The tool that had been developed in response to SFTR (Securities Financing Transactions Reporting) relied heavily on manual processes and could not be relied upon in the long term. Due to its manual nature, the tool was fairly inefficient to run and introduced risk into the reporting process. It also did not integrate with the existing strategic platform, meaning that it was not adequately controlled.

This created a challenge for our Client – failure to meet the reporting requirements, both from a timeframe and accuracy point of view would have resulted in a regulatory breach and the need to notify the external supervising authority. As a result, they needed to enhance their strategic control platform to meet the needs of SFTR quickly.

Our Client had outlined the desire to transition to the strategic reporting platform but due to limited resources, internal capabilities and the number of stakeholders involved, this had not progressed as intended. Delivery timeframe pressures had resulted in a breakdown of communications between key stakeholders, further impacting the timely delivery of the project. To help them overcome this, BeyondFS were engaged to expedite the programme and deliver the transition quickly.

BeyondFS took full ownership of the project and worked collaboratively with the Client’s senior leadership to understand the business objectives and the current challenges with the programme. We established the critical requirements and dependencies and put a project recovery approach in place.

Through intensive stakeholder management (including external vendors), we were able to define an achievable delivery approach. This involved negotiation and compromise across multiple groups and re-establishing a culture of trust within the teams.

With an achievable and common goal established, the improved team dynamic allowed the group to raise and address key risks and issues. Team members were encouraged to analyse their areas in detail and highlight any challenges to be considered by the programme.

It took just four months from initial engagement to the project delivery being stabilised and back on track. During this time two successful technology releases had been completed and a further two were planned and on track. Following the recovery period the project was transitioned back to the client’s project team with a refreshed and stable governance structure in place.

The Client was able to demonstrate continued adherence to the reporting regulation, supported by the necessary controls and monitoring of the strategic platform. The successful recovery of the project was a critical enabler for the client to prepare for the expansion of a related business line, anticipated to provide material growth for the overall business.