Demonstrate the value of change – Case Study 1

by The Change Compass | Case studies

A single view of change: How a bank protected customers and unlocked new value

Managing change in the financial sector is always a complex task, but the lessons from one leading bank stand as a powerful example of how clarity, collaboration, and customer-centric thinking can turn potential problems into value creation. In this case, one proactive step—leveraging an integrated view of change—became the catalyst for protecting both customer relationships and business performance.

The hidden challenge: Overlapping changes with a high-value customer segment

Every large bank is engaged in a continual cycle of transformation. New products launch. Systems are upgraded. Regulatory and compliance requirements evolve. Yet, as the pace of change accelerates, the risks of unintended consequences also grow. That risk isn’t always technological. Sometimes, it’s about the customer.

The story began when the bank reviewed its change data using The Change Compass, a platform designed to give leaders a holistic, quantitative view across all active and upcoming initiatives. It quickly became apparent that one valuable customer segment would be impacted not once, but three times in the space of a single month. Each encounter was driven by a different project team. Each project was planning separate communications and customer asks, with little alignment or coordination.

At first glance, these projects appeared to be unrelated. Yet, all three were targeting customers with the highest share-of-wallet, meaning they owned multiple products and had longstanding loyalty to the company. These were not just any customers—these were the “crown jewel” group whose satisfaction and retention were critical to the bank’s revenue and brand.

Why customer experience is so easily overlooked in transformation

When large organisations manage dozens or even hundreds of projects, it is common for teams to operate in functional silos. Each project has its own objectives, stakeholders, and deadlines. While project teams may conduct their own customer research, they might not have real-time awareness of what other groups are doing at the same time.

In this case, the data revealed a classic example of accidental customer overload:

• Three projects, each reaching out separately to the same customer group

• Different communication styles, messaging, and even visual branding

• Conflicting asks of the customer within a short window

• High risk that customers would receive mixed messages through multiple channels

The cumulative risk was clear. When customers are bombarded with uncoordinated service changes, requests, or notifications, confusion and frustration grow. Worse still is the potential for customers to feel undervalued, as though their loyalty is being taken for granted. For a segment with high share-of-wallet, this can lead to disengagement, product attrition, and ultimately significant loss in revenue.

Using change data to drive immediate management focus

Recognizing the risk, project and business representatives did not keep the issue at a working team level. Armed with hard data from The Change Compass, they were able to socialise and escalate the issue quickly to senior leaders. The evidence showed not just that there would be customer overlap, but exactly who would be affected and when. Visualizations made the potential for negative experience tangible and urgent.

The result was swift. Senior managers prioritised this risk and asked the three project teams to connect, align, and rethink their plans with the customer at the center.

Turning competing projects into a single customer journey

The solution the teams developed together was both pragmatic and creative. Instead of three siloed interventions, the projects worked collaboratively to:

• Sequence the timing of their customer impacts so that communications and asks happen in a coordinated, logical order

• Integrate and harmonise their messaging so that customers would see one brand, one bank, regardless of which internal team was driving the change

• Create unified communication which was consistent across all channels, ensuring readiness among staff as well as consistency in digital and direct outreach

All relevant customer channels were engaged. Contact centers were readied to provide clear and timely information for the anticipated queries. Branch staff received integrated briefing materials. Online resources were updated so that customer queries could be addressed seamlessly, regardless of which change had prompted the interaction.

Managing the customer experience for maximum value

The most important shift, however, was psychological. The three separate project teams stopped thinking only about their project outcomes and focused instead on the holistic customer experience. Their collaboration ensured that every customer’s journey through these parallel changes felt seamless and considered, not piecemeal or haphazard.

The data-driven approach did more than avoid complaints. It delivered quantifiable business value. The potential cost of poor experience was significant: for this high-value customer segment, confusion could have led to attrition and a loss of cross-sell opportunities. Through better management, the estimated value preserved for the business exceeded one million dollars, mainly by protecting loyalty, retention, and associated revenue.

Keys to success: Visibility, collaboration, and leadership engagement

There are several important lessons from this case that any change leader can apply:

• An integrated view of change is essential. Only by adopting a platform that provides a holistic perspective can you spot issues that cut across project and functional boundaries.

• Data is the great enabler for smart escalation and storytelling. When you can visualise and quantify the risk, you arm frontline teams with what they need to secure executive focus and intervention.

• Silos are broken down when the customer is placed at the center. Teams that are used to working independently quickly find common purpose when they are guided by a shared commitment to customer experience.

• Solutions are not always complex. Sometimes coordinating timing and messaging, and making sure every channel is informed and ready, produces remarkable value with existing resources.

Creating a culture of proactive change management

Importantly, this was not a one-off intervention. By practicing this cross-project alignment, the bank reinforced a culture of proactive, customer-driven change management. Teams learned to ask new questions. Who else is communicating with this customer segment? What is the experience like from their perspective, not just ours? Where could joint planning enhance value for both customer and company?

The executive team also gained confidence that they were not missing hidden risks by focusing only on vertical project updates. Instead, they built strength in horizontal oversight, preventing accidental overload or misalignment for their most important clients.

Looking forward: Embedding these practices for lasting advantage

The value of these lessons goes well beyond any one episode. As the pace and scale of transformation accelerate in the banking sector and beyond, organisations must move from reactive to proactive change management. A single, data-driven view across all initiatives is no longer “nice to have”—it is a competitive necessity.

With The Change Compass, this bank gained the ability not just to detect emerging risks, but to act on them collaboratively, protect revenue, and continually strengthen the trust of its best customers.

Protecting what matters most in a changing world

Change is inevitable, but negative consequences do not have to be. The experience of this bank highlights how the right tools and mindset can help any company deliver more value through transformation. By seeing the whole picture, collaborating across boundaries, and acting in the interests of their customers, leaders set themselves up not just for project success, but for enduring business growth.

If your organisation is ready to manage the complexities of change with confidence, while ensuring the customer always comes first, discover what The Change Compass makes possible. With data-powered insight, alignment, and a relentless commitment to experience, your next change story could be your most successful yet.

To download this case study, click here:  Demonstrate Value of change 1