Latest news with #IToutages
Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Times
Lloyds IT outages caused by years of underinvestment, executive admits
A leading executive at Lloyds Banking Group has told staff that recent IT outages have been caused by at least a decade of underinvestment and likened Britain's biggest domestic lender to a neglected house. In a leaked recording of a recent internal call with employees earlier this month, Ron van Kemenade, chief operating officer of the FTSE 100 bank, conceded that there had been 'more outages' and that 'all indicators point the wrong way'. He told staff: 'We should acknowledge that over the past weeks and months, slowly but steadily, our service towards our customers has degraded.' He said the problems were 'the result of probably ten to 15 years of underinvestment,' which he likened to a house falling into disrepair. 'If you don't maintain your home over the period of ten years, sooner or later, the doors are going to creak, the roof will be leaky, and the plumbing will start showing signs of deterioration.' His candid comments lay bare the challenge facing Lloyds, which is led by Charlie Nunn and three years ago set out plans to invest about £4 billion by 2026 to revamp the business, including by overhauling its IT infrastructure and digitising services. Lloyds is also following other banks by hiring technology workers in India, where it aims to have about 4,000 staff by the end of this year, while at the same time overhauling and cutting some IT roles in the UK. A big three-day IT outage at Barclays earlier this year has led to heightened scrutiny of computer systems of banks. Problems at Lloyds have included service slowdowns that meant some customers had to try more than once to log in to their accounts. Van Kemenade insisted on the call that the bank had examined the incidents and found 'no relationship whatsoever to the changes we've made to the organisation recently'. A Lloyds spokesman said that van Kemenade's 'honest self-assessment reflects our determination to learn from when we don't get something right. While we are proud that our latest data shows services have been available 99.98 per cent of the time, we are investing billions every year in our technology and working hard every day to deliver more and better for customers.'
Finextra
10-06-2025
- Business
- Finextra
Compliance, IT resilience, productivity: the case for Digital Employee Experience in finance: By Dominic Mensah
In 2025, the UK Treasury Committee revealed that leading banks and building societies experienced more than a month's worth of IT outages in just two years. These weren't caused by cyber attacks but by internal system failures, exposing a broader weakness in how the IT organization boosts operational resilience. Despite an abundance of performance data, many firms still lack visibility into what really matters: how systems function at the point of use. Without insight into the end-user experience, problems often go undetected until they escalate into serious disruption. Digital Employee Experience (DEX) platforms help close this gap by providing real-time, experience-level data that enables earlier detection, faster resolution, and stronger operational resilience. Traditional endpoint monitoring focuses on metrics such as device availability, and infrastructure health, but these don't tell the full story. Friction at the user level, such as sluggish applications, login failures, or system crashes, often slips under the radar until productivity takes a hit. For traders on the floor, a momentary delay can mean missed market opportunities. But the impact extends across the organization: financial advisers, compliance teams, operations staff, and contact centre agents all rely on fast, stable systems to serve clients, and meet regulatory requirements. When digital devices underperform, the consequences are immediate and widespread. DEX introduces a new layer of observability– illuminating how the health of the endpoint, where employees actually interact with them. This visibility allows IT teams to move from reactive troubleshooting to proactive service delivery. Real use cases for DEX in financial institutions This section explores how DEX is being used to address key operational challenges, from supporting significant digital transformation projects, reducing IT support tickets, and streamlining service desk functions to optimising the digital estate: Enhancing digital transformation projects : DEX platforms are essential for facilitating key digital transformation initiatives, including operating system migrations such as Windows 11, VDI adoptions, and cloud transitions. By harnessing data-driven insights gathered from thousands of endpoints every few seconds, these platforms inform decisions, mitigate risks, and boost efficiency. Their deployment also hastens the realisation of strategic project value. For example, through the optimisation of endpoint management, one financial institution discovered £3.4 million in unused software licences, uncovering a savings opportunity that would allow them to redirect these resources towards high-impact digital transformation investments. : DEX platforms are essential for facilitating key digital transformation initiatives, including operating system migrations such as Windows 11, VDI adoptions, and cloud transitions. By harnessing data-driven insights gathered from thousands of endpoints every few seconds, these platforms inform decisions, mitigate risks, and boost efficiency. Their deployment also hastens the realisation of strategic project value. For example, through the optimisation of endpoint management, one financial institution discovered £3.4 million in unused software licences, uncovering a savings opportunity that would allow them to redirect these resources towards high-impact digital transformation investments. Ticket deflection and service desk efficiency : DEX technologies equipped with self-healing capabilities and AI-assisted tools have significantly enhanced IT service desk operations by automating the resolution of many issues that previously required human intervention. This shift towards automation has led to substantial decreases in ticket volumes across the financial service sector. As a result, IT staff can now allocate more time to strategic tasks, streamlining overall service desk efficiency. For example, one bank with previously high service desk call rates has reported saving approximately £232,000 per year by detecting and resolving technology issues before they impact key personnel. : DEX technologies equipped with self-healing capabilities and AI-assisted tools have significantly enhanced IT service desk operations by automating the resolution of many issues that previously required human intervention. This shift towards automation has led to substantial decreases in ticket volumes across the financial service sector. As a result, IT staff can now allocate more time to strategic tasks, streamlining overall service desk efficiency. For example, one bank with previously high service desk call rates has reported saving approximately £232,000 per year by detecting and resolving technology issues before they impact key personnel. Cost reduction through IT asset optimisation: DEX data supports software licence rationalisation and hardware life extension. This strategic use of endpoint data has led to significant cost savings. For instance, a New York City-based financial institution avoided approximately £7.5 million in unnecessary laptop refreshes by leveraging DEX insights to assess real usage, realising that 91% of its laptops planned for annual refresh did not need replacement based on performance indicators. Endpoint data in transformation and compliance As we have already established, in financial institutions, endpoint data from DEX platforms is pivotal for both transformation projects and compliance. This data offers detailed insights into system performance and user interactions, crucial for orchestrating major initiatives such as operating system upgrades and cloud transitions. It also aids in assessing employee readiness and identifying system-level risks, ensuring smooth implementation and minimal disruption. Further, endpoint data enhances compliance with frameworks such as the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) and the Financial Conduct Authority's (FCA) guidelines, which require a deep analysis of how disruptions impact critical business services. Traditional monitoring systems often fall short in providing the necessary visibility into endpoint-level interactions, a gap filled by DEX platforms. For instance, during a critical system outage, the swift analysis of real-time endpoint data can lead to immediate problem identification and resolution, significantly reducing downtime and the overall impact on operations. By integrating endpoint data into their strategies, financial institutions not only comply with stringent regulatory demands but also strengthen their overall resilience. This capability enables them to manage risks effectively and ensure continuous service delivery, even amid potential disruptions. DEX drives employee productivity and satisfaction DEX data provides strategic advantages for financial institutions by optimising IT asset management and reducing costs through the alignment of device usage with specific job roles. For example, by creating differentiated services and role-based environments for traders, bankers, and agents, an investment management firm used DEX data to prevent potential revenue loss from failed financial trades. Additionally, it significantly enhances employee productivity. According to Deloitte's Human Global Capital 2024 report satisfied employees are approximately twice as productive as their unhappy counterparts. By linking digital experience metrics to productivity and compliance outcomes, DEX insights enable more informed decision-making. With more than 80% of surveyed workers indicating that an enhanced work experience would improve their productivity, the role of DEX in boosting operational efficiency and resilience is undeniable. In summary, experience-level data has evolved from a luxury to a critical necessity for operational resilience and regulatory compliance in financial services. The 2025 findings from the UK Treasury Committee underscore the urgent need for enhanced visibility into how digital services impact user experiences and business outcomes. Financial services leaders must now ensure they have precise insights into user interactions to proactively address digital friction and device degradation that can compromise operations. Endpoint device intelligence represents more than just an enhancement of IT management; it signifies the end of IT as we know it in data-driven operations at financial services firms. This paradigm shift towards proactive service delivery and strategic decision-making is redefining competitive financial operations. As the sector continues to evolve, embracing this data-driven approach will be essential for maintaining compliance and spurring innovation, positioning financial institutions to not only respond to but also anticipate the demands of a rapidly changing market.
