USA Alts — Understand. Simplify. Automate.

Approach

From an ad-hoc process to a built, stable operation.

Every engagement runs the same six fixed-scope phases. Each has defined inputs, deliverables, and an objective test that says it's finished — which is what makes the work fixed-scope and fixed-fee rather than open-ended consulting.

How we work

Six commitments that hold across every phase.

We build, not advise

Deliverables are configured systems, written SOPs, and running workflows — not slide decks of recommendations you implement alone.

Fixed scope, fixed fee

Every phase has explicit deliverables and exit criteria agreed up front. No hourly drift, no scope creep.

Evidence over opinion

We map and diagnose from real transactions, systems, and artifacts before proposing any change. The current-state map is signed off before redesign begins.

Documentation is a deliverable

If it isn't written down and handed over, it isn't done. You must be able to run the operation without us.

Modular by asset class

The core is standard; DST/1031, REIT, and PE workflows attach as modules. Adding an asset class is an add-on, not a re-engagement.

Stay through live deals

We don't hand over at go-live. We stabilize through your first real transactions on the new system before signing off.

The arc

Phases at a glance

1 · MapAn evidenced picture of how alternatives move through the firm today.Current-state process map & systems inventory1–2 weeks
2 · DiagnoseFind and rank where the current state costs time, money, or risk.Gap assessment scorecard~1 week
3 · RedesignDesign the future-state operating model — process, roles, controls, tools.Future-state operating model~2 weeks
4 · IntegrateBuild the redesigned operation in the firm's actual systems.Configured systems & template library3–4 weeks
5 · Document & trainMake the new operation runnable by the firm's own staff.SOP library & role-based training1–2 weeks
6 · StabilizeSupport the firm through its first live deals and lock in the change.Stabilization report & sign-off4–6 weeks*

*Stabilize runs concurrently with your first live transactions, so calendar time depends on deal flow. Core engagement total: roughly 10–14 weeks of build plus the stabilization window.

1

Map

1–2 weeksIncluded in paid assessment

Purpose — Build a complete, evidence-based picture of how alternatives actually move through your firm today — end to end, nothing assumed, nothing undocumented.

Key activities

  • Structured interviews with each role that touches alts — advisor, operations, compliance, and key custodian/sponsor contacts.
  • Walk through one or two recent live transactions, step by step, as they truly happened.
  • Inventory every system in the path — CRM, custodian portals, subscription-doc tooling, investor portal, e-sign, spreadsheets.
  • Collect artifacts: sub-docs, suitability/accreditation paperwork, checklists, templates, hand-off notes.
  • Draft the current-state process map and the data-flow diagram across systems.

Deliverables

  • Current-state process map (swimlane by role)
  • Systems & data inventory
  • Stakeholder & RACI snapshot of the as-is process
  • Catalogued artifact library of your real documents
Exit criteria — The current-state map is reviewed and signed off, and no undocumented or “surprise” steps remain. Both sides agree it reflects reality.
2

Diagnose

~1 weekIncluded in paid assessment

Purpose — Identify where the current state breaks, slows down, or creates compliance and operational risk — then quantify and rank it so you know exactly what to fix first.

Key activities

  • Score the current state against the USA Alts reference model across each operational domain.
  • Compliance and controls review: suitability documentation, accreditation verification, custodial SLAs, recordkeeping.
  • Cycle-time and bottleneck analysis — where do transactions stall, rework, or depend on one person?
  • Root-cause each material finding rather than just the symptom.
  • Plot findings by severity against effort to fix.

Deliverables

  • Gap assessment scorecard (domain-by-domain rating)
  • Prioritized findings register (severity × effort)
  • Risk & compliance summary
  • Recommended scope for the core engagement and modules
Exit criteria — Findings are ranked and agreed, and the scope of the target state — including which asset-class modules are in — is confirmed.
3

Redesign

~2 weeksCore engagement

Purpose — Design the to-be operating model for alternatives: the workflows, roles, controls, and data structure you will actually run, tailored to the in-scope asset classes.

Key activities

  • Design future-state workflows for each in-scope asset class (DST/1031, REIT, PE) on the standardized core.
  • Define roles and a clean RACI — who does what, who approves, where hand-offs happen.
  • Standardize document packages, checklists, and the subscription-doc path per asset class.
  • Define controls and approval gates: suitability, accreditation, sign-offs, audit trail.
  • Select or confirm tooling and how systems will connect.

Deliverables

  • Future-state process map per asset class
  • Target operating model & RACI
  • Control matrix (gates and required documentation)
  • Tooling & integration plan plus the build backlog
Exit criteria — The future-state design is approved and the build backlog is defined and sequenced, so Integrate has a clear, agreed scope.
4

Integrate

3–4 weeksThe build

Purpose — Stand up the redesigned operation inside your real tools. This is where the design becomes a working system, not a document.

Key activities

  • Configure the CRM: pipelines, custom fields, stages, task templates, and automations for the alts workflow.
  • Build the subscription-document templates and e-signature flows per asset class.
  • Connect the investor portal and custodian/sponsor feeds; define the data path.
  • Create tickler rules for accreditation renewals, capital calls, and document deadlines.
  • Clean and migrate existing alts data; stand up the tracking dashboard.

Deliverables

  • Configured systems (CRM, portal, e-sign) live in a test environment
  • Template & checklist library
  • Automation/rule set and integration map
  • Operations tracking dashboard
Exit criteria — Systems are live in test and a dry-run transaction passes end to end — suitability through subscription, signature, funding, and recording — with no manual workarounds.
5

Document & train

1–2 weeksCore engagement

Purpose — Make the new operation runnable by your own people, without USA Alts in the room. Knowledge moves out of our heads and into the firm.

Key activities

  • Write a clear SOP for each workflow — what to do, in what order, in which system, with screenshots.
  • Build role-based quick-reference checklists for the day-to-day operator.
  • Run live training sessions per role; record them for future staff.
  • Assemble an onboarding pack so you can train your next hire from it.
  • Walk the firm through the full engagement playbook at handover.

Deliverables

  • SOP library covering every workflow
  • Role-based checklists and quick-reference guides
  • Recorded training + onboarding pack for future hires
  • The engagement playbook (handover document)
Exit criteria — Staff demonstrate each workflow unaided, and the firm formally accepts the SOP library and training materials.
6

Stabilize

4–6 weeks*Hypercare

Purpose — Support the firm through its first live deals on the new system, prove the operation works under real conditions, and lock in the change before we step away.

Key activities

  • Hypercare support through your first agreed number of live transactions on the new system.
  • Monitor cycle time, error/rework rate, and control adherence against the targets set in Diagnose.
  • Tune automations, templates, and rules based on what real deals surface.
  • Weekly check-ins; rapid fixes to any defects in the live operation.
  • Close the punch list and confirm metrics meet target.

Deliverables

  • Stabilization report (baseline vs. target metrics)
  • Closed punch list and tuned configuration
  • Final handover sign-off
  • Optional ongoing-support / module add-on proposal
Exit criteria — The agreed number of live deals has processed cleanly, metrics meet their targets, and the firm signs off on handover. The operation now runs without us.

Where it starts

The paid assessment is the front door.

The assessment is a scoped run of Map and Diagnose, delivered as a fixed product. It hands you a current-state map and a prioritized gap scorecard — and gives both sides the evidence to scope a full build, whether or not you go further. It also doubles as qualification, so only the right firms move forward.

Book an assessmentSee Managed Operations

What you walk away with

  • A signed-off map of your current alternatives operations
  • A domain-by-domain gap scorecard, ranked by impact
  • A risk & compliance summary
  • A recommended build scope and module roadmap

Across every phase

Cross-cutting standards

A few disciplines run through the whole engagement, regardless of which phase we're in. They protect the fixed-scope model and the quality of the handover.

Scope & change control

Each phase opens with a one-page scope confirmation tied to its exit criteria. Out-of-scope requests are logged and quoted as their own work, never absorbed silently. Asset-class modules are scoped and scheduled separately.

Evidence & documentation

Every claim about your process traces back to an interview, artifact, or observed transaction. Deliverables are versioned and stored in your own systems at handover. Nothing leaves a phase undocumented.

Compliance posture

We build operations and controls; we do not provide investment advice or product recommendations. Controls and approval gates are designed with your compliance owner in the loop, and audit trails are built in, not bolted on.

Capacity & quality

Concurrency is deliberately capped to protect delivery quality. Each phase has a defined owner and review step before sign-off. Stabilize is never skipped — go-live is not the finish line, clean live deals are.