“We bought this powerful system… but we’re only using 30% of it.”
If you’ve heard this inside your firm – or said it yourself – you’re not alone.
Platforms like BlackRock’s Aladdin and CRIMS are incredibly powerful, but they’re not plug-and-play. In fact, they often come with too many features!
After working with investment firms across the globe (U.S., Europe, Asia, and MENA) – while each company and territory is unique, the same patterns of underuse emerge. Instead of evolving, teams default to old habits like spreadsheets and siloed tools, leading to fragmented workflows.
The Real Cost of Underutilization
Without proper configuration and user onboarding, firms end up underutilizing even best-in-class platforms. Dashboards stay untouched. Reports are made elsewhere. And slowly, the workarounds creep in.
Underutilization often comes from:
- Rigid configuration defaults that don’t match the firm’s actual workflows
- Overwhelming interfaces that make the system intimidating for many users
- Gaps between what users need and what’s visible/accessible
- Manual workarounds are still in use due to missing integrations or UI fatigue
- Backend limitations where the data is available but not easily exposed
UX Collaboration: Where the Problems (and Solutions) Start
We often begin by reviewing:
- Which CRIMS/Aladdin modules are enabled but unused?
- Where are users bypassing the system (spreadsheets, manual tracking)?
- What data exists in the backend but isn’t surfaced meaningfully in the UI?
Design + Dev: Working Together to Deliver Real Usability
We don’t just suggest better UX. We assess where the data lives, what’s blocking access, and how to expose it intelligently.
Design adds value by:
- Making interfaces purpose-built for real users (PMs, traders, advisors)
- Clarifying what matters, filtering what doesn’t
Dev adds value by:
- Pulling clean data from source systems
- Managing access control
- Building frontend apps in Angular/React that layer on top of CRIMS or Aladdin
- Creating custom dashboards, role-specific modules, and simplified task flows
We Help Firms Use 100% of What They Paid For
At Ionixx, we help investment managers unlock the full value of their IMS platforms – whether it’s CRIMS, Aladdin, or a hybrid solution. We don’t sell software; we make the software work *for you.
Because a platform is only as good as what your team can actually use. What one firm considers a must-have dashboard might be irrelevant to another.
But what nearly all of them want is a consistent answer to a deceptively simple question:
“How are we doing?”
To answer that, they need more than just access to data. They need clarity – ROI, cumulative P&L, exposure, risk, and performance – across all investments, in one place.
And that’s where the gap shows up.
Even if the data is technically in the system, the views aren’t tailored. The metrics aren’t aligned. The logic isn’t embedded into the platform. So, people create parallel systems, Excel models, Google Sheets, weekly emails, and the platform slowly becomes a glorified archive rather than a real decision tool.
Ready to Put Your Platform to Work?
If you’re ready to get more from your investment management platform – or just want to stay in the loop on smarter digital strategies for the front, middle, and back office, reach out to our team at info@ionixxtech.com.
We’d love to help you go beyond 30%.
