‍To address these challenges, the Impact Team brought together a specialized group of payments architecture and local regulatory compliance experts. We conducted extensive research, analysis, and interviews with 15 technology and compliance professionals working with live financial services products in the region. Leveraging these insights, we created a comprehensive White Paper that provided the client with clear guidance on the regulatory landscape. Additionally, we offered detailed recommendations for both tactical and medium-term architectural and hosting solutions, not only for the UAE but also for the broader Middle East market.

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‍Armed with a clear understanding of the regulatory requirements and a strategic roadmap, the client confidently moved forward with the launch of their mobile payment app, successfully entering the UAE market with a robust, compliant, and scalable solution.

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Partnering closely with the bank’s Head of Fraud, we embarked on a 12-week discovery phase to assess the situation and develop a clear path forward. We crafted a detailed implementation plan, assembled a project team composed primarily of the bank’s existing staff, and collaborated with the platform vendor to determine the fastest route to delivering a high-impact Minimum Viable Product (MVP).

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The successful deployment of the new fraud management system resulted in a more than 20% reduction in fraudulent payments across the bank’s credit card operations. Additionally, customer satisfaction regarding fraud-related issues doubled, significantly enhancing the bank’s reputation for security and customer care. This achievement not only strengthened the bank’s fraud defenses but also reinforced its commitment to providing a secure and trustworthy banking experience.

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‍In just 4 weeks, we designed and implemented a tailored customer experience (CX)-driven process to address these issues. We piloted this new approach in the US and successfully rolled it out to three markets in Asia. By incorporating user insights and aligning the solution with business needs, we accelerated the delivery process and ensured the solution effectively met the bank’s requirements.

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‍The newly implemented process resolved the conflicts between business and IT, leading to a solution that accurately reflected the needs of the business. User feedback was leveraged to expedite deployment in additional markets, resulting in increased satisfaction and a more streamlined CRM system across the bank’s global operations.

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We began by reviewing the existing vulnerability management practices with the IT and security teams. We then defined the desired business outcomes and developed a solution design, which was approved by the Architectural Review Board. Our approach included vendor evaluation and selection, followed by a pilot implementation of the proposed solution. We then designed and implemented a comprehensive scanning infrastructure and introduced a service program to ensure ongoing effectiveness.

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‍The new system enabled the company to identify and conduct vulnerability scans on new devices within 24 hours at any UK office location. Unauthorized devices and vulnerabilities were promptly added to action lists for Incident Response or patch management teams. For example, our system successfully identified several End-of-Life network devices that were still active despite being scheduled for removal in 2023, thereby addressing previously overlooked security risks.

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We partnered with a leading innovative startup specializing in Cloud Infrastructure Entitlement Management (CIEM) to address this challenge. We initiated a Proof of Concept (PoC) to assess the scale of the permission issues. Based on the findings, we defined the desired business outcomes, developed a comprehensive solution design, and secured approval from the Architectural Review Board. We then proceeded with the design, implementation, and handover of the CIEM solution, followed by a service introduction program to empower security operations teams to monitor and manage abnormal entitlements effectively.

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Our solution provided continuous monitoring of permissions across development, pre-production, and production environments. Security operations teams used reports on abnormal permissions to target specific areas for attestation exercises, ensuring compliance and minimizing the risk of potential audit failures.

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Partnering closely with the bank’s Product and IT leadership teams, we implemented a flexible, on-demand cross-functional team capable of scaling up or down as needed throughout the program increments. This approach effectively managed the peaks and troughs in supply and demand, allowing for seamless integration of new features from ideation through to implementation.

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Our staff augmentation solution enabled the bank to expedite feature delivery, significantly increasing the velocity of development. This resulted in more features being rolled out to various markets without the delays associated with traditional resource acquisition, enhancing the mobile banking application’s functionality and market responsiveness.

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Collaborating closely with the bank’s Head of Identity Management, we conducted a thorough discovery exercise to map the existing role and entitlement landscape. Utilizing our proprietary analytic tools, we quickly identified anomalies and areas needing remediation. Simultaneously, we spearheaded a business process re-engineering initiative to revamp the JML process. We secured stakeholder agreement and led a comprehensive business change program to re-educate line management on their responsibilities.

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‍Our swift and effective interventions not only addressed the regulatory concerns but also mitigated business, financial, and reputational risks. The regulatory body was satisfied with the improvements made, ensuring compliance and safeguarding the bank’s operations within the mandated timeframe.

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We swiftly assembled and led multi-disciplinary delivery teams consisting of 3 x 12 FTEs based in the UK, India, and Poland. By implementing agile governance and ceremonies, we transformed the project’s delivery approach from large, infrequent updates to small, iterative enhancements starting from sprint 2. Using our SAFe Agile framework, we successfully migrated 1 million transactional banking customers to the new cloud-based AEM service.

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The upgrade delivered a superior transactional banking experience while ensuring compliance with PSD2 and Open Banking regulations. This modernization not only phased out the outdated legacy technology stack but also achieved significant cost savings for the bank.

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