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Orion Announces Plans For Streamlined Client CommunicationsOrion Announces Plans For Streamlined Client Communications

Orion introduces a communication tool that will save advisors up to two hours per day corresponding with clients.

Samuel Steinberger, Senior Technology Editor

September 5, 2018

1 Min Read
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Orion Advisor Services announced that they are launching a new communications feature, called Event Driven Notifications, for advisors on their platform. The tool, introduced at the firm’s Ascent 2018 conference, will link a dozen standard email templates with a list of clients, semi-automating communication from birthday well wishes to notifications for required minimum distributions (RMDs) and rebalancing.

It’s part of Orion’s push to facilitate an increase in scale for advisors on its platform, Orion CEO Eric Clarke said. “I think it’s very ad hoc what’s happening today,” he said of client communication. He estimated that advisors using Event Driven Notifications will save up to two hours per day, as the steps of moving between lists of clients needing communication and the communication that needs to be sent will be merged. 

The tool, built in-house, will allow an advisor to simultaneously sign off on the communication and add a sentence or two of personalization, on an “instance” screen, before it is sent to the client. It’s designed to make it easier for advisors to see a list of clients and what communication or notifications they need. It will also integrate with Orion’s Trends feature, giving advisors insights into the emails that are best received. A copy of the correspondence is automatically retained for compliance purposes.

With each new major technology addition, Clarke said his aim is to provide at least a 10 percent scale increase, noting that currently each advisor on the Orion platform currently services around 150 households.

The tool will be available for around six beta testers in the end of 2018, with an expected full deployment in February 2019.

About the Author

Samuel Steinberger

Senior Technology Editor, WealthManagement.com

Samuel Steinberger is Senior Technology Editor for Informa Connect’s WealthManagement.com. In his role, Mr. Steinberger provides the publication’s wealth and financial technology coverage. 

Mr. Steinberger’s editorial insight and familiarity with technology accelerates Informa’s growth within the financial advisor and wealth management communities, providing in-depth news for advisors and financial professionals. 

Before joining Informa Connect, Mr. Steinberger produced documentaries with former CNN anchor Soledad O’Brien at Soledad O’Brien Productions (formerly Starfish Media Group). He specialized in research, shooting and editing, as well as finding distinct voices to explain topics like mental health, poverty and racial divide. 

Prior to joining Soledad O’Brien Productions, Mr. Steinberger managed multi-departmental technology projects for global legal technology leader Transperfect Legal Solutions. After obtaining his graduate degree in journalism from Columbia University, he completed his transition from technology management to media. 

Mr. Steinberger is an award-winning journalist, author and researcher who has written, edited and reported for a number of publications, including The New York Times, Financial PlanningAmerican Banker and PBS. He is founder of beverages publication Give Me Weird Drinks

Mr. Steinberger’s technology analysis and insight has been featured in several books on virtual and augmented reality. Mr. Steinberger has received awards and recognition for his reporting and research, including the American Business Media's prestigious Jesse H. Neal Award for editorial excellence.

Follow on Twitter: @slsteinberger