A nationwide financial network
National Australia Bank is one of the four largest financial institutions in Australia, with an extensive, nationwide network of branches offering personal banking financial solutions to its clients.
The importance of customer experience
The branch network, staff and technology underpin the customer experience for which NAB is known, and of which it is rightly proud. Responsibility for ensuring that branches can always deliver a high quality service falls to Jennie Matthews, NAB’s Manager of Front Line Technology & Experience. “We need to ensure that the equipment in the branches is always up and running to support our staff in delivering the best possible customer service”, she says. “That means fixing broken equipment, refreshing it at end of life, and installing it in a new or refurbished branch”.
It’s a demanding task, and Jennie has entrusted it to IMI.
IMI – entrusted with branch technology
With IMI’s support, Jennie can be sure that every branch has the technology it needs to support its customers:
- Fix/replace – if issues with faulty equipment can’t be resolved on the phone, the NAB internal helpdesk calls out an IMI technician. They fix or replace the equipment in the branch, and manage all parts and swap logistics.
- New branches/refurbishments/relocations – IMI installs new technology in NAB’s 30 or so new, refurbished and relocated branches each year, All need to have the right equipment installed to be able to re-open and serve customers.
- End-of-life refresh – IMI manages the rollout of new technology to replace end-of-life equipment every 3-4 years, working outside of opening hours to eliminate customer impact.
It’s demanding work – onsite technicians must be able to fully resolve the issues; new equipment has to be implemented with zero errors; and NAB imposes strict timelines. For staged refurbishments, where the branch remains open, work must take place outside of opening hours. If the branch is shut, there is a tightly managed 2-3 week window for re-opening. For relocations, the old branch will shut on a Friday and the new one open on the Wednesday. All need to have the right equipment installed to be able to re-open and serve customers.
IMI are also active and valued participants in NAB’s process improvement forum, a meeting place for all vendors to identify inefficiencies and work out solutions.
Knowledge, flexibility and a great team
Jennie describes the difference that working with IMI has made to the technology platform in the branch network; “I am confident that the branches will have the equipment they need to serve our customers”, she says. “IMI always go above and beyond to deliver service. Yes, they have their processes, but always with room to move. If we need something a little different, we only have to ask – it can always be done”.
“In the end”, says Jennie, “the relationship with IMI delivers tremendous business value to NAB, because they are so knowledgeable about products and fixes; because of their flexibility and willingness to help; and because of their staff. Every single member of the IMI team, onsite or off, is great. We rarely have any issues, and if we do, we know that IMI will always sort it out”
