How Data kickstarted a transformation at a leading financial institution

From Credit Risk to cross-departmental intelligence

Jonas joined the client’s credit risk team with a clear mission: deliver timely and accurate reports to both internal and external stakeholders, and help align credit processes with evolving regulatory standards. His overarching objective was to create dashboards that would enable better data-driven decision-making, but in the process he also assessed and optimized existing credit processes and ensured compliance with key regulations. 

It didn’t take long for the project to grow. Soon, he was leading the migration for the credit risk team from an outdated BI tool, QlikView, to Tableau, modernizing the institution’s reporting infrastructure by improving the quality of data pipelines, realigning stakeholder requirements and applying best practices for dashboards and visualizations. This shift not only automated previously manual tasks but also laid the foundation for better decision-making. 

Six months in, Jonas joined a larger, cross-departmental initiative focused on data. The goal was to improve the quality of new loan data, which would allow the organization to automate more of its credit decision process. This required close collaboration with teams from Risk, Sales and Credit Operations.

One of his key contributions was building a credit scoring model that assigned quality scores to credit applications based on recurring errors. The results were made visible in dashboards so local branches could learn from their mistakes and improve their processes, leading to less rework, more first-time-right applications, and a faster loan acceptance process for the client.

In parallel, Jonas also supported the implementation of new reporting for the European Banking Authority’s guidelines on loan origination and monitoring, and helped set up risk-based screening mechanisms on the Central Individual Credit Register.

His hands-on approach made a measurable difference: the outcome was a stronger, more data-driven credit process. By moving to Tableau, the client now saves significant time through automated reporting. Improvements in data quality mean faster processing and quicker decisions for customers. The client is now better equipped to act on its data, both in day-to-day operations and long-term strategic planning.

For Jonas, this mission was a major learning experience. It gave him the chance to deepen his expertise in credits and lending, sharpen his technical skills in data and BI tools, and grow in stakeholder management. 

“This was my first real exposure to data modelling, dashboarding and query writing, skills I’ll definitely build on in future projects.” Says Jonas

Data at the heart of Customer Care

While Jonas focused on credit transformation, Olivier Renard embedded himself in the engine room of customer operations and brought data to the forefront there, too.

Customer operations were facing a clear challenge: too many phone calls between agencies and headquarters, unpredictable workload spikes, and difficulty meeting SLA commitments. Olivier Renard stepped in to tackle these issues by putting data at the center of the solution. 

Starting with a multi-linear regression model, his goal was to improve the collaboration between agencies and headquarters, reduce unnecessary phone traffic, and explore more suitable communication channels such as messaging or email. By identifying patterns in the agencies’ data to estimate the number of phone calls they could expect on a monthly basis and comparing this with actual performance, the model provided insights that guided them toward a more sustainable way of working. This also helped teams plan capacity more effectively and improve SLA performance by better matching resources to demand.

From data collected, Olivier created targeted reporting for operational management and customer service teams, highlighting where action was needed — for example, departments receiving disproportionately high message volumes compared to others. These insights enabled quick, hands-on solutions to be implemented, addressing issues directly where the data showed bottlenecks or inefficiencies.

He then translated these findings into clear, visual dashboards that could be understood and discussed at every level of the organization, from frontline teams to senior leadership. This hands-on, data-driven approach made it possible to implement “low-hanging fruit” improvements quickly, while also informing longer-term strategic changes.

Olivier worked closely with the data scientist to turn analytical results into practical, scalable solutions that the broader team could use. This collaborative work also supported related initiatives, including implementing a messaging solution across all agencies, contributing to better forecasting accuracy through the Data Analytics Office, and shaping a business case for customer service chatbot integration. Olivier was part of the end-to-end delivery, covering vendor selection, analysis, implementation, and after-care in co-creation with AI specialist Campfire, so the team could manage the chatbot service autonomously. Using data-driven design, the bot automated FAQs, intent detection, and data capture, handling 20%+ of inquiries within six weeks and saving 192 agent hours, all while maintaining high customer satisfaction. Even in large-scale system changes, he took ownership of testing, business configuration, and training material reviews to ensure smooth rollouts.

Transforming together - with Data as the driver

Although Jonas and Olivier worked in different departments, their missions were closely aligned. Both helped the institution pivot toward data-centricity. Jonas sharpened the credit decision pipeline; Olivier made operations smarter, leaner, and more anticipatory. Together, they proved that meaningful transformation doesn't require massive disruption, just focused action, ownership, and a commitment to learning.

"These kinds of missions are what we strive for,” says Stéphanie Struelens, PA&I Leader for Financial Institutions at TriFinance. “They reflect TriFinance’s core approach: advisory that meets execution. We don’t just design solutions, we make them real with the right tools, talent and mindset. They allow our consultants to grow their skills while creating lasting value for our clients. Jonas and Olivier showed how much is possible when you turn data into action.”