ABACuS - Garanti

Abacus
ABACUS ensures
centralized,
error-free and
timely execution of
operational transactions
of millions of customers
via its experienced
and competent
people employing
advanced technology in
the most effective way,
and thus guarantees
much higher
efficiency and
security for Garanti in
its operations.
As the first bank to set up centralized
operations in Turkey, Garanti ensures high
quality, timely and error-free execution of
operational transactions of its millions of
customers through ABACUS. Branches and
customers are presented the opportunity to
receive year-round non-stop cash service
at 5,410 points. Garanti channels 99% of
all operational transactions of branches to
ABACUS made up of a dynamic team of 995
experts.
ABACUS handles the following tasks for
Garanti Bank and its customers:
• All foreign trade transactions,
• Issuance of domestic and international letters
of guarantee,
• SWIFT transactions,
• All operations regarding the utilization of
commercial loans and system entry of
related collaterals,
• Verification of documents submitted
with housing/auto/general-purpose loan
applications,
• All domestic payments including EFT, tax and
Social Security Institution (SGK) premium
collections,
• High volume salary payments/high volume
internal and interbank (EFT) money transfers,
• Physical and electronic archiving processes,
• Confiscation processes and query letters
received from governmental offices,
• Data entry of hard copy credit card
application forms,
• POS application and installation follow-up,
• Cheque and promissory note transactions,
• After-sale support services for credit cards,
• Investment account opening and account
transfer operations,
• Cash support services including cash
collection and delivery.
In addition, ABACUS closely monitors all
changes in legislation with a potential impact
upon the activities of Garanti Bank. In this
frame, ABACUS answers any queries related
to legislation and banking practices directed
by the Bank’s branches and Head Office
Departments, and informs all employees on
such changes, conducting necessary training
sessions.
2011 Activities
2011 was another intense and productive year
for ABACUS. While ongoing projects were
successfully finalized, ABACUS kept offering
service at high standards with projects and
processes initiated based on an innovative
approach. ABACUS, heeding the feedback
from branch employees that it regards as
its customers, plays a big part in alleviating
branches’ operational workloads through
effective use of technology, and helps them to
achieve their targets.
Thanks to highly-qualified and experienced
human resource, combined with the
checkpoints placed throughout the system,
the Bank’s loss resulting from operational
errors was a mere USD 12,000 within the total
transaction volume worth USD 882 billion
handled by ABACUS in 2011. The following
activities were carried out toward maximizing
operational efficiency, ensuring continuity of
high quality service delivery, and reducing risks
in 2011:
• Physical and electronic archiving efforts
continued for the Banking Service
Agreements (BSA), which occupy a huge
space in branches and which are difficult to
keep. The project was completed in October
following the archiving the BSAs of more
than 4.5 million customers.
• The number of cash points was increased
from 5,095 at the end of 2010 to 5,410.
However, the headcount remained
unchanged thanks to improvements in
workflows and effective planning, resulting in
cost reduction per point.
• For the purpose of supporting cash followup
of corporate customers receiving cash
66 GARANTI BANK 2011 ANNUAL REPORT

service, the “Company Cash Tracking
Project” was launched, whereby systemic
integration was ensured with the Bank
and its corporate customers. A first in the
sector, the project allowed delivery of safer
cash service to customers, which in return
enhanced customer loyalty and contributed
to the Bank’s competitive strength.
• The launched of the Mortgage Module
increased the operational efficiency through
shortening the time involved in mortgage
transactions and reducing errors.
• The “Project THE” that eliminates manual
intervention in high volume internal and
interbank (EFT) money transfers brought
about manpower saving.
• Following suit of import procedures, export
procedures have also been moved to
Workflow; this enabled faster and higher
quality service provision to branches, while
introducing major advancements to the
tracking system.
• All seven employees who took the
international certified documentary credit
specialist (CDCS) exam have successfully
passed it; with this result, Garanti remains
the only bank where all Letter of Credit Unit
employees (34 individuals) hold international
CDCS certificates.
• Processes have been developed for the
new derivative products of the Treasury
Department. With the new depository
project launched, system infrastructure has
been completed and processes have been
automated for floating interest or interim
payment depository transactions, which
involve exhausting and risky operation and
maturity tracking.
• The rotation program of branch and
ABACUS employees went on in 2011.
Branch employees and ABACUS employees
spent one day at one another’s work places
and learned about the business conduct of
the other.
Projections for 2012
Intending to identify improvement areas and
further upgrade service quality, ABACUS
will give priority in 2012 to increase internal
customer satisfaction and reduce the workload
of branches, as it has done in previous
years. The plans for the coming year include
various initiatives in cooperation with Garanti
Technology, with a view to minimizing the
manual steps in processes, and reducing
operational risks by improving the checkpoints.
Handling transactions in an error-free and
timely manner by making use of all the facilities
technology has to offer will remain the primary
goal of ABACUS’s activities.
2012 targets are presented below:
• Use the Service Management System (HYS)
to catalog customer complaints on ATMs, and
once they are resolved, provide feedback to
customers via text messages, the Call Center
or branches,
• Decrease average response time from
13 minutes to 11 minutes per ATM through
system upgrade,
• Implement restructuring to decrease the
workload on branches in busy locations
receiving cash service by armored vehicles of
branches,
• Replace, initially, 33% of money counters
used at branches with faster and more
functional devices.
Key Indicators for ABACUS 2010 2011
5,410
CASH SERVICE POINTS
3.9 Million
TRANSACTIONS per month
99%
CENTRALIZATION RATIO
in Operational Transactions
Number of annual transactions 45 million 46.2 million
Transaction volume (USD) 848 billion 882 billion
Average number of monthly transactions 3.8 million 3.9 million
GARANTI BANK 2011 ANNUAL REPORT 67