Projective Group was responsible for the implementation of Instant Payments at two Retail banks in the Netherlands, marking one of the most significant changes in payment processing since the migration to SEPA. Unlike in the past when payments were not processed in the evenings and weekends, Instant Payments are now processed 24x7x365 and credited to the beneficiary’s account within seconds. To successfully implement Instant Payments in the Netherlands, banks had to collaborate intensively, coordinating daily on functionality, testing, and schedules.
The introduction of Instant Payments posed operational and technical challenges for both individual banks. After a 3-year process, Instant Payments were successfully introduced in the Netherlands in February 2019, and within 3 months, the majority of interbank consumer payments were processed in real-time.
For one of the banks, the journey began with selecting an instant payments engine. Projective Group acted as the project manager, ensuring an objective, knowledgeable, and timely selection.
In both cases, we took on the roles of project manager, product owner, and product manager during the implementation, taking responsibility for the entire inbound and outbound payment value chain. The implementation of Instant Payments affected various business units, including customer channels, mid- and back-office functions (including customer service, operations, and AML/fraud), treasury functions for liquidity management, and connections with the Clearing and Settlement (CSM) provider (equensWorldline).
In summary, both the IT and business sides of the organisation were significantly impacted. Successfully implementing this complex process required extensive coordination with external parties such as the Payment Association, CSM(s), DNB, and other participating banks. Projective Group also acted as the guardian of the collective schedule for both banks, ensuring functional agreements were made and timely actions were taken to fulfil those agreements.
About Projective Group
Established in 2006, Projective Group is a leading Financial Services change specialist. With deep expertise across practices in Data, Payments, Transformation and Risk & Compliance.
We are recognised within the industry as a complete solutions provider, partnering with clients in Financial Services to provide resolutions that are both holistic and pragmatic. We have evolved to become a trusted partner for companies that want to thrive and prosper in an ever-changing Financial Services landscape.
