Digital makeover sees ING Turkey Bank emerge as market leader
‘Anywhere, Anytime’ banking may once have been considered an over ambitious vision, but thanks
to the plethora of mobile devices that put financial decision-making and transactions literally into
the hands of the customer it has now become a reality.
By rapidly embracing the opportunity to bank on their own terms through their preferred channels
customers are driving an unprecedented level of digitalisation within this environment and the
banks are responding accordingly with innovative technology that is transforming their relationships
and capturing more sales.
Taking centre stage is the new breed of process automation solutions equipped to manage and
respond in real time to the many disparate channels through which the bank’s services are being
accessed. As well as ensuring the business keeps pace with rising customer service expectations, the
software is proving to be a critical game changer in an ever competitive market as evidenced by
developments at ING Turkey Bank.
Headquartered in Istanbul and serving three million customers across 368 branches, the business’
mission to improve customer service and market share has been put in the hands of TIBCO
Software’s ActiveMatrix business process management (BPM) suite. Now at the heart of its digital
operation to streamline and digitise the processes, it’s a move that has already reaped dividends,
underpinning the bank’s rise from being sixth in its sector to a market leader with a 17 point net
promoter score increase. Costs have been saved, customer reach broadened and productivity
boosted.
ING Turkey Bank is an example of how automation is being taken to the next level harnessing the
power of event-driven processes and fast data – TIBCO’s terminology to encapsulate real time data
and how it is used to identify the opportunity, and change its outcome in response to business
needs. Reacting to thousands, sometimes millions of business events produced by people, processes
and systems across the enterprise in real time, the systems can integrate all workflow processes and
sales activities across multiple locations and distributions, which through the advanced monitoring
capabilities is increasingly easy to manage.
Gorkem Koseoglu, Chief Operating Officer at ING Turkey Bank explains, “There was a lack of
transparency across our service levels and in the efficiency of our processes. We wanted to make
banking accessible through a mobile device, the internet or a branch and empower customers by
using data and analytics to give them options so they could make their own financial decisions.”
Initially deployed as a pilot project, the ActiveMatrix BPM’s reach has expanded throughout the
business where its impact has been instant and transformative, deepening customer knowledge, and
improving risk models. This has resulted in a more holistic and efficient service offering.
The bank’s process also takes the use of data analytics to the next stage so that customer insight
isn’t just collated and used behind the scenes, but extrapolated into various options, from which the
customer can choose their preferred course of action.
A notable example is the ease and speed around obtaining a loan where a mobile makeover has
transformed this traditionally more involved process into the most swift and seamless of
transactions. Through the use of an app, the entire application and approval process is now possible
in less than five minutes, with access to the money via the ATM possible just minutes later. By
enabling customers to conduct major banking processes when and where it suits them without it
eating into their busy schedules, it’s a level of efficiency which is transforming the customer
experience and having broader repercussions on their lives.
Furthermore, ING Turkey Bank’s commercial banking clients can access loans on their devices, or
online without needing to communicate directly with the bank, as well as making loan payments
through this channel. A move that further differentiates ING’s approach from that of its competitors.
And as the speed of banking is improved so is customer reach.
“Thanks to TIBCO ActiveMatrix BPM, about two thirds of all consumer loans are coming from nonbranch channels,” confirmed Koseoglu.
“By creating partnerships, we are selling loans through grocery stores, electronic shops, post offices
and the biggest airlines. There’s a big impact in our reach, and we increased our sales by more than
200%. We were chosen over other banks by Turkey’s largest grocery chain because the BPM
platform lets us meet requirements and create new processes within weeks compared to months
needed by other banks.”
The integration has led to a greater fluidity in the way ING works as it becomes the only bank in
Turkey to nearshore its back office operations. Along with cost advantages, the move has boosted
productivity with the number of transactions per employee rising by 38%.
But in line with the evolving nature, the bank has no intention of resting on the laurels of an already
transformative impact with plans underway to make all customer-facing processes BPM-enabled.
Koseoglu added: “We are adding new mobile functions for different customer segments and new
partners including telecoms and transportation companies because we can seamlessly integrate
their systems and offer financial solutions to their customers so they also become ours. Our
objective is to keep expanding.”