At the recent Charles Schwab Impact conference I spent quite a bit of time discussing the differences between Atom Align as an Order Management System versus standard rebalancing systems. Because this distinction can be subtle, many vendors claim to have an OMS, but a careful analysis of the features will clarify the differences.
Below are some of the key benefits for an advisor to choosing an OMS:
Intraday Rebalancing and Trade Management – One of the most significant differentiators between an Order Management System and rebalancing system is the ability to provide real-time tax lot tracking as opposed to the beginning of day positions as offered by rebalancing systems. For instance, if an advisor creates trades and then wants to adjust or delete any of the trades, an OMS will track the available cash and pending or completed orders in real-time. Whether trades are for mutual funds, equities, ETFs or individual bonds, an OMS can greatly reduce the risk of trade duplication while simplifying trade adjustments.
Real-Time Multi-Custodian Electronic Trading – Also known as Straight-Through-Processing, an OMS gives advisors using equities and ETFs the ability to trade and send allocations across multiple custodians with the click of a button and see executions in real time. Users no longer have to take the time to log into each custodial platform and upload a trade file.
Reconciliation – Because an OMS keeps track of each trade, next-day reconciliation is simple. Atom Align includes an automated reconciliation process that will compare the previous trades to imported tax-lots. The automated reconciliation process can prevent trade errors due to mutual fund company processing issues or other trade problems.
Trade History and Auditing – The Atom Align OMS keeps a historical record of all trades created, including trades executed electronically, uploaded to a custodian, or manually filled. Users can easily generate historical reports or review all audit detail in case of an SEC audit.
Advanced Trading Capabilities – Advisors can achieve better trade execution by managing the trading process and taking advantage of the custodian’s trading desk. With an OMS advisors can; create limit orders and track them over multiple days, use block orders, manage partial fills, or utilize a custodian’s trading algorithms such as VWAP.
The difference between a rebalancing system and an OMS are significant, but with the Atom Align system these components are seamlessly integrated and easy to use. Contact us at to find out more about Atom Align and to see if our order management capabilities are right for your firm.