Case Study: BNY Mellon’s Transition to ISO 20022
Organization: The Bank of New York Mellon (BNY Mellon)
Industry: Financial Services
Adoption Focus: Transition to ISO 20022 Standard for Cross-Border Payments
Key Stakeholder: Isabelle Bouille, Director and Principal Product Manager, BNY Mellon
Date of CHIPS Migration: April 8, 2024
Upcoming Milestones: Federal Reserve migration in March 2025, Full ISO 20022 adoption by 2025
BNY Mellon (BNY), a leading global financial services firm managing over $49.5 trillion in assets, embarked on a journey to adopt the ISO 20022 messaging standard. This transition aims to enhance payment systems by improving data quality, operational efficiency, and regulatory compliance, ensuring BNY remains at the forefront of financial innovation.
As financial institutions across the globe prepare to adopt the ISO 20022 standard, BNY faced the significant challenge of ensuring a smooth transition for its complex cross-border payment systems and clients. This challenge involved managing a coexistence period of different message formats, upgrading legacy infrastructure, and ensuring interoperability across the broader banking ecosystem.
1. Establishment of a Dedicated ISO 20022 Program Team
BNY assembled a cross-functional team to oversee the migration process. This team included experts from technology, operations, product management, and compliance to address the various operational and infrastructure challenges associated with ISO 20022.
2. Internal and Client-Focused Training
To facilitate a seamless transition, BNY’s preparation began five years before the scheduled migration date. The bank conducted extensive internal training sessions and worked closely with clients to clarify the challenges and impacts of the coexistence period.
3. Testing and Validation
BNY partnered with Swift’s MyStandards platform to ensure the readiness of their message formats. Testing phases included internal message simulations, peer bank collaborations, and “Buddy Bank Testing,” where BNY exchanged messages with other direct participants of CHIPS.
4. Cross-Team Collaboration During Migration
BNY adopted a culture of daily, cross-functional collaboration, especially during the critical migration weekends. Teams worked hand in hand, ensuring real-time issue resolution and maintaining seamless operations throughout the transition.
1. Successful CHIPS Migration
The CHIPS migration, completed on April 8, 2024, marked a significant milestone in BNY’s ISO 20022 journey. The migration team overcame challenges related to format differences, terminology changes, and message flow adjustments, ensuring BNY’s systems aligned with the new standard.
2. Real-Time Monitoring and Post-Go-Live Adjustments
Following the migration, BNY’s operations team closely monitored transaction flows, identified interoperability issues, and worked to resolve traffic misuses. Their commitment to post-migration monitoring allowed for prompt troubleshooting, minimizing any disruptions.
3. Industry Collaboration
BNY’s active participation in industry discussions, particularly with the Payment Market Practice Group (PMPG) and the US Observer, allowed the institution to address common challenges and align their approach with the wider financial ecosystem.
1. Importance of Early and Comprehensive Preparation
BNY’s decision to start preparations five years ahead of time and to involve multiple business units early in the process was instrumental in their successful migration. A key takeaway is that thorough preparation across the entire organization is crucial to handling complex transformations.
2. Cross-Functional Collaboration is Key
BNY emphasized the importance of teamwork across departments. Weekly meetings, shared problem-solving, and close collaboration were integral to addressing unexpected challenges during the migration process.
3. Communication with Industry Peers
Engaging in continuous dialogue with peer banks helped BNY stay aligned with industry best practices, overcoming common challenges and ensuring smooth transitions.
As BNY continues on its ISO 20022 journey, the bank is preparing for future milestones, including the Federal Reserve’s migration in March 2025 and additional industry initiatives planned for 2026. BNY remains committed to refining its infrastructure and implementation strategies to accommodate new standards, ensuring that no client is left behind in the process.
BNY Mellon’s transition to ISO 20022 highlights the importance of preparation, collaboration, and continuous communication in navigating significant changes in the financial industry. As the ISO 20022 standard becomes the norm for cross-border payments, BNY’s experience serves as a model for other institutions preparing for this critical migration.
Their successful transition underscores the potential benefits of ISO 20022, from improved data quality to greater efficiency, setting a strong foundation for the future of payments.