Equity trading desks should simplify their technology stack by removing redundant processes, reducing manual data transfers, and clarifying which system owns each function. Trading COOs and technology leaders should assess applications against the work traders need to perform, including order updates, execution, and post-trade review. They can start by identifying processes and data that no longer serve the desk's current requirements.

At a public panel discussion during Equities Leaders Summit 2026, Michael Warlan, Head of Global Trading at Third Avenue Management, described using an OMS conversion to reconsider accumulated processes. "I think one of the things you have to start with is looking at all the historical processes and data that you don't need," he said. Traders should consider what should be retired before carrying existing workflows into a replacement platform.

A separate public discussion addressed the dependencies between live market data processing and historical research. A quantitative trading practitioner described separating those services so research changes could proceed independently of changes to production systems, illustrating how clearer boundaries between functions can reduce maintenance constraints.

Map one order's journey through the desk and record every manual transfer, duplicate calculation, and application handoff. Classify the supporting tools as retain, integrate, replace, or retire, with a named owner for each decision. Before removing a component, test its downstream dependencies and fallback arrangements; then measure whether the change reduced manual work without weakening controls or data availability.

Join the upcoming Equities Leaders Summit to compare how buy-side peers are simplifying trading technology, managing integrations, and maintaining reliable execution workflows.