Cerno Capital

28 March '24

4 minute read

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PROBLEM

Cerno Capital is a boutique investment management firm based in London, providing investment services to individuals, families, charities, and institutions. As the business grew, Cerno Capital found that its existing CRM and marketing tools were no longer fit for purpose.

The firm relied on a legacy CRM alongside spreadsheets to manage investor data, reporting, and marketing activity. This approach created inefficiencies, reduced visibility, and limited the firm’s ability to scale sales and marketing operations in a structured way.

Key challenges included:

Manual and inefficient reporting
Reports were difficult to generate and often relied on manually maintained spreadsheets, increasing the risk of duplication and inaccuracies.
No single source of truth
Data was stored across multiple systems and spreadsheets, making it time‑consuming to find information and maintain consistency.
Limited marketing capability
Cerno Capital lacked the tools to track prospect engagement, analyse behaviours, and nurture leads with timely, personalised communications.
Outdated, inflexible CRM system
The existing CRM was not user‑friendly and offered little automation, forcing teams to rely on manual processes.
Challenges with remote working
Accessing data and running reports was difficult when working away from the office, limiting flexibility for the team.

Cerno Capital needed a modern CRM and marketing platform that would centralise data, automate processes, enhance reporting, and support business growth.

SOLUTION

Cooper Parry Digital implemented a tailored Salesforce solution using Sales Cloud and Marketing Cloud Account Engagement (Pardot), designed to modernise Cerno Capital’s sales, marketing, and fund‑management operations.

The solution included:

Salesforce Sales Cloud implementation
Salesforce became the single platform for managing investor relationships, opportunities, and reporting, replacing fragmented legacy systems.
Bespoke fund management dashboards
Custom dashboards enabled teams to manage investment strategies, allocate funds, and view key financial data at a glance.
Enhanced marketing automation with Pardot
Pardot was deployed to capture engagement data, automate personalised communications, and nurture prospects based on their actions and interests.
Advanced automation features
Automations were introduced to reduce manual tasks, including:
- Data validation rules
- Automated reminders
- Company details updates
- Multi‑currency fund handling
Mobile access and remote reporting
Salesforce Mobile enabled users to update records, access reports, and manage activity while working remotely.
Improved collaboration tools
Features such as in‑platform collaboration supported faster responses, better alignment, and stronger cross‑team working.

VALUE ADDED

The Salesforce and Pardot solution delivered by Cooper Parry Digital enabled Cerno Capital to work more efficiently, make better‑informed decisions, and support continued business growth.

Key outcomes included:

A single, trusted source of data
All investor, sales, and marketing data is now held in one secure system, improving accuracy and visibility.
Stronger sales and marketing performance
Automated, data‑driven communications improved lead nurturing, follow‑up speed, and conversion opportunities.
Faster, more accurate reporting
Teams can now access real‑time reports highlighting trends, top clients, seasonal investment patterns, and key opportunities.
More efficient fund management
Bespoke dashboards provide clear insight into portfolios, available funds, and investment performance.
Improved productivity and reduced manual effort
Automation significantly reduced time spent on repetitive tasks, enabling teams to focus on higher‑value activity.
Better support for remote and flexible working
Mobile access and cloud reporting transformed how teams work day‑to‑day.
High user adoption
Embedded training and intuitive workflows ensured quick adoption and long‑term value from the platform.