The Hindu Business Line : SBI implements McKenzie revamp plan <br>Business process re-engineering under way for makeover to CBS platform

DEPARTING from its traditional approach of initiating mere structural changes within the organisation, State Bank of India has started to streamline management structures. This Business Process Re-engineering (BPR) exercise, based on recommendations by McKenzie & Co, SBI sources say, is aimed at gearing the bank for a smooth makeover to the core banking solutions platform.

The bank has in the initial phase rolled out nine BPR initiatives - migration to ATM, introduction of Griha Mitra, retail assets centralised processing cell, small enterprises credit cell (SECC), drop boxes, outbound sales force, currency administration cell, micro market cell and relationship management concept for personal banking and medium enterprises.

Speaking to Business Line, the Deputy General Manager of Coimbatore Zonal Office, Mr R. Kalyanakrishnan, said the rollouts were aimed at divesting the branch heads of back-office jobs and help them focus on marketing the bank's products.

"The cash administration concept is being rewritten. Instead of the branches handling cash, we have a team in place to control the ATMs.

Hitherto, the cash dispensers attached to the branch were under the control of the respective branch heads," he said.

`Loan processing work is also being centralised. Instead of sitting on paperwork, the branch staff would henceforth concentrate on marketing the bank products, while a self-contained cell would attend to application process and sanction. This would not only ensure uniformity in our sanctions and approvals, but reduce turnaround time," he said.

Nine of the twelve branches in the city have been attached to the SECC, said Mr C. Jeyasooria, Assistant General Manager (Region I).

Apart from such central processing cells, the bank is also trying to measure the attitude of its employees to customers and strangers. "Last month, about 30 officers were picked from various branches across the country and sent to `mystery spot'.

These officers, including three from Tamil Nadu visited some distant SBI branch (from their place of work) in the guise of a customer, requesting for a draft or formalities for opening of an account and the like.

These officers have just finished this exercise and submitted their report.

The finer details will be known soon," he said.

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