FST Media: What are your IT priorities for the next 12 to 18 months?
Kamaruddin: Our primary aim is to achieve a leadership position in key strategic transactional banking, namely as the cash management service solutions provider of choice, in serving our targeted markets in Indonesia.
Given our focus and franchise in the Indonesian market, we are well positioned to serve and support our client’s needs in both large corporate and commercial and SME markets to meet the full potential of their financial goals.
Our information technology is well established and our increasing operational resources and strategic business enables us to attain this role for our targeted clientele.
For the near-term and into next 12 months, from a business banking (corporate and wholesale) perspective, our key priorities include executing major government and public sector projects (with financial service and banking interventions), large corporate business process re-engineering partnerships, electronic service channel upgrades and expanding and service delivery improvements.
In the next 18 months, new service capabilities, technology and alternative (diversified) service channels will be part of our plans.
All these activities aim to prepare us to serve our existing clients more competitively, while attracting targeted clients to apply for our services.
FST Media: What technology or innovation is proving to be the single biggest game changer for the financial services industry?
Kamaruddin: We do not see a single technology or innovation as a game changer. A concerted focus and primary drive towards the increased application for cashless and branchless service offerings to increase efficiency and convenience, with improved customer experience will be key theme in building our solutions and service offerings.
We are also constantly challenged by both clients and competition to increase our capabilities and capacity to introduce and actively offer mobility based services to our clients banking and business process experience.
FST Media: How has BNI’s e-Banking services including Drive Thru ATMs delivered value to business and how will you measure success?
Kamaruddin: From an institutional and corporate banking perspective, our e-banking solutions, primarily through our internet-banking service platform (BNI Direct), has been increasingly adopted and applied actively by our targeted customers and prospects.
A key value continues to be efficiency, convenience, safety and improved customer experience.
Our solutions and modules have been designed and aligned to meet their increased needs and requirements for better process improvements, controls and audit and reconciliation experiences.
The ATM, EDC and cards and mobile solutions which are part of our consumer and retail service platform of services, has been organised for linkage and integration.
We will measure success as more and more clients increase their usage and value of transactions though our e-channels, and more business and process owners partner with us to solve and assist their business (private and public sector).
FST Media: How has been BNI service motion allowed BNI to take the bank to the unbanked, and what role does mobile play in this strategy?
Kamaruddin: As part of the bank’s strategy to increase and grow the business to the commercial (SME), we have increased focus in our various business platforms, services and processes, through credit, process and service (branch and product), including the role of the bank to the unbanked.
BNI has an active program tied with the government’s drive to assist the unbanked with access to banking support (KUR -Kredit Usaha Rakyat).
Mobile is part of the solution that is being prepared and made ready to assist us in this strategy.
FST Media: How has BNI’s investment in SMS Banking delivered value to the business, and how will you continue to grow your mobile channel?
Kamaruddin: BNI continues to drive services to the SMS banking, as part of the suite of payments and information solutions required by our customers.
Also, partnerships with businesses have also driven us to increase usage and application of our SMS banking services.
FST Media: What has proven to be BNI’s most effective acquisition channel and why?
Kamaruddin: From a corporate and business banking service provider, we have seen increased adoption and increased usage of our services through our ongoing efforts to provide customers with more business processes, governmental requirement type transactions and ease of customer operations (with interface and integration capabilities), via our internet banking service channel ("BNI Direct").
Concurrent to the scope covered by the corporate segment, in the consumer and retail front, we have seen high adoption and acquisition rates for our cards: credit and debit, and essentially our ATM services.
Linkages and cooperation exchanges with other banks and services providers has been key in driving this momentum.
FST Media: How do you encourage a culture of innovation in your team?
Kamaruddin: We apply and practice customer driven business and process discussions on a regular basis, from a weekly to monthly cycle, from intra to internal interaction to multi divisional. Another process discussion that we are active in is with our external partners and service providers.
Topics often focus on process improvement and enhanced client experience as major themes during these sessions.
FST Media: What information sources do you consider invaluable for your job and why?
Kamaruddin: Financial and statistical reports online and offline, media and advertising updates and reports, discussion forums, business summits and events, customer events.
Also discussions with customers and subject matter experts via forums and panels add invaluable information and direction for us.
FST Media: With respect to career development, what is the best advice you ever received?
Kamaruddin: There have been many during and along the way, but three thoughts of wisdom that have come to me from various sources through the years that has kept me focused are:
1) To simplify as much as possible. (See and seek to make the challenges easily understood and solved)
2) Start small, think big. For many endeavours usually starting small to manage the process and learning to develop and grow has always helped me.
3) We are where we are, most often because of somebody else. Through collaboration, senior support or team spirit, much can be achieved, therefore always strive to be a great partner and positive influence.
FST Media: Every leader has a legacy they wish to be remembered for, what is yours?
Kamaruddin: My only wish is that my presence and persona has helped and improved others and the organisation to reach new heights of success, progress and achievement, both personal and professionally.
