How a UK building society achieved £4m in savings and a faster, customer‑led operation

To meet its 2030 vision, one of the UK’s largest building societies reached a clear conclusion: the way it operated needed to change. While their purpose was well embedded and their level of trust from the market was strong; slow and fragmented processes were limiting their ability to deliver optimal outcomes for their customers and making it harder to respond confidently to change. Leaders set a clear ambition: improve outcomes for customers, accelerate delivery and scale for growth without increasing their cost base. 

A decisive shift in how the organisation worked 

The society recognised that its existing structure no longer provided the clarity, pace or accountability required for the future. Moving away from function‑led silos to a model organised around customer needs would require significant organisational and cultural change. 

Working with Baringa, the society transitioned to a product‑led operating model structured around lending and savings. Baringa supported the design of the target operating model and a transition approach, helping establish clearer accountability, faster decision‑making and a stronger focus on end to end customer journeys. The change marked a move from fragmented teams to collaborative, multidisciplinary groups united by shared outcomes. 

Improving agility, reducing inefficiency and strengthening customer experience 

From the outset, the focus was on unlocking sustainable performance improvements while maintaining the experience customers had grown to expect and love. Through the redesign, the society was able to:  

• remove process inefficiencies that slowed delivery and decision‑making 

• establish clear ownership for end‑to‑end customer journeys 

• create a more consistent interaction and business‑partnering model between frontline teams and enabling functions 

• update governance so decisions could be made with customer outcomes in mind 

Releasing savings while protecting service quality 

It was a non-negotiable that any cost‑optimisation opportunities identified would not impact customer experience. This required some critical thinking – for example, savings‑related customer service and operational activity was transitioned into the branch network, using existing capacity to reduce pressure on central teams, strengthen service resilience and contribute to falling call-abandonment rates. Crucially, performance remained stable during the transition. 

Transitioning 1,250 people to new ways of working 

Around 1,250 colleagues transitioned into new structures aligned to the product‑led model, supported by hands‑on change, coaching and practical implementation. New ways of working were defined and clearly translated into the ‘day to day’. Culture metrics started to move led by a tangible increase in servant leadership and clear accountability models. Owing to a model which optimised for end-to-end customer value, collaboration between teams dramatically increased, as colleagues coalesced around shared outcomes, and leaders had greater capacity to focus on strategic priorities. 

Building a transformation that lasts 

The result is a more agile, customer‑centred organisation better equipped to meet its long‑term ambitions. By shifting to a product‑led operating model and addressing inefficiencies head‑on, the society has delivered approximately £4m in savings and created a strong foundation for sustainable future growth. 

Baringa’s hands on approach enabled not only a market leading operating model design but a model which was absorbed across the enterprise – impacting lasting change across organizational, operational and cultural lenses. 

Ready to reduce costs and improve customer experience? 

Talk to us about building an operating model that delivers measurable results. Contact our experts in financial services.