Delivery lead for a techical Java integration at a tier 1 bank
Helping Brittain prosper.
Lloyds banking Group is the largest retail bank in the UK, with a mission to help Britain prosper.
The Challenge
Lloyds Bank required a Java application to automatically align data between two business critical systems. I led development of an 8 person team to build and launch this application. This project was part of a ~£10m program to implement modern cloud approaches to several business critical systems that underpin Lloyds back office functions.
The Process
- Defined business requirements and success criteria including NFRs for data integrity, uptime, test coverage, documentation, latency, max load, redundancy and post go-live support and knowledge transfer.
- Led stakeholder management with the wider program
- Worked with engineering and architecture to define a solution to meet the NFRs. (Advocated a modern cloud approach: Kafka, Kubernetes, API first)
- Defined and owned the product roadmap
- Embedded agile best practices in the team. (Agile events, burn up charts, reviews and retros, coaching and mentoring)
- Supported with business analysis define solution details to meet Lloyd’s business requirements.
The Outcome
Delivered on budget and a happy client
The app was delivered on time and on budget and demonstrated a reusable pattern applying modern cloud practices that Lloyds could reuse.
I received a great review from the key banking stakeholder for the team’s open, collaborative culture and ability to deliver.
Lloyds have gone on to become one of AND Digital’s largest clients.
Darren Evens
Program Manager - Lloyds Bank
When we first began working together you set yourself some targets and had a plan to be an effective leader for the development team. It’s my view that you’ve succeeded!
Key factors for me have been:
- Gaining subject matter knowledge to enable effective leadership.
- Driven the team to deliver on target. We’re on target!
- Guided the effective use and structure of meetings, stand-ups, forums etc. You organise meetings to resolve issues or blockers and ensure the objectives are met.
- Facilitate a friendly, collaborative and effective working structure with stakeholders. If only the other labs we work with were working to your standard.
- Seeing tough issues or challenges get resolved. You consistently demonstrate how you see things through to a resolution.
Continuous improvement is a tough ask when you’re getting it so right. I’m not in a position to suggest an area of improvement at this point in time but wanted to mention that I have given it consideration.
Thanks for your efforts Simon, its been a job very well done!
Key takeaways
The solution used a modern tech stack, with Kafka for event queuing, Kubernetes and architecture as code, hosted on Lloyd's pilot Private Cloud. We provided a reusable pattern that could be reapplied to leverage modern cloud engineering practices. This was a successful first step to shift Lloyds legacy systems towards a modern cloud architecture.
More case studies
Journey Management
Journey Management is a game changing approach to CX. I support your journey management success by getting you up and running with fast, demonstrating business value and supporting and coaching your teams through this change.
Product Strategy
I help business leadership teams define their product vision and ambition, and translate these into objectives and metrics to inspire, guide and track progress of product teams.
Empowering teams
I help companies to build product teams that can meet their digital ambitions. I have led two product transformations at large corporates, shaped the product culture at AND digital and developed successful start ups.
Product Delivery
I have delivered many products from idea to conception and I love being hands-on to put products into the hands of customers. I know how to get the most from agile teams and what is required to ship an enterprise product.
Business Development
During my time in consulting I have developed skills in business development, pitching presentations to C-suite executives to win business.
Developing Others
An important part of my role as a product leader is developing the next generation of product leaders. I do this through coaching, training, mentoring and thought leadership.
