It was a deliberate choice to start with PWRI and PPF APG, Bakker explains. “Not only because these are smaller funds, but also because they have relatively simple pension schemes with only a limited number of exceptions. On January 1, 2026, we will be dealing with a significantly larger number of participants and far more ‘data fields’—in other words, information—that needs to be transferred. Two months ago, around 201,000 participants in the Netherlands—200,000 of whom were from APG’s two pension fund clients—transitioned to the new system. In just over ten months, that number will exceed one million.”
A standardized transition process
The groundwork laid for PWRI and PPF APG was designed to be reusable, so there is no need to reinvent the wheel. “The so-called transition process, which transfers data from the old system to the new policy and administration system, has proven to be an effective link between all the involved systems: from the source system to the data core, from the data core to Data eXcellence (DX, the technology behind the data migration, ed.), and back to the data core, ultimately ending in the policy and administration system of Festina Finance.”
According to Bakker, this process saw surprisingly few errors, with over 99.9% of participants successfully migrated through automation. This same process will be used for transferring the data of bpfBOUW, SPW, and Pensioenfonds Schoonmaak.
Bakker adds, “We are currently evaluating the transition of PWRI and PPF APG, so there may still be some lessons to learn. However, one thing is already certain: the sheer volume of participants will require us to make technical adjustments in several areas to ensure that we can execute the necessary steps on time. At the same time, we are also preparing for the transition of our largest pension fund client, ABP, in 2027.”
Expanding services
In addition to preparing for the next funds to transition, some tasks still need to be completed for PWRI and PPF APG. For example, not all services will be fully operational in the first quarter of 2025.
A pension fund, for instance, requests an annual “proof of life” from participants living abroad who are not listed in the Dutch Personal Records Database (BRP). This is used to verify whether they are still entitled to their pension benefits. The next check will take place in the fall, at which point this process must be fully integrated into the new systems.