Tech & Ops / Operations

Operations

BCG Expand benchmarks Operations to identify efficiency gains and investment priorities, combining cost insights, resourcing comparisons, and metrics (e.g. STP rates) to deliver a holistic view and drive end-to-end operational excellence.

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The Opportunity

  • ✔Optimise Run-the-Bank expenditure by improving visibility into Operations cost drivers and technology allocations.
  • ✔Enhance operational efficiency by reducing duplication across Operations processes.
  • ✔Improve transparency of total cost of ownership (TCO) to support better investment prioritisation and strategic decision-making.
  • ✔Increase process automation and workflow efficiency to reduce manual intervention and improve accuracy across operations.

How we can help

Spend Benchmarking

We perform full cost analysis by business line, cost type, and driver across Operations and Operations IT Spend to assess total cost of ownership and identify optimisation opportunities at a product or function level. We benchmark STP rates, manual interventions, error rates, unmatched confirmations, and operational losses to identify workflow bottlenecks and automation opportunities.

Cost per Trade & Operational Efficiency

We benchmark Cost per Trade, STP rates, and operational KPIs across products and functions to identify efficiency opportunities, streamline workflows, and prioritise automation.

Business Performance Alignment

We link Operations cost structures to business performance metrics including revenues, operating expense, and productivity to highlight structural optimisation opportunities.

Client success stories

$500M+ operations cost savings uncovered through peer-scaled benchmarking and process simplification.
20% productivity uplift achieved by redesigning Operations organization structure to improve team effectiveness and broader capabilities.
~5pp improvement in cost-to-income ratio (CIR) through elimination of duplication and improved process control.
4 layers removed, streamlining operating model and preventing duplication.

Case Studies

Regional Universal Bank

Benchmarking revealed ~$250m in addressable operations-cost savings and a 5-point CIR improvement, forming the foundation for an enterprise-wide efficiency programme.

Global Universal Bank

The bank streamlined front-to-back processes based on benchmarking insights, improving workflow visibility and enhancing operational control across global service lines.

Tier 1 Investment Bank

Doubled Operations IT investment into CIB after benchmarking highlighted peers had invested significantly more for several years, accelerating the delivery of automation upgrades

The Opportunity

  • ✔ Improve Operations productivity by aligning workforce structures with the scale and complexity of business activities
  • ✔Increase delivery flexibility and scalability to better support growth, transformation initiatives, and evolving client demand
  • ✔Strengthen organizational effectiveness by simplifying operating models and improving accountability across operations teams
  • ✔Enhance operational resilience by building sustainable internal capabilities and reducing dependency on fragmented delivery models

How we can help

Workforce Composition Benchmarking

We benchmark workforce composition across contract type, cost per head, and workforce mix to assess labour cost intensity and identify opportunities to optimise operations resourcing at a product or function level.

Location Strategy Benchmarking

We analyse location strategy across onshore, nearshore, and offshore operations teams to optimise workforce distribution, delivery scalability, and structural cost efficiency.

Organisational Structure & Seniority Analysis

We benchmark role structures, spans and layers, and seniority mix across operations teams to improve organisational efficiency, accountability, and workforce productivity.

Client success stories

300+ roles reallocated to optimal locations after benchmarking exposed cost-per-head gaps and footprint inefficiencies.
150 change focused resources added into mid-level roles following benchmarks highlighting a reliance on junior change heads.
500+ external contractor positions targeted for internalization after overweighted external resource distribution isolated by benchmarking.
3 functions fast tracked for offshore hub utilization, where peers leveraged more low-cost resources.

Case Studies

Global Investment Bank

Reduced contractor dependency by 35% across Trade Processing after benchmarking revealed above-peer reliance on contingent contract types.

North American Bank

Added 120 roles in nearshore locations across Operations after identifying that peers leverage them to a greater extent.

European Bank

Reshaped seniority profile within Operations after benchmarking highlighted a lower concentration of junior resources, adding 8pp of junior roles across a 5 year period.

Global Markets Institution

Increased spans of control across Global Markets Operations following peer benchmarking, enabling a greater workforce agility.

American Bank

Optimised contractor and internal HC mix across Wealth Management following benchmarking of labour intensity.

“The granularity to which BCG Expand’s analysis goes, particularly for the functional breakdowns, is by far more useful than any benchmarking I’ve come across. For executives, it’s all about the trend—and the fact that it aligns with our reality makes it extremely valuable. There is great value in what you guys do.”

Director Canadian Bank

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