Driving the transformation of banking services: Insights from a strategic project

Our Nantes office recently delivered a large-scale project for a major player in the banking sector. The objective was to design a high-value banking product for both individual customers and branch networks. Olivier, Project Director at Infotel, shares the key stages of this initiative.

A focus on client support

Olivier joined Infotel in 2011 and has since risen to the role of Project Director. Most recently, he led a strategic project designed to enhance the services offered to retail banking customers. The goal was to deliver a more comprehensive product at no extra cost to the user, while simultaneously improving profitability for the financial institutions involved.

An agile and collaborative approach

The project was managed using agile methodologies within a diverse team. This group, made up of specialists from Infotel and several partner companies, worked across both RUN and BUILD activities.

“The team includes a Project Manager, a Product Owner, a Business Analyst, and a team of developers,” Olivier explains. “We also worked closely with an external partner responsible for document management.”

By working directly on-site with the client, the team ensured faster response times and seamless coordination between all stakeholders.

Technical expertise built for banking challenges

The project primarily utilised COBOL development, supported by Power BI for detailed reporting. The delivery was structured into several critical phases:

• Scoping: Defining specific use cases and business requirements.
• Architecture workshops: Designing the technical framework, including data exchange protocols and encryption for external partners.
• Technical delivery: Managing everything from specifications and development to integration and business testing.

As is common with complex projects, the team had to stay flexible to manage evolving requirements. “The business testing phase was more complex than anticipated,” Olivier notes. “We adapted by splitting the testing into specific use cases, which allowed us to stay on track for our pilot launches.”

Measuring the impact

Deployment began with a selection of pilot banks, with a wider rollout scheduled for the coming weeks. Comprehensive guides and procedures were developed alongside these institutions to help banking advisors roll out the product to customers.

The project is already delivering clear benefits:

• Enhanced services for retail customers at no additional cost.
• Increased profitability for participating banks.

Looking ahead

“Seeing a project go live is always rewarding,” says Olivier. “It is the result of months of dedicated teamwork.”

The rollout is currently ongoing, with two major milestones on the horizon. Client feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, particularly regarding the speed of delivery. As the product gains traction, the focus will shift to monitoring adoption rates and long-term performance.