Degree

Master of Business Administration Executive

Faculty / School

Faculty of Business Administration (FBA)

Year of Award

2013

Project Type

MBA Executive Research Project

Access Type

Restricted Access

Executive Summary

In 2005 Bank Alfalah Limited decided to change the core-banking software they were using in an effort to expand their customer service offerings and move towards centralized data management which would further allow the introduction of services such as internet baking and mobile phone banking. Temenos 'T-24' software/consistently ranked amongst the top three core-banking software in the world, was selected for this purpose. However, things did not go quite as planned.

It is now 2013 and the switch to a new core-banking system is not complete. Changes that have been made are mired in problems. This study has attempted to take a look at the problems that exist, and the shortcomings in planning and implementation that have led to this point. The research has been based on interviews with stake-holders from the Information Technology Division, support staff from the BAFStar Project (T-24 support office), and front-office staff. A survey was also conducted with users to gauge acceptance levels of T-24, perceptions of user friendliness, and performance against touted benefits.

It was found that the issues related with migration to T-24 have had such severe effect on customer services that the majority of Bank Alfalah employees would prefer to use the software that was previously in use. However, the survey participants also opined that the found the new software, Temenos T-24, was a better program if there were no connectivity and speed issues that have plagued the same since its inception at BAL.

The report provides suggested courses of action regarding the software itself, the hardware (servers), and the skill-development of the users needed to resolve the current issues. Changes in the software deal primarily with updation of version, and selection of the Multi-Books package. Hardware issues deal wih replacement of current hardware with servers that are optimized to function as centralized database storage. Skill development involves training the users on the functions available in T-24, and the differences from the previous software.

Further, there is a need for sharing information with front-end staff about the issues faced, the steps to be taken to resolve these issues, the difficulties that will be faced in further migration and implementation, and expected time-frames for the necessary changes.

However, the new leadership at Bank Alfalah Ltd. has been very proactive in facilitating the move to T-24 and has been very positive in tackling the problems associated with it. Coupled with the fact that BAL has continued to grow despite the transition issues it has been facing, there is a sense of expectation that once the software switch is complete, Bank ALfalah will continue its upward climb in the Pakistani banking market.

Pages

V, 26

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