By: Levi Folk, Founder of Data Front

Publish Date: May 13, 2025

As an organization deeply involved in helping asset management firms launch new investment products, I've seen firsthand how a rigid approach to data and technology can seriously hinder effective fund launches. 

If you're a product marketing leader tasked with bringing new fund products such as mutual funds or ETFs to market quickly and effectively, you've probably faced your share of frustrations caused by manual processes, outdated data schemas, and inflexible technology systems. You are not alone, but there is a better way.

Why Most Fund Launches Struggle to Keep Pace with Innovation

Asset management firms today are feeling the pressure to innovate faster. 

New investment products like collateralized loan obligations (CLOs), hybrid ETFs, and mutual fund-ETF crossovers are constantly being launched. 

The challenge is that each of these innovations requires updating marketing and sales materials, factsheets, and web reports in near real-time. Yet, most firms still rely on cumbersome manual processes, often resorting to spreadsheets or ad-hoc data entry. This isn't just inefficient; it also leads to errors and delays that hold back your entire product launch.

According to InterSystems, 54% of asset managers cite data errors and manual processes as a top business challenge. And while many firms have adopted product master systems, half still struggle with data quality and consistency.

The Hidden Costs of Manual Workflows

Think about the typical fund launch process: each new product requires data sourcing, calculations and data input to support compliance, sales and marketing. 

Recent data from Alpha FMC shows that while leading firms can launch new products in 4–5 months, the industry average is closer to 8 months.

If it's being done manually, it's like reinventing the wheel each time. It creates inefficiencies in fund reporting and slows your speed-to-market, which puts you at a disadvantage in an industry where timing is everything. 

Many firms underestimate these hidden costs, which compound rapidly as the number of products grows.

How Rigid Data Schemas Are Limiting Your Marketing Potential

A major stumbling block I've repeatedly noticed is using fixed data schemas. Simply put, these rigid structures aren't built to handle new types of products and investment structures easily. 

For example, adding a new hybrid ETF-mutual fund to your existing schema becomes a tech nightmare. It involves complex workarounds and lengthy development cycles. 

Consequently, marketing teams often end up presenting minimal or overly generic data on their websites and collateral which undermines the sales team's ability to effectively engage investors.

Bridging the Gap: Why Your Sales Team Needs More From Your Technology

Sales teams thrive when armed with detailed, timely, and dynamic marketing materials. They need to communicate the unique investment thesis clearly, highlighting precisely what makes the fund appealing. 

Yet rigid technology setups often mean that sales teams lack critical data at crucial moments. 

Marketing knows exactly what they need to deliver, but the problem lies in manual processes and technology that doesn’t provide an engaging investor experience.

Why Dynamic Data Management Is Critical For New Fund Launches

What I've seen that truly transforms fund launches for our customers is adopting dynamic, flexible data management systems. 

Imagine a scenario where launching a new fund product instantly updates your investor website, marketing materials and automates compliance. No matter how innovative or complex.

Dynamic data schemas adapt quickly, integrating new products without forcing marketers to handle manual processes. This flexibility doesn't just streamline operations—it directly boosts your sales team's effectiveness, enabling them to close more deals.

Practical Steps Toward Flexibility and Speed

Technology and process optimization are the solutions to improve the speed to market for new product launches. According to Alpha FMC, 73% of firms either have or are planning to introduce workflow tooling to support product launch.

If you’re looking to make a change with your fund launch process, here's how to start:

1. Audit Your Current Workflow: Identify manual processes, rigid schemas, and operational bottlenecks.
2. Adopt a Flexible Data Schema: Transition to a system that easily integrates new products and data points without complex development cycles.
3. Invest in Dynamic Content Management: Stop hard-coding your website and marketing collateral. Use systems that automatically update based on your evolving data.

Staying Ahead in a Changing Market

Markets move fast, and investor demands shift even faster– especially when market volatility, inflation, regulatory changes, and evolving investment strategies are forcing change. 

At Data Front, we've built technology designed to address the complexities and rapid changes in product launches. Our platform centralizes and automates your data management processes, eliminating manual workflows and significantly reduces errors. 

Your marketing materials and website content dynamically update as your product data evolves, ensuring your sales team always has the latest and most accurate information. 

Our flexible data schemas allow you to effortlessly add new product types and data points without extensive development cycles. This empowers your teams to focus on strategic initiatives instead of technical hurdles.

Firms that adapt quickly to these shifts, thanks to dynamic data and technology infrastructures, aren't just surviving—they’re thriving. 

It’s Time to Rethink Your Technology

If your firm’s fund launches feel overly rigid and cumbersome, it’s time to step back and reconsider your technological foundations. 

By embracing dynamic data management, you empower your marketing and sales teams to collaborate effectively, respond swiftly to market innovations, and ultimately, deliver better outcomes to investors.

The bottom line: Flexible, dynamic technology isn’t just about operational efficiency—it's your competitive edge.