The client is one of the largest retail banking institutions in Central Europe, serving several million customers and belonging to a major international banking group. Like many established banks, it runs a substantial technology estate with deep roots in Oracle databases and PL/SQL.

That existing stack shaped the project from the start. Rather than introducing an unfamiliar technology, the bank wanted to build on strengths it already had in-house – which made Oracle APEX, a low-code platform that sits naturally on top of an Oracle/PL/SQL foundation, an obvious fit. The goal was not just a new HR system, but a more cost-efficient, better-connected, and more maintainable one that the bank's own people could own over time.

The engagement started with a single reporting module, but its scope soon grew to cover others – recruitment, training, performance evaluations, and more. Pretius migrated these applications to Oracle APEX one by one and delivered a unified dashboard so the bank's employees could reach all the relevant data conveniently.

Throughout, Pretius worked closely with the bank's IT department to ensure full compliance with its comprehensive security and privacy rules. For example, despite the deep integrations between modules, the system is separated from the rest of the infrastructure at the architectural level – so if something affects it, the other systems stay safe. Just as importantly, Pretius began training the client's team – largely non-technical people from HR, business analysts, and others – in the use of APEX and supporting technologies such as Liquibase, so they could maintain the solution without outside help.

The project ran in an Agile methodology over roughly two years, delivered by a joint team of seven developers – three from Pretius and four from the bank.

The bank didn't just want a new HR system – it wanted a more cost-efficient, better-connected one that its own people could own. By choosing Oracle APEX to build on the bank's existing PL/SQL foundation, migrating a dozen HR applications module by module, and training a largely non-technical team to maintain and improve the result, Pretius delivered on all three. Two years in, the modules are fully operational, the anticipated savings have materialized, the in-house team runs its own CI/CD with Liquibase, and other departments are asking for the same – a clear sign of a project that delivered lasting value rather than a one-off deliverable.