an investment can produce in the short, medium and long term. The solution naturally takes into account the level of financial risk the client is willing to accept.
“Thanks to Appsolutely’s expertise and good coaching, our application passed Salesforce’s security tests the first time.”
OPAL is a valuable software application, but Ortec Finance wants to offer clients a complete and integrated digital ecosystem. Integration with the Salesforce Financial Services Cloud could therefore offer much added value. This cloud already had the functionality to formulate financial objectives, but lacked the ability to determine feasibility and then monitor them. Something that OPAL could provide. Besides, Ortec Finance could scale up distribution of OPAL by linking it to the Salesforce AppExchange.
Ortec Finance went in search of a partner with knowledge of app development and in-depth expertise in Salesforce to expand OPAL and prepare it for the Salesforce AppExchange. The decision to partner with Appsolutely was soon made. Not only because this company has AppExchange App Development Specialist status. “Appsolutely was clear as to how they wanted to translate OPAL into a Salesforce application and gave us the impression we could achieve this together. The company understood what we had in mind and offered proactive input for solutions”, explains Regina Ursinus, IT Project Manager for Ortec Finance.
The OPAL Salesforce application has been available to download from the AppExchange since February 2019. The response? Very positive. The wealth planning functionality in particular appeals to Ortec Finance and Salesforce clients. That option makes it possible to monitor investment objectives easily. Salesforce is enthusiastic too. Ursinus: “They are surprised at the supple integration of the existing OPAL app with the Financial Services Cloud.”
And Ortec Finance themselves? What do they think of the new application? “In the digital environment, you can’t actually tell where the Financial Services Cloud ends and OPAL starts. That is because optimal use was made of all Salesforce components. That is a huge compliment to Appsolutely”, Ursinus points out. Thanks to the integration of OPAL with Salesforce, the application is easy for clients who are already familiar with the latter to use. Another big advantage according to Ortec Finance.
“In the digital environment, you can’t actually tell where the Financial Services Cloud ends and OPAL starts. That is because optimal use was made of all Salesforce components.”
Ortec Finance is happy with the collaboration with Appsolutely. The development process in particular went according to plan and met expectations. Developers go through a long process before a software solution is permitted on the Salesforce AppExchange “Thanks to Appsolutely’s expertise and excellent coaching, our application passed Salesforce’s security tests the first time ”, says Ursinus. She emphasises that Appsolutely developers offered helpful input in respect of the obstacles they encountered during the development process.
The biggest challenge? The switch. How do you implement a new application in an existing environment? Ursinus explains: “We ourselves have little experience of the operational processes surrounding the launch of a Salesforce app. Installation, documentation. We struggled a little with that. And with getting the OPAL Salesforce application into the AppExchange. That could have been done more efficiently. Fortunately, Appsolutely has always been available to provide additional support since the launch.”
The OPAL Salesforce application is being developed in phases. Ortec Finance opted for a solution with limited functionality for the launch in February. The organisation is currently exploring the possibility of expansion, which they obviously wish to tackle in collaboration with Appsolutely. The focus is on offering an even more complete planning and decision-making process.
