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IBS Journal February 2015


Zions Bank changes roll-out plan for TCS Bancs project


...continued from front page


Furthermore, Zions has been undergoing standardisation across its commercial lend- ing operations. ‘Commercial lending oper- ations centres are being consolidated, and back office processes are being reviewed and harmonised,’ says Schlenz. The reduc- tion in commercial lending operations cen- tres – from more than a dozen locations to two – will simplify the implementation of Bancs. Zions is also replacing its commer- cial lending front-end systems, with a pro- ject underway to replace a number of leg- acy loan origination applications with an offering from Linedata Capitalstream. Managing the risk of the implementa- tion has been a top priority for Zions’ man- agement and board of directors. One of the bank affiliate CEOs was promoted to presi- dent of the enterprise, tasked specifically with the responsibility of ensuring that the project ran smoothly. In addition, Zions has hired a programme director experienced in core banking transformation. The conver- sion approach for each release is devised early on, with various options being con- sidered to reduce and mitigate conver- sion risks. Zions is not utilising a consulting partner in the role of ‘systems integrator’, as TCS and Zions have partnered on most of the integration activities; however, Zions has turned to consultants in specific tar- geted areas. Major consulting firms have provided assistance in areas ranging from


accounting system modifications to testing preparations. ‘There is strong support from the exec-


utive management of Zions, which is key for a successful outcome. Executive spon- sorship and accountability goes all the way to the top,’ states Schlenz. There is a stake- holder advisory board that has represent- atives from Zions’ affiliate banks across all businesses, which plays ‘an important communication role as its members get information out to their respective depart- ments’, continues Schlenz. Additionally, there is a programme steering commit- tee, with Joe Reilly, Zions’ chief information and operations officer, at the helm, plus senior executives from TCS. The commit- tee provides oversight of project execution and the strategic components, including scheduling, determining implementa- tion processes, and customisations. Finally, there is an executive review group that pro- vides top-level oversight of all major pro- grammes. The implementation team will be car-


rying out the training and conversions. There will also be a team to ensure the business and operational readiness of Zions’ locations and staff. To facilitate effective interaction


between the Zions and TCS teams, the par- ticipants have been engaged in ‘cultur- al sensitivity’ and ‘team building’ training.


Schlenz regards this as a vital component of the project. From the outset, the bank was aware of the cultural differences of Zions’ eight affiliate banks and the imple- mentation risk that such a structure would present, so ‘it was reassuring that TCS sug- gested a training course to address this’, he comments. When the entire operation is complet-


ed, Zions believes its back office structure and systems will provide it with a competi- tive advantage, particularly from the stand- points of: o client centricity – the ability to gain


new customers at lower costs, an improved 360-degree view of the customer, simpli- fied customer and employee experiences; o operational efficiency – less rework


due to straight-through processing, easily configurable screens and workflow, fully automated processes with fewer manual touch points; o product innovation – application


of features and functions across deposit and loan products, faster time-to-market through product configuration, improved product bundling and relationship pricing; o IT simplification – improved ability


to optimise and leverage existing infra- structure, reduction of service interrup- tions, better utilisation of highly skilled technical resources, and high availability and business continuity improvements.


New bank in Tanzania opts for Flexcube core system


China Commercial Bank, which is opening a new subsidiary in Tanzania, is underpin- ning its operations on technology from Oracle FSS. The bank is gearing up for an imminent launch. It will offer retail and commercial banking services, and plans to build a network of branches in the coun- try’s key areas, as well as provide internet banking services. The technology project has been car-


ried out by India-based Oracle specialist, JMR Infotech, which fronted the bid. Oth- er hopefuls for the deal included Infosys and Temenos. CEO of JMR Infotech, Jayafar


6


Moidu, says that the bank was looking for a ‘scalable and flexible platform built to international standards, a platform that has wide reporting capabilities and ena- bles the launching of products on the fly’. Delivery capacity of the vendor/integrator and its commitment to implement the sys- tem in a concise deployment timeframe were also key criteria, he adds. The first portion of functionality –


retail banking (deposits, savings and loans) plus internet banking – has been delivered in ‘an aggressive timeline’ of two and a half months. Training has been


© IBS Intelligence 2015 www.ibsintelligence.com


completed (JMR Infotech trained ‘champi- ons’ for each department who then taught other staff), and the UAT has now also drawn to a close. The next phase – the implementation


of corporate banking functionality, includ- ing internet banking – is expected to take around three months. The bank intends to rely ‘as much as


possible’ on Oracle applications, com- ments Moidu, including for CRM, BI and reporting. For document management, the bank is using a system from Newgen Software.


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