How to Switch RA Software Without a Compliance Gap
Switching RA software is not just picking a new tool. Your audit trail, your client consent history, and your Regulation 25 continuity all have to survive the move intact.
Most software-switching guides treat the move as a technical migration: export data, import data, done. RA software is different because the data itself carries compliance weight. Your research-note audit trail is what you would show a SEBI inspector. Your client consent records are what makes your onboarding legally sound. A migration that loses either of those is a compliance problem wearing the costume of an IT task.
The six-step migration
What good vendors make easy
A vendor confident in their own retention will make export straightforward, since the cost of losing you over a bad migration experience is higher than the cost of a clean export tool. If a current vendor is deliberately opaque about export, or charges for it, that friction is itself a data point on whether to stay. Aktai's Regulation 25 audit trail is exportable as CSV for exactly this reason: SEBI inspection and vendor portability are the same requirement, structured data that leaves cleanly.
FAQ
What data do I need to export before switching RA software?
Client KYC and consent records, MITC acceptance history, the full audit trail of research notes sent (with timestamps), fee and subscription records, and any performance disclosure history. Anything SEBI could ask to see in an inspection needs to move with you, not just what your day-to-day workflow needs.
Do I need to re-onboard clients on the new platform?
It depends on what the new platform requires. Most reputable RA platforms can import existing KYC and consent records rather than forcing a full re-KYC, but confirm this before committing, since a forced re-onboarding of an existing client book is a real client-experience cost, not just an admin task.
Is there a compliance risk during the switch itself?
Yes, mainly a continuity risk: a gap in the audit trail while you are between systems, or a client who does not receive research during the transition window. Overlap the two systems briefly rather than a hard cutover, and confirm the audit trail has no gap in dates before decommissioning the old system.