Backstop vs. FactSet Workstation

Backstop makes planning and selecting the portfolio efficiently. There is a candid assistance in matters of resource utilization. Moreso, Backstop has a cost accounting notion, which makes the company control the expenses they make. Finally, Backstop has classical research procedures where analysis and decisions arrive after extensive assistance and evaluations.

Incentivized

FactSet Workstation is great for equity research. It is very simple to use and has the most crucial items an analyst needs. Wish it can bridge some of the gaps a Bloomberg Terminal can provide such as the search function and most importantly the chat function. You can easily find an investor on Bloomberg and get the contact info to do more research, it's basically non-existent on FactSet Workstation. Also, I use the FactSet Workstation news function and a lot of times, the news are a repeat of the same thing through the day. I feel like reading the same thing. Better to send one less update if the customer/user already read it.

Incentivized

• Storage of notes from calls and meetings.
• Tracking portfolio holding balances, transactions, and IRRs/MOICs.
• Allowing flexibility for client-defined uses.

Incentivized

• Easy/clear UI for navigation
• Easily find and sort through financial filings to get to the data
• Document search functionality seems to be improving consistently with more robust features

Incentivized

• Poor communication procedures
• Lack of specific OS support
• No mobile version for Backstop

Incentivized

• Excel add-in formulas are not constructed in an intuitive way and too often require assistance from help desk
• No chat function for help desk, which means delayed assistance time or talking with non-native English speakers, some of whom can be difficult to understand
• There should be an AI chatbot that can answer routine queries; for more advanced questions, a human rep can be connected
• Portfolio performance metrics should be downloadable using Excel add-in rather than being available only on Workstation

Incentivized

We need the FactSet data and capabilities to complete 75% of the financial analyses that we complete for both internal and external purposes. It is invaluable and I am not aware of any other provider that would be able to fill this gap that FactSet does

Incentivized

It does everything I need. It is pretty user friendly and easy to work with whatever technology interface I am using (desk top, notebook, tablet, or mobile phone). I am able to get work done whether I am in the office, at home, or traveling. The user up time is very good. They are rarely doing maintenance when I need to use the platform

Incentivized

Backstop support is fantastic. They always pick up the phone without a wait and are highly knowledgeable, I rarely need more than 5 minutes to fix an issue.

Incentivized

I think the data delivery could be improved, but it's a good data set.

Incentivized

I have not used or evaluated any Backstop competitors. Freestone already used Backstop when I started.

Incentivized

Product is magnitudes more affordable and provides 80% of the functionality that Bloomberg has and is working to build out the remaining. The workstation is more user friendly than bloomberg but still not perfect. Not as robust as a Bloomberg Terminal and doesn't have the chat/trading features.

Incentivized

• Business ends up profiting
• The chances of investing in the wrong projects don't exist
• The analytical assistance from Backstop increases more investment plans

Incentivized

• FactSet Workstation is essential to my work - let's just say I use it daily and feel more comfortable having it on in the background
• Consensus info and transcripts are the go to feature
• Newsflow is a third I use FactSet Workstation for - but would like it more if they provide more details like Visible Alpha

Incentivized