Аlexander Nikolenko, Tascombank: “We have a Corezoid-based managed sales model designed for SMB”

05 June 2019


Alexander Nikolenko, Deputy Chairman of the Board, TAS24 Business project manager “TAS24 Business”, TASCOMBANK

Alexander, please tell us what you are working on at TASCOMBANK?

2 years ago, I joined the bank team with an innovative project aiming to launch an online bank for business. We started from scratch: we developed products, set up processes, created a new system of remote service. At first, we targeted the “micro” segment, but a year later we extended an area of our interest to a full-fledged small and middle-sized business.

We focused on doing all things in “digital channels”.

We focused on doing all things in “digital channels”. We started transferring to online everything what traditionally required paperwork and visits to the departments.

As soon as manual labor appears in SMB servicing, it becomes economically unfeasible to invest in work with this segment. If our employees spend hours pushing papers and pressing the buttons, we will have to introduce high service fees, which does not meet market demands, or abandon the idea altogether.

Some banks, every once in a while, get filled with enthusiasm to drastically “run in” on the SMB segment. At first it seems that this segment of the market is underloved and is not covered. But as soon as the bank sees that providing customer service in the old way takes too much time and digitizing the processes is problematic, it winds up such projects.

We went upon another tack. We developed new, lightweight and simplified products. We try to do virtually everything in electronic channels. Even loans are made 100% online, without using a single piece of paper. The service procedures in almost all operations, wherever it was technically possible, have been brought to 24/7. We made cool iOS and Android applications, as evidenced by good App Store and Google Play ratings.

We build processes in Corezoid whenever we feel that we need dynamics

How did Corezoid appear at TASCOMBANK?

I used to work with Corezoid in PrivatBank. Naturally, knowing what Corezoid is needed for, I brought this technology to TASCOMBANK. Each time we set up a new business process within the SMB team, we ask ourselves a question: are we going to hardcore the data or we’d better use Corezoid? We build processes in Corezoid whenever we feel that we need dynamics, whenever there is a desire to change something almost every day, to experiment on the fly, to run several different options of a business process with a final assessment of efficiency.

Can you give examples?

For example, for online lending, we should first get an application from a customer. Needless to say, that we have created a landing page, created a loan application form, but this application needs then to be pushed through many stages, including communication. I mean, the call center should call and confirm that the customer really wants to get a loan under the stated conditions. A call is generated. As soon as the operator fixes that “yes”, the customer confirms his intention, yields to the loan terms, the loan terms are clear to him, a web form for filling out the questionnaire and sending documents is generated. A link to this form is sent to the customer’s email address. We are waiting for the requested data. As soon as the data is received, the application is forwarded to the loan center and, in parallel, the processes of automatic verification using various data sources are started. The system should wait for answers from all sources and compile the information received, and either to immediately issue an automatic refusal or forward the application for consideration. Not to be kept in the dark, the customer or the author of the application (if it is a seller or employee) is informed via email about the status of his application at each stage of the application processing.

If the customer got stuck with the provision of information at a certain point and the bank is still waiting for some data from him, an escalation scenario is started: the bank waits for 2 days and then calls the customer if no data has been provided. If we failed to get through, we call him once again in a day. These events must be started automatically, otherwise the process control begins to have too much human factor and the cost of monitoring increases.

Without Corezoid, it would be difficult to organize a chain of our actions. Probably, we would have had to put pluses and minuses in Excel.

Without Corezoid, it would be difficult to organize a chain of our actions. Probably, we would have had to put pluses and minuses in Excel.

And most importantly, the business process in Corezoid is formalizable, it is visually understandable. You don’t need to be a qualified programmer to set it and make changes. In Corezoid, there are dashboards that enable tracking every step with regard to each application. For example, having worked under some scenario for a week, we come to conclusion that step X is unnecessary but some communication is lacking. We correct the problem easily in Corezoid. Therefore, Corezoid specialists, who use different APIs to create business logic, is a must-have supplement to our front-end and back-end teams.

Have you set your customer communications for Corezoid as well?

Yes. In fact, all communications in SMB are set for Corezoid. Advertising campaigns are set for Corezoid.

Why is it especially important in the business segment? One-time selling communications do not work. Chains of communication events are needed here. For example, we want to sell acquiring to a customer. We set up sending of the first e-mail, then the second one, then an sms, and then making calls. Each stage needs branching. When we call a customer, different responses are possible. The customer may say, “Send me the presentation via email”. The operator fixes the answer and Corezoid sends the presentation immediately.

If the customer says, “OK, I’m interested. I want a face-to-face meeting to be organized with me”, the operator then presses the button “Customer wants a meeting”, and the business process of organizing a meeting starts immediately. The gateway distributor determines which city the customer is in and who of the bank employees will meet him.

The outcome of the meeting is fixed and then new processes are initiated. If the employee, based on the result of the meeting, pressed the button “Customer agrees, for example, to take a loan, he wants an XXX sum for 3 years”, then an application is formed and transferred by Corezoid to the loan register where other processes are started up.

As a matter of fact, we have a Corezoid-based managed sales model.

We are not waiting for a bank employee to figure out who to go to and why. We make appointments from the head office. For each customer, we predetermine the products which, in our opinion, will be useful to him. We have a Big Data mini-division at our bank that uses many different parameters and attributes to determine the optimal set of offers for each customer. The offers are waiting in the wings. As soon as communication with the customer by call or by meeting is initiated, the offers “enter” there, and further steps are structured depending on the customer’s response.

If we didn’t have Corezoid at our bank, we would have to work in the “piece-by-piece” communication mode: load the base for contacts, make a contact, fix statuses, and then figure out what to do next with them. In Corezoid, new statuses spawn subsequent processes automatically.

We transferred the functions of managing communications procedures to Corezoid.

We also manage communications procedures in Corezoid. I’ll tell you a story. There was time when reimbursements to our customers for acquiring were credited to their accounts the following day, closer to noon. We accelerated this business process, and the customers began to receive their refunds at night. That is, you open your eyes in the morning - and the money is already in your account. But an sms about crediting an account also began to arrive at night! And this was inconvenient.

Setting up rules for sending sms on the processing side is unrealistic, moreover, it is not their function. Therefore, we transferred the functions of managing communications procedures to Corezoid. When it comes to communication channels, we have calls, push, email, sms, personal meetings. Now we consider working with messengers on the basis of Corezoid.

Corezoid decides what information, whom, when and to which channel is to be sent. If it’s a customer’s expense, we understand that he should be informed about it even at night. If a customer has an active mobile application, he will be sent a push notification. If not, then an sms. If it’s not a customer’s expense but, for example, the bank has charged a bank fee or a refund for the acquiring has hit the account, such notifications will wait until morning.

What are your plans for expanding Corezoid-based projects?

We are trying to use Corezoid in a new block of online accounting. Again, we started with the communication part. After that, when we get to procedural actions and calendars, when we need to structure operations on a scheduled basis (we count taxes on this day, we send taxes on this day, we generate something else on this day), here Corezoid as an engine will help us call the necessary APIs, collect appropriate information and turn it into something useful.

At the first stage, our online accounting will work in the mode of useful tips. We will show the calendar to customers, make reminders, etc. When we make sure that everything works correctly with independent management, on the basis of our recommendations, then the customers will be able to charge us with doing some things for them, for example, generate reports according to the procedure, calculate taxes, send payments.

Our main goal is to minimize manual labor in doing accounts, both on the bank side and on the client side.

Do you have enough APIs to build the necessary processes?

Yes. We order API development from our IT department. We received necessary services to work from the Operation Bank Day, from the processing center, etc. Who is needed is an involved technologist “with shining eyes”, who has the task to launch the product. He goes through all the stages, describes what should work and how, orders necessary APIs from the IT department. Without the energy of a business customer, no APIs will appear at the bank by themselves.

In terms of technology, I confess, we tried to look for alternatives to Corezoid but realized that there are no alternatives to it at the moment :)