Power Automate Desktop for a Private Equity Firm

10 July 2023

The Client

The Client is a prominent Private Equity Firm based in Singapore.

The Business Requirement

The firm struggled with the manual handling of large Excel files to reconcile client equity portfolios and bank APIs. This process was both time-consuming and prone to errors, leading to inefficiencies and inaccuracies in their operations.

The Challenge

The firm’s investment banking partners utilized a variety of data reporting formats for daily updates on client portfolio changes. This included a mix of APIs and Excel files, resulting in inconsistencies and reconciliation challenges. The firm needed a solution to streamline and automate this process to improve accuracy and efficiency.

The Solution

To address these challenges, a detailed Power Automate Desktop solution was developed. The solution included:

1. Unattended Automation: The solution was designed to operate unattended, executing daily to ensure timely data processing without requiring manual intervention.
2. API and Excel Integration: It interfaced with the necessary APIs and handled various Excel file formats, extracting and transforming the data into a standardized format.
3. Data Normalization: The solution normalized the data, converting it into a consistent format suitable for ingestion into the client’s Azure Data Lake reporting warehouse.
4. Report Reconciliation: By matching reports with client folio numbers, it ensured accurate reconciliation of data.
5. Automated Reporting: Summarized reports were generated and sent to the reporting lead by the end of each business day, streamlining the communication process.

Technical Details

The technical architecture included:

• Automation Tool: Power Automation Desktop
• Data Integration: API connectors and Excel file processing
• Data Storage: Azure Data Lake
• Reporting: Automated report generation and distribution

The Benefits

The implementation of the Power Automate Desktop solution led to several benefits:

• Operational Efficiency: The automation of daily tasks freed up valuable time for staff to focus on more strategic activities.
• Data Accuracy: Automated reconciliation minimizes human error, leading to more reliable data.
• Timeliness: Reports were generated and distributed promptly, improving decision-making speed.
• Scalability: The solution easily accommodated an increasing volume of data without a corresponding increase in workload.

Conclusion

This case study demonstrates the transformative impact of Power Automate Desktop on streamlining complex financial processes. By automating the reconciliation of client equity portfolios and bank APIs, the firm achieved enhanced efficiency, accuracy, and scalability in its operations. The technical solution not only addressed the immediate challenges but also set the stage for future growth and innovation in data management.