OPORTUN
Technology architecture For the technology architecture work stream , the primary goal was to deliver resilience , availability and scalability while providing the engineering team with the solutions and self-service capabilities they needed to deliver software solutions to our customers .
“ One of the first things we did was a financial analysis , including a total cost of ownership ( TCO ) analysis to look at the different options for both refreshing the current infrastructure and moving to the cloud ,” Sharief explains . As part of the threeyear roadmap she established , the team ’ s first order of business was to bolster its IT infrastructure and set it up for future scale .
“ People think that the cloud is cheaper , but it can get really expensive , really fast ,” adds Sharief , who explained that cost optimization needs to be a constant priority . “ Today , everyone on the team finds ways to improve processes , reduce costs , or get more done with the same or less .”
Security “ The financial services industry is
highly regulated , and the risks of external and internal cyber threats need to be well managed . The Security strategy established by Tyson Kopczynski , VP of Security , is holistic in nature . ACT SMART is an acronym we use to describe how a focus on Awareness , Culture and Technology through Solutions , Monitoring , Advisory , Response and Testing will lead to empowerment and transparency ,” notes Sharief . Similar to technology , Oportun has chosen to deliver Security as a Service , including everything from the physical security of retail locations to the Security Operations Center ( SOC ).
Process Design In the spirit of having a holistic ‘ people , process and technology ’ approach to transformation , Sharief ’ s strategy was heavily focused on establishing and maturing processes .
“ Upon joining Oportun , we conducted a Capability Maturity Model Integration ( CMMI ) assessment of key processes used to manage technology ,” she recalls . “ It is incredible to see how we matured
166 June 2018