Westpac has launched Adapt, a new enterprise data platform built on Microsoft Azure. The platform consolidates data from 285 source systems into a single, governed environment, marking a significant milestone in the bank’s data modernization efforts. This initiative is part of Westpac’s broader strategy to enhance its data management capabilities and support its AI-driven initiatives.
According to Andrew McMullan, Westpac’s chief data, digital, and AI officer, Adapt represents “one of the largest data modernisation programs ever undertaken at Westpac.” McMullan emphasized that the platform’s development involved not only migrating vast amounts of data but also transforming the bank’s approach to data governance and accessibility.
Unifying Data for AI and Customer Intelligence
Adapt serves as the foundation for Westpac’s customer intelligence activities and AI initiatives, enabling the bank to leverage data more effectively. The platform’s creation involved migrating over 1PB of data and 14,000 data pipelines onto Azure, a process that required meticulous planning and execution. Data source migration into Adapt was completed in March this year, with internal teams already reporting increased speed and efficiency in their operations.
McMullan highlighted the critical role of trusted data in AI scalability: “AI only scales with trusted data. That’s why we’ve spent the last few years simplifying and standardising the way data is managed across the group.” By centralizing data on Adapt, Westpac aims to ensure data integrity and consistency, which are essential for reliable AI models and customer insights.
Westpac Intelligence Layer: A Single Customer View
Built with Snowflake, the Westpac Intelligence Layer creates a full customer view by analyzing data across products and channels. This layer is designed to run AI models on data at rest, eliminating the need for data movement, which enhances efficiency and security. McMullan explained that this architecture allows Westpac to make intelligent decisions without the complexities of transferring data between different cloud ecosystems.
The bank leverages Google Cloud and AWS for specific tasks, with Snowflake serving as the intelligence layer across these platforms. This multi-cloud strategy ensures flexibility and scalability, allowing Westpac to optimize its technology investments. The Westpac Intelligence Layer is a critical component in the bank’s effort to provide a 360-degree view of customers, connecting their relationships, behaviors, products, transactions, and interactions. This holistic understanding enables more relevant and timely responses across all channels.
Westpac’s technology ecosystem is supported by partnerships with leading companies, including Microsoft, AWS, Snowflake, Nvidia, Google, and AMP Frontier. These partners provide forward-deployed engineers who work closely with Westpac’s data professionals to accelerate technology adoption and maximize the value of these investments.
Adapt and Unite: Simplifying Westpac’s Technology Stack
The creation of Adapt is closely tied to Westpac’s broader Unite program, which aims to simplify the bank’s technology stack by re-platforming various parts of the group. According to McMullan, “Adapt and Unite work together” to create a stronger foundation for information flow throughout the bank. Unite focuses on simplifying the underlying systems, while Adapt connects and governs the data across them, ensuring a seamless and efficient data ecosystem.
Westpac’s Technology Partnerships and AI Factory
These partnerships are designed to provide Westpac with access to cutting-edge technology and expertise, enabling the bank to accelerate its digital transformation efforts. One of the key benefits of these partnerships is the provision of forward-deployed engineers, who work closely with Westpac’s data professionals to drive technology adoption and innovation.
