Westpac New Zealand Limited (Westpac New Zealand) is the second-largest bank in New Zealand. It employs more than 4,500 people across the country to service and support over 1.3 million customers. Westpac New Zealand approached DXC Technology as part of its wider business transformation project to help upgrade and replace its existing on-premise legacy systems to streamline its processes and improve efficiencies across the business.
“DXC was an ideal partner for this implementation because of the team’s awareness of both Westpac New Zealand’s needs and the Microsoft platform. While we worked with a number of providers for the wider transformation effort, DXC was instrumental in the transition. DXC provided Westpac New Zealand with the wider thinking it needed to see more of the problem and played a key role in opening up our thinking to see if we could do more with what we have.”
Shaun Anderson Tech Area Lead, Westpac New Zealand Limited
Challenge
Westpac New Zealand initially upgraded its on-premise customer relationship management (CRM) system to Microsoft Dynamics 365 in 2018 to streamline and automate its sales and business processes. However, it was still operating with a number of legacy applications. As part of a wider business transformation project, Westpac New Zealand recognised the need to upgrade its existing technology stack to ensure easier access to data for both customers and employees.
Shaun Anderson, tech area lead, Westpac New Zealand Limited said, “The COVID-19 pandemic created a significant shift in how Westpac New Zealand was doing business and how the team is now working as a result. It’s put a great deal of pressure on the bank’s digital channels. Westpac New Zealand needed to achieve a greater level of cohesion between its systems and encourage a more streamlined flow of data.”
Shaun Anderson said, “Westpac New Zealand needed a way to standardise the technology stack so information could flow more freely between systems, letting team members access the right information at the right time throughout the customer lifecycle and minimise the amount of data they needed to enter or ask customers for directly.”
“Westpac New Zealand needed a way to better integrate its internal systems to encourage better information sharing and reusability within the environment. The Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Power Platform solution consolidates data with its built-in spreading functionality, which ensures that data is available everywhere in different modules once it’s been added to the platform. This lets the team see even more of the environment instead of the narrow view we previously had.”
Shaun Anderson Tech Area Lead, Westpac New Zealand Limited
Solution
Westpac New Zealand initially worked with the DXC Practice for Microsoft to augment its resources and function as part of a wider team of partners to help identify and address challenges within the existing environment. As part of its wider business transformation, DXC helped Westpac New Zealand transition its legacy systems to a new environment to improve its reporting for the Reserve Bank as well as improve its internal communications. DXC collaborated with Microsoft New Zealand and Westpac New Zealand to develop a digital roadmap that would optimise and consolidate the existing Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement solution and leverage Microsoft Power Platform to deliver new functionality and business processes for the company.
Shaun Anderson said, “Westpac New Zealand relies on DXC for strategic counsel and problem-solving across its IT business. The DXC team we work with has been engineered to operate as one of Westpac New Zealand’s squads internally and this team has been instrumental in moving the business forward with its transformation.”
DXC worked with Westpac New Zealand to upgrade the existing Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement as well as introduce Power Platform across the wider business. Leveraging Power Platform was a strategic choice, as it helped Westpac New Zealand to better meet targets that were aligned with the Reserve Bank’s deadlines for specific issues. Additionally, it helped to strengthen Westpac New Zealand’s auditing processes to meet specific requirements.
The Dynamics 365 and Power Platform solution also lets data flow more freely among Westpac New Zealand’s systems, helping to deliver the right information at the right time with fewer clicks and in near real-time throughout the different stages of the customer lifecycle. This consolidates multiple views and applications into a single screen, providing a seamless process for the end user.
In addition, Westpac New Zealand faced an internal challenge over consolidating feedback (suggestions, complaints, user errors, and system errors) received as part of its platform roll out. With the support of DXC, Westpac New Zealand deployed Power Virtual Agents to automate this process. This has simplified the feedback loop while simultaneously improving employee interaction. Furthermore, it delivers results in real time, leading to faster and more accurate triaging of incidents.
DXC also leveraged integrations with solutions such as Exchange and Power Automate to extract, analyse, and send communications with mortgage brokers to SharePoint or Dynamics 365. This has removed the legacy tool that Westpac New Zealand had in place and facilitated further automation without the need for manual intervention.
Outcome and benefits
DXC specialises in Microsoft Power Platform and Microsoft Dynamics 365 and supported Westpac New Zealand’s transformation by helping the bank build out its missing components. Westpac New Zealand relied on DXC to provide additional support with its micro servicing and ability to help code Power Platform more extensively to meet its needs.
DXC helped deliver a customised deployment for Westpac New Zealand with the support of Microsoft New Zealand. The solution is directly supported, enhanced, and maintained by DXC and leverages more out-of-the-box functionality available with Dynamics 365 by using more flexible frameworks and reusable intellectual property (IP).
Shaun Anderson said, “The DXC solution let Westpac New Zealand decommission legacy systems that were challenging to update and that didn’t support integration with other systems. The solution also acts as a data repository, ensuring data is streamlined and extracted into other systems automatically, which lets the team access and consume data across the business in near-real time.”
“DXC strengthened Westpac New Zealand’s approach and helped consolidate disparate systems into one unified system by seamlessly integrating Power Platform, Azure, Dynamics 365, and a separate on-premises system. While the bank is using different elements of each system, DXC delivered a suitable integration unique to Westpac New Zealand’s needs to help the bank improve efficiencies across the board.”
Shaun Anderson Tech Area Lead, Westpac New Zealand Limited
Through its work with DXC, Westpac New Zealand has leveraged simple and quick, low-code Power Apps to remove its ageing technology and move to a cloud-based platform. This has helped the company save on licensing costs and deliver a more standard interface for its users while improving visibility and addressing a range of business improvements.
In addition, the DXC and Microsoft New Zealand implementation has also helped Westpac New Zealand reduce regulatory compliance risk for the bank and its customers. By facilitating more consistency in risk grades, Westpac New Zealand can more accurately reflect its capital position internally while simultaneously achieving a more accurate view of the customer.
Working with DXC Technology
With a team of dedicated, highly qualified Microsoft resources and a consultative approach regarding the ability to deliver Microsoft Business Applications with Azure and hybrid environments, DXC remains one of the key Microsoft partners for Westpac New Zealand’s digital transformation.
Shaun Anderson said, “Working with DXC has helped Westpac New Zealand address business requirements much more efficiently and with less customisation, using frameworks that are reusable, flexible, and fit for purpose. DXC provided sound advice based on genuine expertise, which ultimately made the difference for this project. The DXC team’s leadership was instrumental; the Westpac New Zealand team benefited a lot from the DXC team’s wider thinking.”