INDUSTRY WATCH
C
an you describe recent
ICT project initiatives at
NBAD and how they have
better served as a business
purpose?
In 2014 the Bank embarked on a
strategic drive to improve its customer
offerings in a number of key areas
including the domestic market (primarily
in Retail and Commercial Banking), the
International Wholesale business and the
overseas franchises (specifically Egypt).
resources and specialist subject matter
experts as required.
Aligned to this, and in recognition of
the substantial technology investment
required to deliver the strategy, the
Bank’s project portfolio was restructured
to include a number of key IT projects
which would drive these improvements
either through direct customer
facing deliverables or improvements
in underlying infrastructure and
applications.
1. Start transforming the domestic Branch
network from a transactional service to
an advisory relationship banking model
by moving traditional transaction
processes onto the new digital channels
2. Improve accessibility and service to our
customers in the domestic Securities
market with pricing, analytics, research
and execution capabilities across all
UAE exchanges
3. Increase services and product offerings
in Cash Management both within
the domestic market and increasingly
across the Gulf Region and the key
focus area for NBAD of the “West-East
corridor” from Africa to Asia
For the domestic market we looked to
enhance the Bank’s digital presence
through a number of initiatives including
a new Mobile Banking channel for
day to day banking, an upgrade and
replacement of the existing Online
Banking channel and the implementation
of a new Mobile and Tablet offering for
the Securities division for transacting UAE
Equities.
For wholesale banking we launched a
major upgrade of our Global Transaction
Banking Cash Management platform
which introduced a comprehensive set of
new products through a dedicated Online
Channel for Commercial and Corporate
customers, and for the international
franchise in Egypt we replaced the
main core banking system with the
Bank’s standard platform to improve
customer functionality, controls and cost
efficiencies.
In advance of mobilising these key
transformational initiatives we reviewed
our main technology partnerships to plan
strategic product roadmaps with these
selected vendors and implementation
partners. In all cases we wanted to make
sure that we had the right mix between
internal expertise in the UAE, partner
www.intelligentcio.com
Our geographic proximity to where
our major partners do the bulk of their
development helps us to build teams
across the Gulf and the sub-continent and
ensures we get a good mix of talent and
cost effectiveness.
The impact of these initiatives has
enabled the business to:
“OUR GEOGRAPHIC
PROXIMITY TO WHERE
OUR MAJOR PARTNERS
DO THE BULK OF THEIR
DEVELOPMENT HELPS
US TO BUILD TEAMS
ACROSS THE GULF AND
THE SUB-CONTINENT
AND ENSURES WE
GET A GOOD MIX OF
TALENT AND COST
EFFECTIVENESS.”
INTELLIGENTCIO
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