When legacy meets the cloud, IT project managers are the ones holding transformation together. That’s what they’re doing for West Brom Building Society.
For an organization with roots going back 175 years, transforming digital operations is about reshaping how customers engage with an institution steeped in tradition. West Brom Building Society, a company serving over 500,000 customers with mortgage and savings products, has embarked on an ambitious five-year digital transformation project to move from a batch-based, monolithic legacy system to a fully cloud-native, real-time platform.
This ambitious journey is a prime example of where IT Project Managers shine.
The Stakes of a Transformation This Big
West Brom’s transformation is far from a routine system upgrade. It involves migrating from Unisys Financial Services System (UFSS), a long-standing core system, to 10x, a modern cloud-native platform. It includes developing a new iOS and Android app that allows real-time account opening and servicing.
The team is migrating over 400,000 savings customers in stages. The new system integrates with Salesforce and other third-party services through API gateways. All this is happening while maintaining customer confidence and continuing operations across 34 physical branches.
At the center of all this complexity are project managers who coordinate across vendors, legacy systems, internal teams, security requirements, and customer expectations.
The IT Project Manager as Strategic Leader
Successful digital migration requires a strategic conductor. Here’s where top-tier IT Project Managers make a measurable difference.
First, they bridge old and new worlds. West Brom’s heritage is part of its identity, and IT Project Managers help ensure that while new platforms emerge, nothing valuable is lost in transition. This includes data integrity, system continuity, and operational security.
Second, they orchestrate multi-partner collaboration. With Deloitte acting as the lead service integrator and 10x delivering the new core ledger, the program also includes various ancillary systems and frontend frameworks like Deloitte’s “Converge.” IT Project Managers coordinate these stakeholders into a cohesive delivery pipeline, minimizing friction and duplication.
Finally, they balance innovation with stability. Batch processing may be on its way out, but it’s not gone yet. UFSS still supports the mortgage platform. A solid IT Project Manager ensures that this coexistence between old and new doesn’t break mission-critical processes.
Beyond Project Plans: Enabling Real Business Impact
West Brom isn’t digitizing for digitization’s sake. As COO Martin Boyle noted, customer behavior is shifting. The digital project is about responding to real, evolving customer expectations.
A skilled IT Project Manager ensures that each decision aligns with the business’s mission. They connect development with outcomes: faster account access, more efficient customer support, and a foundation for future innovations like AI-enabled services.
Why PMO Partners Champions These Roles
At PMO Partners, we specialize in placing IT project managers who can lead from the front – especially in high-stakes, high-visibility digital transformations. We understand that successful programs need leaders who understand business context, vendor ecosystems, and change management.
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