Bankwest streamlines IT shop, ups availability

Beverley Head
Monday, 07 September 2009 09:26

IT Industry - Market

Perth based Bankwest has just completed the transition to a single IT service management toolset, adopting HP Service Manager 7, an ITIL (information technology infrastructure library) compliant system now being used to deliver and support the 200 plus IT projects a year at the bank.  

Richard Rees, chief manager, platform integrity, said that replacing two tools with a single platform meant it was much easier to support projects, and should also help the bank improve its systems availability. It also brings the bank into line with its owner, the Commonwealth Bank, which paid $2.1 billion for Bankwest last year, and which uses HP Service Manager 6.5.

Although the banks have indicated that they will operate separately, Bankwest CIO Tony Clasquin is undertaking a strategic review of options for the bank over the next 12 months. “They are looking at where they have got synergies, but they are not looking to break anything. Bankwest runs a good IT shop,” said Rees.

“In the financial market at the moment to do anything would need a significant investment and that is hard to justify when there is no clear impact in terms of revenues or reduction in costs.”

Rees came across to Bankwest 14 months ago from the CBA where he ran an operational team for Commsec and Commsee.

He has taken on a proactive role in Bankwest to look at the process, technology and people in order to improve the quality of services available from the bank. That’s important according to Rees in order to realise what he says is the bank’s vision “to be the best value, most innovative and approachable bank in Australia with an absolute focus on customer satisfaction.”

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