Banking on Excellence: A Financial Services Transformation
increase in overall productivity across operational functions
reduction in operating costs through streamlined processes
drop in process errors (from contact center to underwriting)
The Challenge
In the late 2000s, one of Indonesia’s largest banks was ready to reinvent itself—but not through a product launch or rebranding campaign. What it needed was internal: a deep overhaul of its operations, customer service quality, and cost structure.
The symptoms were clear:
Customer email response times were slow, leading to complaints
Branch queue times were long and unpredictable
Back-office processes like underwriting and trade finance suffered from delays and rework
Treasury and ATM cash inventory levels were poorly optimized, tying up capital
Across departments, data inaccuracies, unbalanced workloads, and inefficiencies were draining time and resources
To stay competitive and customer-focused, the bank would need to launch a sweeping transformation—one that tackled over 50 process improvement projects simultaneously, without disrupting day-to-day operations.
SSCX Approach
SSCX partnered with the bank to implement a DMAIC-based Operational Excellence program, addressing both customer-facing and internal process challenges. The approach began by prioritizing projects across key impact areas:
Contact center responsiveness
Queue management and branch efficiency
Lending, funding, and back-office workflows
Underwriting and risk operations
Treasury and HRIS optimization
Each initiative followed a structured journey—from baseline measurement to root cause analysis to implementation and control. Tools such as Value Stream Mapping, Capability Analysis, Fishbone Diagrams, and Piloting were core to the process.
Rather than “consultant-driven execution,” SSCX empowered internal teams to lead projects—building a sustainable culture of improvement while delivering tangible results.
Exploration & Validation
Using real operational data, the teams revealed hard truths:
At the contact center, long response times stemmed from poor email routing, lack of service-level tracking, and unclear ownership. A queue analysis and capability study highlighted avoidable backlogs and rework loops.
In branch operations, transaction logs and observational studies showed queue buildup was caused not by customer volume spikes, but by unbalanced staff scheduling and inefficient service sequencing.
The underwriting process revealed a trail of repetitive document checks and manual data entry that contributed to both slow turnaround and high error rates.
In the treasury and HRIS systems, the team identified ineffective cash level forecasting and poor master data accuracy, respectively—causing unnecessary cost and administrative friction.
For each case, SSCX and internal teams validated the findings through pilot improvements, tracking performance deltas before scaling solutions bank-wide.
The Solution
Here’s what changed:
Contact Center
Reengineered email and call handling workflows
Introduced SLAs and real-time monitoring dashboards
Trained multi-skilled agents for first-contact resolution
✅ Result: Significantly faster email response and reduced call duration
Branch Operations
Redesigned staff allocation models for peak/off-peak load balancing
Implemented e-queue and visual management systems
✅ Result: Shorter queues and higher customer throughput
Lending & Back Office
Streamlined workflows in funding and lending services, eliminating redundant steps
Automated document validation and reduced approval layering
✅ Result: Faster processing and fewer compliance errors
Treasury & Cash Optimization
Used forecasting models to align ATM and branch cash inventory levels
Reduced idle cash locked in branches and machines
✅ Result: Improved liquidity management and reduced cost of funds
HRIS & Data Accuracy
Data cleansing, standardization, and ownership protocols across HR systems
✅ Result: More accurate reporting and faster HR transactions
The Result
The transformation was far-reaching:
⏱️ Service delivery accelerated by ~30%, improving customer satisfaction
⚙️ Productivity increased 20%, with staff better aligned to demand and fewer task redundancies
💰 Operational costs dropped by 15%, driven by leaner processes and less rework
🧮 Process error rates fell by 25%, boosting compliance and internal confidence
Recognition followed:
🏆 The bank won Best Defect Elimination in Service/Transaction at Asia’s Six Sigma Conference
🏆 Achieved Top Ranking Performer for Best Contact Center at Contact Center World (Sydney)
🏆 Named Best Banking Service Excellence by Marketing Research Indonesia
Beyond awards, the bank laid the foundation for continuous improvement as a cultural norm, empowering cross-functional teams to lead problem-solving from within.
What We Learned
This story affirms that operational excellence isn't just about cutting cost—it’s about unlocking potential. By focusing on internal agility and building process ownership, the bank didn’t just fix inefficiencies—it built long-term capacity for innovation and responsiveness.
With empowered employees, data-driven discipline, and service-level clarity, the institution shifted from firefighting mode to future-ready performance.
