Financial Dispute Resolution Service
We partnered with FairWay Resolution Limited to modernise and strengthen the digital infrastructure supporting the Financial Dispute Resolution Service (FDRS) — New Zealand’s approved financial dispute resolution scheme. FDRS enables consumers to resolve complaints about financial service providers and manages nationwide Scheme Member and Adviser listings under New Zealand’s regulatory framework.
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The Challenge
FDRS operates as essential public-facing regulatory infrastructure. The platform needed to support:
- Reliable scheme membership management at national scale
- Efficient processing of Member and Adviser data updates
- Fast, intuitive public search functionality
- Secure, maintainable infrastructure
- Clear separation between operational workflows and public-facing services
The goal was to establish a scalable architecture that would support long-term operational independence while maintaining strong security and governance standards.
We delivered a structured infrastructure and application enhancement programme focused on scalability, automation and usability.
Dedicated Import Service for Scheme Members & Advisers
We architected and implemented a background processing service responsible for importing and reconciling Scheme Member and Adviser records.
This service:
- Processes structured CSV imports asynchronously
- Validates and reconciles records intelligently
- Prevents public-facing performance impact during bulk updates
- Ensures membership data remains current and consistent
By separating data processing from the main web service, we created a robust, scalable workflow capable of handling growing membership volumes without affecting site responsiveness.
Smart Search with Algolia Integration
To enhance discoverability, we integrated Algolia as a dedicated search service for Scheme Members and Advisers.
This delivered:
- Fast, typo-tolerant search results
- Near-instant filtering across national datasets
- Decoupled search indexing independent of the core application
- Automated index reconciliation to maintain data accuracy
The result is a responsive, user-friendly search experience that supports both consumers and industry stakeholders.
CMS-Driven Content & Data Management
We strengthened the SilverStripe CMS implementation to give FairWay’s internal team full control over:
- Scheme Member and Adviser listings
- Content updates
- Public information pages
- Structured configuration workflows
The architecture ensures internal staff can manage operational content and membership records independently — reducing reliance on ongoing developer intervention.
The modernised FDRS platform now provides:
- Reliable, scalable processing of Scheme Member and Adviser imports
- Fast, intelligent search functionality across national records
- CMS-driven operational independence for internal teams
- Structured infrastructure and deployment governance
- A secure, architecture built for long-term resilience
FairWay Resolution now operates a well-documented, scalable digital platform aligned with its regulatory responsibilities — with the tools and processes required for sustained operational independence.
FDRS Homepage
Algolia instant Scheme Member and Advisor search
Secure integration with complaint process
The Conclusion
The Financial Dispute Resolution Service now operates on modern, hardened infrastructure designed for resilience, scalability and regulatory continuity.
The platform supports FDRS’s statutory obligations while giving FairWay Resolution full operational control, structured governance practices and the architectural foundation required for long-term stability.