Progressive named IT champion at prestigious NI awards ceremony

Progressive Building Society has been recognised as a digital champion at a prestigious gala awards ceremony.

The Irish News Workplace and Employment Awards, which attract hundreds of entries every year, recognise and celebrate the best in business across Northern Ireland.

The mortgages and savings institution was named ‘Best Digital Transformation SME Business’, a category which celebrates companies that successfully implement digital tools or strategies to improve the workplace.

Recognising the IT team’s excellence, the gong was given during the event at Titanic Belfast, where over 70 organisations were in attendance to support one of the biggest business nights of the year.  

The Best Digital Transformation Award honours those who “demonstrate exceptional innovation and success in leveraging digital technologies to revolutionise their operations and achieve significant business growth”.

It also “serves as a benchmark for excellence” and recognises companies “that lead the way” in digital innovation “to stay competitive, improve customer experiences and achieve sustainable success in a rapidly evolving digital landscape”, according to organisers.    

Monique Silva, head of Information Technology at Progressive, said their award-winning new omnichannel online platform for customers and brokers “radically transformed” how the Northern Ireland only building society operates.

“The innovative project has contributed to the Society’s environmental plan, to support growth and meet customer expectations in a digital world,” she said.

“This involved automation of workflows, multiple real-time third-party integrations, including a pioneering integration with a digital ID service and within the core banking system.  

“Hard work, diligence and creative thinking saw the team radically transform Progressive’s accessibility to stakeholders with a digital first, customer centric approach, while preserving the culture of the organisation.”

Customers can now view their mortgage and savings accounts, switch their mortgage product, open a new savings account, transact on existing savings accounts, and communicate with Progressive securely online. 

“We’ve also made it possible for mortgage intermediaries to submit mortgage applications to us online which means quicker turnaround times,” Monique Silva said.

“Our digital transformation paved the way for our restructuring programme which has allowed us to provide increased development opportunities for existing staff across the Society and offer more job opportunities for new employees to join our teams. 

“Our new ways of working mean more hybrid working, improving the work-life balance and well-being of our staff.” 

Since its inception almost two decades ago, the Irish News Workplace and Employment Awards have become recognised as one of the most important business awards initiatives in the region.

The prestigious accolades are determined by an experience panel of judges chaired by Ellvena Graham, one of Northern Ireland’s most revered business figures, who had to mull over a record number of entries that smashed through the 150-mark yet again. ENDS