74 connected strategy for asian wealth management ^Top Connection architectures • Where are the current white spaces in the industry? • What is the firm’s current connection architecture and how does it need to change? • What is the ecosystem of capabilities and partnerships needed for clients? • Which ‘string of pearls’ partnerships could bring together new, complementary connected capabilities? • How ready is the firm’s technology stack for the desired connection architectures? Strategy implementation, change management and organization • Why change — strategic, economic and client considerations? • Which competitors are pursuing a Connected Strategy and what is risk to the firm’s earnings over time? • How material could a Connected Strategy’s impact on a firm’s economics be? • What should the pace of investment be — ‘big bang’ or more phased out? • Where is the firm best positioned to compete — across the entire customer journey or on specific steps? • What team structure is needed to bring together the client experience, product and analytics? • How prepared is the firm’s culture and ways of working to a connected strategy? • Should connected experiences be built as a separate business unit or as part of the main franchise? epilogue Connected strategies provide a host of players in wealth management a transformational opportunity to build connected client relationships and connection architectures instead of relying on traditional, intermediated business models. But connected strategies are not all about hyper-digitization and automation. A connected strategy does not mean automating every possible transaction for every customer. For many transactions what customers want is help in making better decisions. Few clients rely solely on their fi- nancial advisors to make all or even most investment decisions. Some investors would