Why OMS Modernization Matters Today

Order Management Systems (OMS) have long been the operational core of trading and wealth management, enabling investment decisions to be routed, executed, settled, and reported across global markets. But in today’s digital-first world, an OMS must be much more than a workflow engine. It must be an orchestrator of complex, real-time interactions that span multiple asset classes, regulatory environments, and client expectations.

The limitations of legacy OMS platforms inflexible architectures, limited scalability, and poor integration, are now creating real business risk. As financial institutions confront rising trading volumes, increased client personalization demands, and evolving regulatory mandates, they face a fundamental choice: continue investing in outdated technology or shift to cloud-native infrastructure that scales with business ambition.

As part of Fintech initiative, we conducted our own mapping and research of the fintech ecosystem  (Navigating Fintech’s Terrain, 2024), over 69% of financial institutions already use cloud, and public cloud workloads adoption is projected to reach 40–90% in the next decade. Cloud is not a trend, it’s the foundation of modern OMS transformation.

The Wealth Management Revolution

The OMS transformation is especially urgent in wealth management, where shifting demographics and investor behavior are driving sweeping change. Today’s clients, whether high-net-worth individuals or institutions, expect the same level of responsiveness, transparency, and customization from their financial advisors as they do from top-tier consumer platforms.

They demand:

• Real-time execution and portfolio visibility
• Algorithm-driven investment strategies
• Custom analytics and reporting
• Integrated ESG preferences
• Mobile-first, always-on user experiences

The global WealthTech market, growing at a 14% CAGR, is projected to reach $10–15 billion by 2031. This growth is fueled by rising demand for AI-powered investment tools, automated rebalancing, and personalized insights, all of which require robust, extensible OMS architecture.

As highlighted in our fintech industry analysis, nearly 90% of institutional investors believe advanced technology from AI to big data will lead to better returns. That belief is shaping expectations across the board and redefining the core functionality that OMS platforms must deliver.

The New Mandate: Automation, Modularity, and Scalability

The modern OMS is no longer a monolith, it’s a service-oriented ecosystem.

In response to evolving needs, leading institutions are embracing Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) and API-first architectures, where OMS capabilities are delivered as modular components integrated into a broader wealth management stack.

This shift allows institutions to:

• Replace manual processes with workflow automation
• Enable real-time risk management
• Integrate client onboarding, portfolio evaluation, and compliance engines into trading logic
• Support advisor-driven and automated strategies in parallel

The ability to deliver this functionality efficiently, at scale, across multiple devices and jurisdictions, requires a cloud-native foundation.

TIAC’s own research underscores this trend: “Financial firms are prioritizing modular OMS systems with real-time analytics, open APIs, and Azure-based infrastructure as the cornerstone of their modernization efforts.”

Legacy System Constraints Are Now Business Risks

While the case for modernization is clear, many institutions still rely on legacy OMS platforms that were never designed for today’s digital trading environment. These systems face mounting limitations:

• Scalability bottlenecks that prevent rapid volume growth
• Rigid architectures that hinder customization and innovation
• High maintenance costs due to technical debt and outdated codebases
• Integration complexity with modern client-facing tools
• Compliance risks due to inflexible reporting frameworks

PwC predicts that 16% of current wealth management firms will be consolidated or eliminated by 2027, largely due to an inability to modernize infrastructure and meet changing client expectations.

Cloud-Native OMS: Enabler of Growth, Innovation, and Compliance

In contrast, cloud-native OMS platforms offer the flexibility, agility, and scalability needed to thrive in today’s landscape.

Architectural Benefits

• Microservices and containerization for modular design and fast deployment
• Elastic scalability to support volatile trading volumes
• API-first integration for seamless connection with CRM, risk, KYC, and analytics systems
• Automated compliance and auditability
• Real-time processing and data visibility across the trade lifecycle

Advanced Capabilities

• Mobile and web-native interfaces
• Embedded ESG and individualized indexing support
• Global deployment across hybrid or multi-cloud environments
• AI and ML for intelligent trade routing and predictive analytics

As fintech executives shift from hypergrowth to sustainable innovation, OMS platforms must deliver cost efficiency, innovation velocity, and resilient infrastructure without compromising on user experience or compliance. TIAC’s whitepaper notes: “The C-suite now views cloud-native OMS investments as strategic, not tactical. These platforms are the foundation for digital competitiveness.”

Bridging Strategy and Execution: A Real-World Implementation

While the strategic value of OMS modernization is widely accepted, executing that vision remains complex. Financial firms must navigate a delicate balance of performance, compliance, data security, and operational continuity while ensuring that new systems deliver clear ROI.

In the following case study, we present a successful example of how a financial services firm partnered with TIAC to develop a cloud-native trading platform with integrated OMS and client management capabilities. The initiative showcases how a modular, API-driven architecture built on Microsoft Azure can:

• Support scalable, real-time trading
• Enable internal and external integrations
• Reduce operational costs
• Deliver readiness for commercial expansion

This project highlights how modern OMS principles, including automation, interoperability, and extensibility, can be translated into real-world results. For decision-makers seeking to transform their own trading infrastructure, it offers a practical, tested blueprint.

Cloud-Native Trading Platform: TIAC Enables Scalable Innovation for Financial Services Firm

In the dynamic landscape of financial trading, brokerage firms face increasing pressure to modernize their trading platforms and client management systems. Traditional trading systems often struggle to meet the demands of modern trading environments, which require real-time processing, scalability, and sophisticated client management capabilities.

The client in this case, a leading U.S.-based financial services firm, has operated for decades as one of the largest privately held securities companies in the country. With a network of more than 100 offices, billions of dollars in assets under management, and a reputation for providing brokerage, wealth management, and investment banking services, the firm serves a diverse base of institutional, corporate, and individual clients worldwide.

Recognizing that its legacy infrastructure limited innovation and scalability, the company embarked on a multi-year transformation program to modernize its trading and account management systems. The goal was not only to improve operational efficiency and compliance but also to strengthen its position as a trusted trading infrastructure provider in increasingly complex capital markets.

As their trusted technology enabler, TIAC was engaged to develop key components of this innovative solution, including the crucial API layer that serves as the primary interface for external communications. This partnership aimed to create a modern, cloud-native platform capable of handling complex trading operations while maintaining high performance and reliability.

Inception

The project has lasted over two and a half years, with TIAC joining early as a core development partner. Rather than following a fixed timeline with predetermined deliverables, the project embraced a continuous development approach, allowing for ongoing feature enhancement and platform evolution. It was developed from scratch as a greenfield, cloud-native solution, allowing our MDC (Managed Development Center) to fully leverage modern cloud technologies and architectures.

The client chose Microsoft Azure as their cloud platform, setting the foundation for a secure, scalable solution aligned with enterprise needs and developer expertise.

The initial goal was to build a client account management system for trading, but the scope expanded over time to include client order management, real-time request processing, and internal employee workflows. This evolution allowed the platform to support a broader range of trading and compliance scenarios.

Methodology

TIAC employed a collaborative and iterative development methodology, integrating with multiple international development teams. The process emphasized continuous improvement of the codebase, especially through significant API refactoring to boost efficiency and reduce operational costs.

Testing occurred in dedicated test environments managed by DevOps teams, replicating production as closely as possible. The deployment followed a rigorous three-phase validation:

1. Business validation
2. DevOps testing
3. Final testing before production deployment

The fintech MDC unit used Agile-like iterative planning, delivering and expanding platform capabilities without strict MVP cutoffs, enabling quick adaptation to evolving business needs.

Development Structure

Technologies

The platform leverages modern Azure-based infrastructure with the following technology stack:

• Backend/API: C#
• Databases: PostgreSQL and SQL Server
• Frontend: React with NextJS
• Message Handling: Kafka-based event-driven architecture
• Testing & Internal Automation: Python, PyCharm
• Other components: TypeScript

Kafka enables event-based communication across microservices, while the frontend is designed to support real-time status updates on all client activities.

Architecture

The backend architecture is modular and message-driven, even though it appears monolithic to end users. It separates external and internal components, with:

• Internal services handling critical workflows and employee interactions
• Exposed API acting as the main broker for external integrations
• Employee dashboard and internal ticketing system to manage approvals, client status, and account actions
• Real-time synchronization across components supported by Kafka-based messaging

The development infrastructure includes over 500 repositories hosted on Azure, organized to support modular development and version control.

Project Team

The core TIAC MDC consisted of mostly senior developers and an architect, providing architectural continuity and deep domain knowledge throughout the project. They worked closely with:

• International development teams
• Dedicated DevOps teams for environment management
• QA and validation teams for staged deployments

This hybrid team model allowed the project to maintain consistency while scaling up with specialized resources when needed.

Outcome

The initial goal was to build a advisor-focused account management system for trading, but the scope expanded over time to include client order management, real-time request processing, and internal employee workflows. The platform primarily serves financial advisors who trade on behalf of their clients, with a separate client application planned for future deployment. This evolution allowed the platform to support a broader range of trading and compliance scenarios.

The project was successfully delivered:

1. Cloud-native trading platform implementation
2. Client management system development
3. API refactoring and performance enhancement
4. Trading order functionality
5. Real-time status tracking and event processing
6. Role-based internal dashboards and workflows
7. Secure, scalable deployment in an Azure environment

Key Technical Achievements

• Modernization of trading broker infrastructure
• Real-time, event-based architecture with Kafka
• Modular backend with robust internal workflows
• Refined client relationship and segmentation features
• Enterprise-level testing and DevOps automation
• Compliance-ready approval flows
• Internal ticketing and monitoring systems

Commercialization

The platform is now fully commercialized and in active use by both internal and external stakeholders. The client has launched it as a production-grade trading solution, extending its availability beyond internal teams. The TIAC team continues to support platform scaling, onboarding external clients, and adding enhancements based on live usage feedback. This milestone marks a successful go-to-market transition and positions the solution for broader financial sector adoption.