Faced with the complicated developments of the COVID-19 outbreak in recent times, banks in HCM City and elsewhere in the country are strictly complying with social distancing regulations while also ensuring their systems operate smoothly and efficiently and fully meet the needs of individual and corporate customers.

The recent social distancing period was also a time when HDBank speeded up transformation of its operations.

So, despite reducing the number of employees working directly at the office and counter in accordance with the regulations on social distancing and epidemic prevention, the bank saw an increase in labour productivity and a reduction in costs while ensuring service quality and managing to serve customers in the best way.

This was thanks to the bank's modern technology platform.

HDBank has embraced digital transformation in all aspects like transaction processes, operations, human resources, and evaluation since 2020, and now seeks to make the digitisation faster and more comprehensive.

HDBank has managed to speed up comprehensive digitisation through key projects such as digitising the customer journey to bring new and convenient experiences in opening a payment account and savings book online and offering loans online against deposits, digitising the online customer journey with pioneering technologies such as electronic know your customer (eKYC), advanced eKYC and integrated authentication via video call, digitising the internal communication system, big data collection and analysis, and virtual assistant switchboard.

The use of robotic process automation technology with robot assistants has helped the bank reduce manual tasks by more than 80 per cent and increase processing speed 30 times (from three minutes to only five seconds for a transaction) with an error rate of almost zero.

According to the bank’s statistics, in the five months since the account opening process at the counter was digitised, the number of customers registering for e-banking rose to 67 per cent from the earlier 50 per cent.

HDBank’s digital applications and automation of products and services have helped improve the efficiency of transactions and meet customers’ needs amid the social distancing and ‘new normal’.

As a result, in the first six months of the year the number of e-banking transactions doubled from the same period last year with the transaction value tripling to nearly VND60 trillion (US$2.6 billion).

To support businesses after the restrictions were lifted and gradually revive production and business, HDBank continues to deploy credit promotion services such as cash flow management, issuing UPAS L/Cs to promote import and export and rapid payment through eBanking with a comprehensive digital solution package.

It has also optimised services on digital platforms such as opening a business account online, 24/7 online lending (eCredit), issuing L/C online (eLC), and online international money transfer, all to support corporate customers with solutions and adapt to the new normal and digital society.

HDBank has also digitised the operating process through the use of robots for timekeeping for employees, handling requests from customers and automatic order approval.

In its internal operations too, HDBank has strongly digitised by applying Akabot, a comprehensive RPA platform that helps automate business processes involving a large number of repetitive tasks to increase productivity and improve cost savings; regularly organising online training, seminars and workshops; and enhancing communication on its internal communication channel, Workplace.

The iPaper system is applied to almost all internal processes/regulations, saving the time and cost needed for paperwork and being of particular help during the social distancing period.

Valuation, automatic and centralised accounting and document management are all optimised on the technology platform.

Customer-centric

Thanks to its accelerating digital transformation, HDBank has ensured the efficient operation of its internal systems and business activities and smooth operation of products and services on the digital platform, especially amid the pandemic-driven restrictions.

Tran Thu Huong, director of the bank’s operations division, said: “To ensure smooth operations, the operations division in collaboration with other divisions has made improvements in everything starting from the most minor of them.

“Thanks to that, we have created a new, scientific, systematic, and more comprehensive way of working, saving time in handling services provided to customers. With the goal of how to serve customers most effectively, we always strive to make today better than yesterday and tomorrow better than today.”

HDBank has efficiently implemented the Government’s policy on waiver and reduction of loan interest rates to support customers in a number of areas directly affected by COVID and where there has been prolonged social distancing, with more than 18,000 customers owing a total of nearly VND42 trillion in outstanding balance benefiting.

The results have helped HDBank succeed in building a large loyal customer base.

Reforming operations and improving services on a digital basis is one of HDBank’s efforts to make a difference in serving customers, making them happy and successful, and helping them achieve financial security. — VNS