Adoption of a low-code platform in a banking organization

Challenge

ČSOB, like most organizations on a path to digital, wanted to take advantage of the broad range of opportunities offered by low-code platforms. In the first phase, the bank decided to adopt Microsoft’s Power Platform, which it started implementing in 2021. However, for its successful launch and operation, it was crucial to approach the technology in the right way from the perspective of IT governance and to support it with awareness and education initiatives within the organization.  

Our approach

Initially, ČSOB lacked a specialist team with sufficient knowledge and experience in this area. Therefore, the bank approached Trask, which conducted basic mentoring in IT governance and helped identify local needs for its proper adoption. ČSOB shares its tenant with its parent KBC and it was therefore necessary to strike the right balance between group-wide global governance and the local implementation.

First Power Platform solution in 10 weeks

After establishing governance principles, the next step was to raise awareness of the platform among business users and to identify areas that could be effectively digitized using this approach. At the same time, we provided mentoring to the emerging team and the capacity of our specialists for regular consultations during their training. This included not only traditional training, but also tutoring in solving specific issues and challenges.  

Within a few months, ČSOB deployed the first complex applications developed by the Trask team. At the same time, the first internal solutions started to emerge under our guidance. Meanwhile, the training was extended to other units within the bank. In the following weeks we trained more than 50 bank users in the basics of working with this low-code platform. The result was the bank’s own strong and self-sustaining MS Power Platform team while the entire organization was instructed on low-code usage.

New ways to create applications without the risk of shadow IT

Proper IT governance of low-code platforms is key for their smooth and efficient operation, preventing the emergence of shadow IT and data leakage incidents. Similarly, training in low-code platforms usage is an integral part of their introduction in the organization, as it democratizes solution development beyond the IT. By taking both these key steps, ČSOB can now safely and efficiently use the MS Power Platform, which Gartner describes as the leader in low-code platforms, to digitize internal agendas.