Your guide to 2021 in securities services part two: Digitalisation Global Custodian has compiled a series of predictions for 2021 from some of the leading voices in the securities services industry, part two focuses on digitalisation. Penny Biggs, head of strategy for corporate & institutional services, Northern Trust The digitalisation of securities services will increase in pace. This trend is being accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, as the work-from-home environment has necessitated greater use of technology industry-wide and is driving the digitalisation of everyday processes. This in turn will drive the need for intuitive digitalised investor experiences, including for real-time data and tools to help users make sense of it. Securities services providers need to incorporate these expectations of investors into their service offerings – driving high-end self-service solutions and maximising distribution potential. As investment managers grapple with managing rising costs and driving bottom line performance, and asset owners seek increased governance transparency and control, we see more organisations re-assessing their operating models and focusing more explicitly on areas that are core to their businesses. We see increasing opportunities for asset servicers to take the lead across a broad service spectrum, from the front-office solutions, to data management, to outsourced trade execution – the latter seeing the most rapid growth potential.