A series of projects for the operational transformation of a city commercial bank
In 2018, driven by the need to control risks and enhance quality and efficiency, this bank initiated the planning and construction of operational transformation. Through the overall planning, the operational goals were clarified, and the operational department was repositioned as the bank's financial infrastructure. Based on this positioning, the operational governance model and organization were optimized and adjusted. Additionally, twelve major transformation thematic tasks were planned, including operational organizational transformation, branch efficiency, customer journey, cross-departmental business sharing, operational automation, operational shared capabilities enhancement, operational risk, enterprise-level process management, operational value assessment, and the construction of operational data mart. After four years of dedicated construction, the planning and design goals were achieved. Furthermore, in 2023, the effectiveness of operational transformation was retrospectively evaluated and analyzed, and the direction and thinking for the next stage of transformation were determined.
Organizational Optimization in Operations
The boundaries and responsibilities of operational functions were clearly defined, and a cross-departmental collaboration mechanism was established for governance-related roles. The organizational structure and personnel capabilities within the operations line were adjusted, with the formation of specialized delivery and premium service teams.
Innovation in Operating Models
Prioritizing shared services, certain decentralized operational management functions across various business lines were gradually consolidated under a centralized operations cluster for unified management. A service-on-demand model was introduced to enable asynchronous, real-time service delivery. Additionally, physical branches were transformed to become more intelligent and integrated—reducing reliance on tellers while enhancing marketing capabilities. A service level and tiering system was also established, accompanied by formal Service Level Agreements (SLAs) signed with business units.
Process Management
Efforts were made to build a bank-wide process management organization and a comprehensive, multidimensional process governance framework. Operational processes were optimized through automation, simplification, centralization, and standardization.
Operational Digitalization
End-to-end processes—from application and approval to disbursement—were streamlined by eliminating breakpoints and achieving the convergence of information flow, image flow, and workflow. An operational risk governance framework was developed, along with an intelligent monitoring system to support the application of various risk models. Digital management tools, such as SLA tracking, KPIs, production dashboards, and intelligent scheduling, were established. Additionally, operational value assessment metrics were introduced to support continuous improvement in service delivery quality.