Be More Human or Do More with Less?

Issue 4: June 2018

Think about a repetitive, data gathering task where you work with multiple systems, reading reams of information – tired at the very thought of it? Read about how Fraud chargeback Ops have solved this.

As part of our regulatory requirements, we must submit a report on all fraud cases to the National Crime Agency (NCA) within 30 days of completing a fraud investigation. Our Fraud Chargeback Operations team in Chennai produce 2,600 reports each month for the NCA! Yes, you read that right - 2,600!

Search. Probe. Explore. Repeat

Toggling through 10 screens across multiple applications, gathering over 40 data points for just one report, then repeating each day for 9 hours. This is exactly what our analyst colleagues in Chennai were doing, meaning backlogs and delays in completing fraud reports for our regulator.

We’re not robots!

“We’re not robots, so why was my team’s time being spent gathering information from multiple sources? I wanted them to focus on ‘being more human’ and adding value like analysing and reviewing the reports so they’re accurate and timely”, said Prashanth Rajappa, Head of Global Sanctions and AML Operations, Shared Services, the brainchild behind the Robotic Desktop Application (RDA) that now automates all fraud reporting for his team.

Is RDA just a buzzword?

Not quite. RDA is like an assisted bot. It’s capable of mimicking many – if not most human actions and it’s a disruptive force in our digital transformation. It helps us automate tasks, improving our efficiency and delivering improved results for our customers and regulators.

So, how does RDA work?

It’s a software that integrates seamlessly into any system and can log into applications. In this case, it takes on the role of a ‘data collector’ logging into multiple systems fetching data and creating a single view report, saving the team hours (and hours…) collecting data.

Happy days!

“It’s an exciting time. We’ve automated all the boring work, and now they’re happier making better use of their skills and time, “ adds Prashanth.

What’s the risk?

RDAs are compliant, consistent, accurate and complete the task reliably so they reduce the risk of human error. Everything they do is monitored. The team has full control over how everything works, and it is YES check compliant.

“We’ve set up a Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Chennai for the development of robotic process and desktop automations (RPA/RDA) across the bank. The CoE developed and delivered over 221 automated solutions in 2018 improving interactions that impact over 7.1m customers.

“We’re proud of our ability to respond in an agile way. In the crisis following the recent collapse of Monarch Airlines, we worked with our operations team to resolve issues within a week which helped us manage the spike in customer chargeback claims in reduced turnaround times.

“This is what sets us apart from the competition - doing bigger things in a more efficient way for our customers”.

We have a competitive edge

“I see other banks trying to do this. But we’re leading the pack as we started much earlier, “said Sivasankari Shankar, Head of Value Creation Group (VCG), Shared Services.

Want to know about RDA and other automation developments?

Join the Bot Center #Imagineering Workplace group to keep up to speed on all things robotic!