Scottish Widows Platform has partnered with Origo for the first phase of its new asset transfer service.
Origo has entered a live Beta stage of the new Origo Asset Migration service (OAM), to transform the experience of bulk advised client transfers for both advisers and platforms into a “smooth and quick process”.
Origo said: “Issues with client data are one of the biggest challenges adviser firms face with the movement of clients from one platform to another.”
Origo’s new service facilitates the “gathering, cleansing and updating of client information in a controlled and auditable system”, accessible by both the advice business and the platform.
This ability to cleanse and hold data pre-transfer submission removes the risk of inaccurate data, Origo added.
OAM also acts as a project management tool during bulk transfer exercises, integrating with the Origo Transfer Service to show the real-time status of all transfers in progress.
This provides “greater visibility into the whole migration journey and ensuring the timely resolution of any issues that arise”.
Scottish Widows Platform is the beta partner for Origo’s new software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution.
During this live Beta phase, OAM will initiate the live transfers of advised client assets to Scottish Widows Platform.
Origo plans to work together with several advice firms key to Scottish Widows Platform to gather feedback and help steer the ongoing development of the service.
OAM also tracks individual transfers in real time while providing an aggregate tranche view, “ensuring a smooth and clear road map throughout”.
OAM provides advice firms with detailed audit logs during and after transfer initiation. Advice firms can also submit transfer instructions at their own pace.
Additionally, Origo believes making the bulk transfer of clients easier should remove the “bias of convenience from selecting the right platforms for clients”.
Origo chief product officer Tom Mullally said: “Until now, the advised movement of tranches of clients to new platforms was known for being a manual, spreadsheet-heavy, error-strewn experience, renowned throughout the industry as being painful for the customers, advisers and platforms involved.
“Particular issues such as poor-quality data stored in multiple places can cause the whole migration process to fail unless these are addressed head on – which is exactly what we’re doing.
“A transfer recommendation is often the first interaction an adviser and their clients will have with a new platform, and we want to make sure their experience is a really good one.
“Together with Scottish Widows Platform we are making this possible and hope that others in the industry will join us – we want advisers and customers everywhere to feel the benefit of this important change.”
Scottish Widows head of adviser platform proposition Ross Easton added: “At Scottish Widows, we are committed to supporting advisers and their clients, both now and in the future.
“Our focus is on enhancing our platform proposition to make it easier for advisers to deliver great outcomes for their clients and grow their business.”
“One of the biggest challenges advisers face is the movement of clients between platforms.
“We are thrilled to have worked with Origo to develop a solution that helps advisers de-risk their business, increase efficiency and supports them to deliver great client outcomes.”
Earlier this year, research from Scottish Widows showed geopolitics and market volatility are the top concerns for advisers in 2025.
