Journey to Discovery: How One Investment Firm Found a Smarter Way to Manage DDQs

Journey to Discovery: How One Investment Firm Found a Smarter Way to Manage DDQs

Let’s be honest—due diligence in investment management can be a grind. It’s essential, no doubt. But it’s also one of the most time-consuming, repetitive, and frustrating tasks teams deal with.

Every time a new DDQ or RFP comes in, it feels like we’re reinventing the wheel: tracking down old answers, formatting documents to match someone else’s template, coordinating across five departments, and hoping nothing important slips through the cracks. And with regulatory demands getting tougher, the pressure to be faster and more accurate isn’t going away.

Recently, I had a conversation with a US-based investment firm that finally said, “Enough.” They had reached their limit with outdated content, disconnected workflows, and too much manual effort—even though they were already using some collaboration tools.

After digging into their own internal processes, they realized something fundamental: Their tech stack just wasn’t designed for today’s due diligence demands.

That realization kicked off a search—not for another piece of software, but for a solution. And that search led them to CENTRL’s Response360. From the moment they saw it in action, they knew it wasn’t just another tool. “This is a smarter, more strategic way to manage the entire due diligence lifecycle,” one of their team members told me.

What They Were Really Looking For

What struck me right away was that this firm wasn’t chasing hype. They weren’t dazzled by the latest features or buzzwords. They were looking for something functional—something that could solve the very real pain points they were dealing with daily.

They laid out their must-haves, and frankly, they were spot on:

⏺ Cut down the time spent manually completing DDQs and RFPs

⏺ Centralize all responses for consistency and version control

⏺ Make it easier for different departments to work together

⏺ Use AI that only references their own approved content—not scraped internet data

⏺ Be able to export final responses in any format their investors asked for

⏺ Compete with tools like Loopio or Govern—without blowing up their existing workflow

These weren’t “nice-to-haves.” They were requirements based on real business pressure. The team was constantly bogged down by clunky systems, outdated documents, and hours of formatting work that added zero value. What they wanted was a platform that would work with them, not make them work harder.

The Core Challenges: What They Needed to Fix

When we got into the details, three big themes emerged:

1. A Single Source of Truth

Their due diligence content was scattered across shared drives, emails, and old spreadsheets. Every time a new DDQ landed, someone had to dig through old files and hope the information was still current. It was chaotic. They needed a centralized place where everything lived—past responses, source docs, compliance language—all in one, searchable, up-to-date hub.

2. Real Collaboration, Not Just File-Sharing

Due diligence isn’t just the job of one team. Compliance, operations, investor relations, IT—they all have a piece of the puzzle. But without a way to collaborate in real time, things got messy. Deadlines slipped. Version control broke down. Approvals dragged on. They needed a platform where everyone could see what was happening, assign tasks, and move together.

3. Automation That Didn’t Cut Corners

Yes, they wanted to move faster. But not at the expense of accuracy or compliance. They’d seen some good AI tools out there, but not specific to investment management. They lacked the specific investment management nuances and nominclature. These felt like misses with too many hurdles to overcome, and proposals for customization that doubled the cost. What they were really after was AI grounded in their own documents—their language, their policies, their history.

Where Response360 Delivered

That’s where Response360 came into play. It didn’t just check boxes—it actually solved the problems they were dealing with.

✅ AI Built From Their Own Content

Instead of scraping the internet or relying on generic data, Response360 uses only your firm’s approved documents—past DDQs, policy files, prior responses, and reports. That means answers are consistent, compliant, and already in your tone and terminology. The trust factor was huge here.

✅ A Searchable, Centralized Answer Library

Response360 includes a smart, organized Answer Library that keeps track of everything you’ve ever submitted. Need to reference how you answered a cyber question last quarter? Two clicks. Want to tag responses by topic or investor? Done. No more digging through ten versions of the same Word doc.

✅ Upload Docs for Context

You can upload manuals, policies, audit reports—any supporting documentation. The platform uses that context to generate accurate answers and ensure consistency. This was a game-changer for them because it meant they could keep building on institutional knowledge rather than starting from scratch each time.

✅ Exports in Any Format You Need

Whether a partner sends over a Word doc, Excel sheet, or a funky custom format, Response360 adapts to match it. You can export your responses right back into the original format—no reformatting, no hours wasted fixing tables. That alone saved them dozens of hours per quarter.

✅ Answer Comparison Tools

Before they submit a response, the team can run a quick check: does this answer match past submissions? Does it align with internal policies? Any red flags? This made compliance reviews smoother, and it helped them prevent inconsistencies before they became problems.

From Friction to Flow

It’s moments like these, right? What I love seeing is how quickly the transformation happened. Within just a few months of adopting Response360, the firm was already seeing major improvements:

⏺ Manual work was down by 60–75% on each DDQ

⏺ Turnaround times were faster and more consistent

⏺ Collaboration was smoother—no more Slack threads full of attachments

⏺ And no one had to rewrite the same answers over and over again

One person told me, “This is the first time our due diligence process actually feels strategic instead of reactive.” I think that says it all.

A True Partnership, Not Just Another Platform

What stood out to them was that CENTRL didn’t just drop off the product and leave. The CENTRL implemention team worked closely to understand their specific processes, configure the system around their workflow, and support the rollout from day one.

There was no rip-and-replace, no disruption to their core systems. Just an upgrade—one that gave them back time, control, and confidence.

As one of their executives put it,

“Response360 didn’t replace our process—it made it smarter.”

It’s Time to Rethink Due Diligence

Here’s the truth: due diligence isn’t getting any easier. Investors want deeper insight. Regulations keep evolving. And internal teams are stretched thin.

But the process doesn’t have to stay broken.

If you’re still copying and pasting old answers, juggling spreadsheets, or chasing approvals over email, maybe it’s time to take a look at how you’re managing your responses.

Response360 doesn’t just help you respond faster—it helps you respond smarter. It keeps your content organized, your team aligned, and your answers consistent. Interested in a test drive? Request a Response360 Demo today!