Why Athennian Is the Leading Alternative to Traditional Governance Entity Management Systems (GEMS)

What Is GEMS—and Why Consider an Alternative?

Computershare GEMS (Global Entity Management System) software has been in use for decades, providing foundational capabilities such as centralized data repositories, compliance tracking, and audit support. It was built to help corporate legal teams maintain entity data, monitor governance requirements, and prepare for audits. But legacy GEMS platforms weren’t designed for today’s fast-moving, collaborative, and cross-functional environment.

As legal operations evolve into broader governance functions involving tax, finance, and compliance, the rigidity and limitations of older systems are starting to show. Legal teams today need tools that don’t just store data, they need platforms that help them move faster, work smarter, and stay aligned across departments.

Overview of GEMS capabilities:

• Centralized data repository
• Compliance tracking
• Report generation
• Audit-readiness

Why organizations outgrow GEMS:

• Poor scalability and on-premise architecture
• Difficult to use and limited user permission settings
• High reliance on account services
• Slow implementation

The Future of Entity Management: What Key Features Matter in a Modern Solution

Centralized, Cloud-Based Data Management

Modern governance requires more than a database. Legal teams need real-time access to entity information from anywhere, on any device. A cloud-native platform offers this flexibility, eliminating reliance on outdated desktop installs or clunky VPNs.

With Athennian, all entity data, from directors and signatories to tax IDs and filing statuses, lives in one centralized location that is easily accessible from anywhere and always up to date. This ensures everyone is working from a single source of truth, reducing risk and improving responsiveness.

Real-Time, Dynamic Organization Charts

Static org charts quickly become outdated, especially during restructuring, M&A, or cross-border expansions. With Athennian, teams can update ownership and governance data and immediately view the changes reflected in their structure charts.

You can visualize tax structure, UBOs, and equity or debt relationships instantly. This visibility not only improves understanding, but also helps respond faster to investor, auditor, or regulatory requests.

Cross-Functional Collaboration Tools

Entity management is no longer the sole domain of legal. Finance, tax, treasury, and compliance all rely on access to accurate entity data. GEMS often limits access or requires manual exports, slowing down collaboration.

Athennian was designed with cross-functional work in mind. Role-based access controls ensure that teams can view or edit what they need without compromising data integrity.

Scalable and Configurable Platform

No two organizations govern the same way. Modern platforms must meet scale and complexity challenges, whether that means onboarding a new region, managing thousands of SPVs, or adapting to changing regulations.

Athennian’s configurable architecture supports everything from lean legal teams to multinational conglomerates. Custom fields, workflow automation, and flexible reporting ensure the system adapts to your governance strategy—not the other way around.

Robust Security and Audit Trails

Security can’t be an afterthought. Athennian is SOC 2 Type II certified, with enterprise-grade encryption and granular user controls. But security is more than protection; it’s about traceability.

Audit logs track every action taken in the system, from data edits to role and permission changes. This ensures you can always prove who did what, and when, a must-have for regulated industries and robust internal controls.

Dynamic Reporting and Dashboards

Governance teams need fast answers to complex questions. How many entities are overdue for annual filings? What jurisdictions are driving compliance costs? Where is director diversity lacking?

Through custom and saved reports, structure charts, and compliance task management, leaders can surface insights that matter to make better decisions, faster.

Introducing Athennian: The Modern GEMS Alternative

Cloud-Native Platform

Unlike GEMS, burdened by outdated infrastructure, Athennian is 100% cloud-native. No installs. No maintenance. No slow upgrades. Your team always has access to the latest features, securely and instantly.

Cloud-native infrastructure means Athennian scales with your business and integrates easily into your existing systems. It’s faster to implement, easier to maintain, and built for the future.

Entity-Centric Design

Athennian organizes everything around the entity, not just documents or dates. That means you can manage ownership, compliance, org charts, and documents from the governance core, not the periphery.

Compliance Automation

From tracking global deadlines to automating approval workflows, Athennian transforms compliance into a seamless, streamlined process. Set up recurring filing obligations with reminders and task assignments. Get notified before deadlines approach. Automatically generate and file jurisdiction-specific forms.

Legal and tax teams stay in sync and reduce the manual burden of staying compliant.

Collaboration Across Teams

Whether you’re in legal, finance, or compliance, Athennian lets you work off the same data without compromising visibility or control. Granular permission controls, custom user roles, and bi-directional system integrations reduce silos and streamline governance.

This alignment cuts down on back-and-forth, improves accuracy, and makes your entity management function a source of strategic insight.

Scalability for Growth

Whether you manage 10 entities or 10,000, Athennian is built to scale. The platform adapts to your structure, compliance needs, and reporting complexity as you grow.

From early-stage funds to global multinationals, Athennian supports growth without the growing pains.

Ease of Use

Governance operations tech adoption shouldn’t require a six-month training program. Athennian’s interface is modern, intuitive, and designed for fast onboarding.

Users navigate the platform easily, which means faster time-to-value and broader adoption across your team.

Athennian vs. GEMS

‍

When Athennian Is the Right Fit

Athennian is the right choice when your team has outgrown legacy systems and needs a governance platform built for today’s demands. If you're currently relying on GEMS and finding it difficult to scale, integrate, or keep teams aligned, Athennian offers a clear path forward.

It's particularly effective for organizations operating across multiple jurisdictions, where complexity around filings, ownership, and compliance is compounded. Athennian centralizes your entity data, making it accessible, searchable, and usable by every department that needs it.

For teams where legal, finance, and tax operate in silos, Athennian provides shared visibility and real-time collaboration. Everyone, from the GC to the fund controller, can work from the same source of truth, cutting down on redundant work and delayed approvals.

If you’re preparing to scale, Athennian ensures your entity governance doesn’t become a bottleneck. Its automation, configurability, and reporting flexibility support you at every stage of growth.

Tips for Making the Switch to Athennian

Successful transitions begin with clarity. Start by auditing your current entity data: identify gaps, inconsistencies, or duplications that need resolution before migration. Clean data sets the foundation for better automation and analytics.

Next, review your workflows. Which tasks still rely on spreadsheets or manual tracking? Athennian’s automation capabilities, like compliance reminders, document generation, and signatory management, will streamline these processes.

Don’t wait until go-live to involve other teams. Train legal, finance, tax, and compliance stakeholders early so they understand how to use Athennian and why it benefits them. Early involvement boosts adoption and ensures feedback is built into the rollout.

Define clear goals for success. Whether it’s cutting compliance prep time by 30%, reducing missed filings to zero, or producing audit-ready reports in minutes, measurable outcomes keep the transition focused and show ROI quickly.

Finally, start small. Many teams begin by onboarding a handful of entities to build confidence, streamline implementation, and refine processes before rolling out across the full portfolio.

Modern Entity Management Software

Entity management is evolving, and your tools should, too. Legacy systems like GEMS can no longer keep up with the speed and scale of modern governance.

Athennian offers a streamlined, collaborative, and cloud-based alternative that empowers your team, enhances compliance, and simplifies even the most complex corporate structures.

As legal, tax, and finance teams take on more strategic roles, the right tools make all the difference. With Athennian, you’re not just replacing GEMS. You’re building a smarter, more resilient foundation for governance operations.

Ready to see how we compare? Explore Athennian’s platform or learn how we support compliance and automation in a single, centralized workspace.