Business and IT Integration: The Key to Vanguard’s Success

While using the same platform for customers and customer service reps seems obvious, this investment required courage on the part of Vanguard’s management. This courage and the resulting outcome is a differentiator in today’s demanding economic environment. The organization had to have complete confidence in its software engineering principles. The road is littered with value-added programs that have failed due to an organization’s inability to deliver. Vanguard displayed the level of business and IT integration and perseverance required to sustain this program, and successfully navigated the conflicting priorities and strategic challenges inherent in complex transformational journeys.

Throughout this effort, Vanguard demonstrated leadership in managing its own application portfolio for the benefit of its clients. Vanguard maintained its principles with straightforward, basic approaches and executed simple concepts resulting in service excellence and cost reduction advantages.

The real beauty of this investment is that it is truly “the gift that keeps on giving.” Unlike other technology investments that initially provide value then lose their luster, Vanguard has created a tiered systems architecture that will continue to provide cost savings and promote customer service excellence well into the future.