CUA’s new core banking system sets it up for the future

CUA, Australia’s largest customer-owned financial institution and Tata Consultancy Services (BSE: 532540, NSE: TCS), a leading global IT Services, Business Solutions and Consulting firm, have successfully implemented a new core banking system, ensuring CUA’s capability to provide better priced, more flexible and innovative products and services to customers into the future.

CUA and TCS also simultaneously launched CUA’s new Online Banking service, using TCS BaNCS software.

According to Sue Coulter, General Manager, Business Transformation and Core Banking Project Director, this significant project underpins the company’s growth and transformation strategy as well as further strengthening its position as a leader among its peers and as a genuine challenger in the Australian financial services market.

“Our new core banking system provides a single integrated approach across all consumer banking products, including transaction banking, lending, mortgages and deposits, as well as online and mobile access. This level of real-time integration places CUA in a leading position within the retail banking industry in Australia.

“This hasn’t just been a large technology project; it has been the driver of significant business transformation. The replacement of a core banking system is an incredibly complex project and for an organisation of our size to manage such a smooth systems transition in tandem with the launch of a new Online Banking service is a great achievement,” said Ms Coulter.

Chris Whitehead, Chief Executive Officer, CUA, said, “Our extensive preparations – while certainly demanding on our people who balanced them against the continued delivery of business as usual – proved invaluable and we now have a system that gives us the flexibility we need for the future.

“Immediately following the transition of our systems, our priority was to ensure stabilisation and be available to assist our customers with any enquiries. We have worked hard to manage a few system changes to some of our payments and processes and have kept our customers fully informed every step of the way,” he said.

Like many financial institutions in Australia, CUA’s previous core banking system was over 20 years old.

The decision to replace it with a modern, scalable and configurable TCS BaNCS system ensures we will be able to improve internal processes and efficiencies, facilitate enhanced customer service and enable the development of better, more flexible products.

Colin Sword, Country Head, TCS Financial Solutions – Australia and New Zealand, said, “We are pleased to go live with our TCS BaNCS software solution at CUA. TCS BaNCS will assist CUA to automate its banking processes and provide best-in-class customer service, thereby maximising operational efficiency and minimizing risk. CUA’s new Online Banking platform will also provide customers with a modern, new look coupled with an easy to navigate Online Banking experience. I would like to congratulate CUA and the team on this transformation success.”

Across the duration of the project, the teams from CUA and TCS also worked closely with Cuscal which provided technical support and systems testing as well as critical support over the systems’ transition.

According to Mr Whitehead, CUA expects its new core banking system to bring significant customer and business benefits over the long term.

“The initial improvements from our new system are largely internally focused, including improved internal efficiencies, more user friendly and intuitive interfaces and streamlined processes. However, customers are already experiencing better service due to the single holistic view our frontline staff now have of their profile, product and service requirements and we expect to be able to introduce further customer and product improvements later this financial year,” he said.

The first release of CUA’s revamped Online Banking service offers customers an immediate range of improved features and functionality, including updated security via an SMS security code, enhanced menu options and the ability to open an eSaver or Term Deposit account quickly and easily.

Mr Whitehead concluded, “Like our old core banking system, our previous Web Banker system served us well, but was unable to meet our customers’ needs for the future. Our new Online Banking service gives us a platform to make ongoing feature and functionality improvements and we are already working on a range of short and long-term upgrades to ensure we provide the best possible service to our customers.”

About CUA

As Australia’s largest customer-owned financial institution, CUA provides banking services to more than 400,000 Australians across the country and is emerging as a competitive force in Australian banking. CUA is 100% owned by its customers, not shareholders, with profits reinvested back in to the business in the form of more competitive products, better interest rates and lower fees. For more information, please visit: www.cua.com.au

About Tata Consultancy Services Ltd. (TCS)

Tata Consultancy Services is an IT services, consulting and business solutions organization that delivers real results to global business, ensuring a level of certainty no other firm can match. TCS offers a consulting-led, integrated portfolio of IT, BPS, infrastructure, engineering and assurance services. This is delivered through its unique Global Network Delivery Model, recognised as the benchmark of excellence in software development. A part of the Tata group, India’s largest industrial conglomerate, TCS has over 285,250 of the world’s best-trained consultants in 44 countries. The company generated consolidated revenues of US $11.6 billion for year ended March 31, 2013 and is listed on the National Stock Exchange and Bombay Stock Exchange in India.

For more information, visit us at www.tcs.com

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