The Intermediary – July 2026 - Flipbook - Page 76
T E C H N O L O GY
Opinion
Transformation
comes in many
shapes and sizes
T
ransformation is
oen discussed as
though it were a single
event. A board signs
off a programme, a
technology partner is
appointed, a budget is allocated and
eighteen months later a new operating
model emerges. In reality, very few
successful transformations happen
that way.
The institutions that have delivered
the most meaningful improvements
to customer experience, operational
efficiency and risk management
have generally done so through a
series of deliberate, carefully planned
steps. They have understood that
transformation is less about eating
the elephant in one go and more about
knowing which bite to take first.
That maers, because every lender
faces the same challenge. Legacy
processes, regulatory obligations and
operational constraints create an
environment where wholesale change
carries significant risk.
The temptation can be to wait
until a complete business case exists
for an end-to-end transformation
programme. The danger is that
waiting oen becomes a substitute
for action.
The alternative is to identify a
change that delivers immediate value.
The most effective technology partners
understand this. They do not simply
provide a solution to today’s problem.
They help lenders understand how
today’s implementation fits within
tomorrow’s operating model.
The recent expansion of Yorkshire
Building Society’s use of Cotality
technology provides a useful example.
The introduction of automated
valuation models and Energy
Performance Certificate (EPC) data
through Lender Hub is, on the surface,
74
The Intermediary | July 2026
MARK BLACKWELL
is chief operating officer
at Cotality
a targeted operational enhancement.
The more important point, however,
is that the implementation creates the
opportunity for something larger.
Focus on success
Property data sits at the heart of
mortgage lending. It influences
underwriting decisions, risk
assessment, portfolio management,
sustainability reporting and customer
outcomes. Introducing automated
valuation models (AVMs) is not
simply about obtaining a valuation
more quickly. It is about creating a
framework through which lenders
can begin to automate decisions and
unlock richer insights across the
lending lifecycle.
That broader value only emerges
when implementation is approached
strategically.
Too many technology projects focus
exclusively on the soware itself.
Success becomes measured by whether
a platform was delivered on time or
whether users can access a particular
dataset. The strongest partnerships
focus on outcomes instead. They begin
by understanding how an organisation
wants to operate in three, five or even
10 years’ time and then design an
implementation pathway that moves
the business towards that destination.
An AVM implementation may
begin within the valuation process.
The data generated can subsequently
support portfolio monitoring.
That same information can help
lenders identify concentrations of
risk, monitor property values over
time and improve capital allocation
decisions. Add EPC information and
the lender gains additional insight
into sustainability performance and
retrofit opportunities.
Each individual step delivers value.
Collectively, they create a significantly
different operating model. The
challenge for lenders is that
transformation programmes oen fail
because organisations aempt to solve
every problem simultaneously.
Multiple workstreams compete
for resources. Timelines become
extended. Costs increase. Business
users become overwhelmed.
Momentum is lost.
That is where specialist property
intelligence providers increasingly
have a role to play. Their value is not
simply the data they provide. It is their
ability to help lenders understand
how that data can be applied across
multiple business processes.
For many lenders, the future
operating model will be characterised
by greater automation. Reaching that
destination does not require a single
transformational leap, but a series of
carefully considered decisions.
The market is full of examples
where organisations delayed action
because they believed transformation
required a complete redesign of
systems and processes.
Increasingly, the evidence suggests
the opposite. The most successful
organisations start with a clearly
defined challenge, implement a
solution that delivers value and then
use that success to build momentum.
Transformation is not about biting
off more than you chew in pursuit of
some far off promised land. It is about
understanding which bite creates
the greatest value and then building
upon it. With the right partner, every
implementation becomes more than
a project. It becomes the first step in a
much larger journey. ●
