How Financial Institutions Are Streamlining Research and Reducing Risk

Smarter Research, Stronger Returns: Why Financial Services Leaders Are Rethinking Their Approach to Risk and Due Diligence

Whether you’re vetting a potential acquisition, assessing third-party risk, or navigating regulatory obligations, outdated tools and fragmented information sources can create costly delays or expose your firm to unnecessary risk.

As a way of avoiding such risks and delays, leading financial organizations are rethinking how research, due diligence and risk analysis is conducted.  According to a recent Total Economic Impact™ (TEI) study by Forrester Consulting, organizations using LexisNexis® Nexis® reported a 30%-time savings which allowed staff to focus on higher value projects. The study also found a $1.1 million business impact over three years, driven by an ‘improved ability to make well-informed decisions quickly.’

However, the TEI study isn't just a case for Nexis. It’s a critical resource for understanding the evolving demands on financial institutions, capturing real-world insights from decision-makers across banking, compliance and investment roles. These findings offer valuable context and key takeaways to help leaders recognize the immeasurable benefits of research technology.

Proven ROI and Measurable Gains

Commissioned by LexisNexis, the TEI study models the experience of a global organization with 20,000 employees and $3 billion in annual revenue. Based on interviews with enterprise users (three of which came from financial services) the findings paint a clear picture of Nexis’ value:

• 30% time savings – The study found that organizations using Nexis realized a 30% reduction in time spent on due diligence and compliance workflows, resulting in space for higher-value analysis and faster decision making.
• $1.1 million in business value – Over a three-year period, organizations captured $1.1 million in benefits by accelerating decision-making. The enhanced speed and quality of information contributed to more efficient internal approvals and better business outcomes
• $224,000 in cost savings- By eliminating the need for legacy research and compliance tools, organizations saved $224,000 over three years. Thereby reducing operational costs and simplified the research process.
• 110% return on investment – The total benefits over the three years led to a 110% ROI with payback period of less than 12 months. The investment in Nexis delivered strong financial returns alongside operational improvements.

These findings highlight how Nexis delivers measurable financial and operational value by reducing costs, increasing research efficiency, and enabling faster, better-informed decision-making across critical workflows.

As one Director of IT noted,

“We used Nexis to provide details to our board, which ultimately makes business decisions. It allows them to green-light initiatives faster and ask better questions based on real-time data.”

For financial leaders evaluating how to stay competitive in a high-stakes environment, the TEI report provides not only quantified results but also real-world benchmarks for building more agile, insight-driven research operations.

Beyond the Numbers: Strategic, Scalable Intelligence

Along measurable gains, organizations also reported substantial qualitative benefits that signal long-term strategic value:

• Reduced business risk through proactive research and global data coverage
• Improved research quality and consistency, especially for cross-border analysis
• Elevated employee experience by shifting focus from manual searches and repetitive tasks to more time spent on strategic insights

Nexis enables organizations to keep up with competitors as well as helping them to lead. With deep content archives, advanced search capabilities, and AI-enabled analytics, teams can conduct comprehensive research in less time, with greater confidence. As reiterated by a Chief Legal & Compliance Officer in Manufacturing, “To do the same thing Nexis does, we would have needed four or five more people. It hasn’t reduced headcount, but it’s prevented the need to grow it.”

These insights make the TEI report essential reading not just for evaluating a technology investment, but for guiding broader strategies in risk, compliance, and operational excellence.

Why the TEI Report Belongs on Your Desk

The Total Economic Impact™ of Nexis® study offers more than just data points. It gives leaders in financial services a framework for building faster, smarter, more resilient operations. It’s a must-read for any institution ready to:

• Reduce operational drag
• Accelerate and improve decision-making
• Retire outdated systems and reduce spend
• Elevate research to a strategic advantage

If you're responsible for research, compliance, or deal execution, this study offers credible, independent insight into what's possible when information flows better.

See the Findings in Action

Title: Faster, Smarter Deals: TEI Findings on How Financial Institutions Are Transforming Research and Risk Management
Date: Tuesday, June 24^th, 2025
Time: 8am PT, 11 am EST, 4pm BST, 5pm CET
Register: https://professional.lexisnexis.com/en-int/gns-forrestertei-webinar

Join Forrester and LexisNexis for a live discussion of the TEI study results. Dive into real-world use cases from financial services and investment banking and hear how leading financial institutions are applying Nexis to streamline high-stakes research workflows from M&A and investment decisions to compliance and risk oversight.

Ideal for:

• Heads of Investment Banking, M&A, and Capital Markets
• SVPs of Finance, Investments, and Compliance
• Due diligence analysts and onboarding teams
• Heads of Compliance & Risk
• Strategic research teams in financial services

Whether you're planning a technology upgrade or looking for new ways to increase research ROI, the webinar and report together provide a powerful roadmap for change.

Download the Report here and register for the webinar, so you can learn how to reclaim time and effectively transform your research strategy.