Overcoming silos to improve processes from the customer's perspective
With over 54 million customers, operations in 70 countries and 160,000 employees worldwide, Credit Agricole is one of the largest banks in Europe. Its investment banking arm, Credit Agricole Corporate & Investment Bank (CA-CIB) launched a Lean Six Sigma initiative. Within this Operational Efficiency Programme, the Cash Payments process - which covers cash management services and products like wire transfers, etc. - was identified as one area of opportunity in which to make substantial improvement.
The company applied Lean Six Sigma tools and techniques to tackle the problem, which included redefining the Front to Back Office process (from the Front Office through to Operations) and developed solutions that challenged not just the process, but also how the business line itself was organised. A productivity gain of more than 10% was delivered across the large front to back team and key to success was a concerted effort to engage business users at every step of the way.
The project was launched as part of the bank’s PRIME Programme, a multi-year process optimisation programme. It aims at improving all the "end-to-end" operational processes of CA-CIB in order to strengthen the quality of client service, improve global efficiency by promoting synergies and working across processes, reduce costs and reinforce the management of risk.
For their work, innovative approach and outstanding results, the company won PEX Network’s award for Best Process Improvement Project Over 90 days, a pan-European award judged on operational and business results as well as clarity in execution throughout the process and sustainability of change.