HSBC goes “agile” in major global operations split

PEX Network’s weekly news bulletin rounds up the latest from the process community including operational excellence (OPEX), digital transformation, business process management (BPM), process mining, artificial intelligence (AI) and much more.

This week includes:

• HSBC goes “agile” in major global operations split
• OrthoLite hires Adidas veteran as VP of OPEX
• Japan Airlines celebrates 10 years of OPEX & business transformation
• OPEX transforms hiring process at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• FirstPort Group appoints Jo Green as director of OPEX
• BPM360 Podcast airs live at Celosphere 2024
• Convex accelerates delivery of business operations

HSBC goes “agile” in major global operations split

Banking giant HSBC is to divide its global operations into eastern and western markets as part of a major shake-up under its new chief executive, Georges Elhedery. The move will help the company operate as a “simpler, more dynamic and agile organization,” according to Elhedery. The major overhaul will see HSBC split into four lines of business, merging its commercial and institutional banking divisions, reported BBC.

Under the plans, the bank will create separate business units in the UK and Hong Kong. There will also be two other operations – corporate and institutional banking and international wealth and premier banking. Businesses in these operations will fall into either eastern markets (including the Asia-Pacific region and the Middle East) or western markets (covering the UK, continental Europe, Latin America and North America). “The changes that we are announcing today will make it easier for our colleagues to serve our customers and drive the future success of the group,” said Elhedery.

Pradheep Kileti, National Grid, discusses balancing operations and innovation

OrthoLite hires Adidas veteran as VP of OPEX

Footwear company OrthoLite appointed Raj Santhana (left) as its new VP of OPEX to lead the firm’s manufacturing excellence and innovation as well as automation and digital transformation. Santhana, who spent seven years at Adidas in director roles, will work closely with the company’s global foam innovation team in a new satellite office located in Singapore to further OrthoLite’s global commitment to innovate and manufacture the world’s best and most proven footwear foams, according to a press release.

“In addition to his vast expertise in the footwear industry, Raj holds two engineering degrees and he will be critical to driving OPEX programs for our global team of 3,200 people at OrthoLite’s owned manufacturing facilities around the world,” said Richard Bevan, COO of OrthoLite.

Japan Airlines celebrates 10 years of OPEX & business transformation

Japan Airlines celebrated a decade of successful OPEX and business transformation in partnership with CHAMP Cargosystems. Together, the pair have collaborated on numerous transformative projects to enhance operations and innovations. Members of both companies gathered in Tokyo to commemorate this achievement and highlight the shared accomplishments of the past 10 years.

“It is our pleasure to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of Japan Airlines going live with Cargospot in 2014,” commented Yuichiro Kito, executive officer, SVP, head of cargo and mail at Japan Airlines. “Not only have we achieved the initial goals of our technology transformation and digitalization, but we have also seen the benefits CHAMP has brought to both JAL users and our customers’ experience. JAL and CHAMP are united in their commitment to continuous development.”

Nao Anthony, Commonwealth Bank, and Tariq Munir, PepsiCo, explore the complexities and challenges of digital transformation

OPEX transforms hiring process at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

OPEX is key to strategic initiatives at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, according to a new university blog. Under the Office of the Chancellor, the OPEX team collaborates with campus partners to promote excellence and efficiency across Carolina. Guided by the Action Research model – a cyclical process developed by social scientist Kurt Lewin in the 1940s – the team focuses on continuous improvement to ensure the changes are sustainable and long-term.

“Action Research isn’t just a theoretical framework. It’s a practical tool that drives our team’s success,” said Rick Wernoski, associate vice chancellor for OPEX. “Our approach of planning, acting, observing and reflecting means that every project is feedback-driven and focused on long-term sustainability. We adapted the model to fit how we engage with our university partners. The approach makes sure we are responsive to the evolving needs and challenges of Carolina and keeps a level of consistency across team members and campus partners.”

Earlier this year, the OPEX team assessed the faculty hiring process in partnership with the Office of Human Resources and the Office of Faculty Affairs. Working with leadership, faculty and staff from all of Carolina’s 15 schools, the team identified pain points in the University’s faculty hiring process. The results revealed inconsistencies within the process that could cause the University to miss out on securing world-class talent. The OPEX team is now rolling out a series of solutions and helpful tools for hiring managers and human resources, including a position description guide, faculty hiring playbook and streamlined position creation process.

FirstPort Group appoints Jo Green as director of OPEX

The FirstPort Group, the UK’s leading property management and asset services provider, appointed Jo Green as director of OPEX. The move reflects the group’s aim to become the property manager of choice for clients by driving OPEX, according to a press release. Green brings close to two decades of experience in both large international corporate and rapid scale startup structures within the UK’s build to rent and residential property management sectors. In her new role, Green will be “instrumental” in achieving OPEX across all areas of the business by driving improvements through capability and process analysis and implementing best practice, the firm stated.

“By embedding professionalism and OPEX across all areas of our business, Jo will assist us in helping The FirstPort Group achieve its ambition is to become the property manager of choice for clients who seek an efficient, proactive and technology-led service, supported by expertise in complex legal, compliance and regulatory matters,” said Martin King, managing director of The FirstPort Group.

BPM360 Podcast airs live at Celosphere 2024

A new episode of the BPM360 Podcast was recorded live at Celosphere 2024, the process intelligence conference organized by leading process vender Celonis. Co-hosts Russell Gomersall and Caspar Jans interviewed process excellence Kerry Brown and thought leader Oliver Zeller, the founder of Symbio, on digital transformation and what it takes to make investments successful. “Don't miss it, this is highly relevant and connects process management with process mining to build a system for users,” posted Tom Thaler, product management lead at Celonis.

Tony Benedict, Association of BPM Professionals International, discusses breaking down silos in process management

Convex accelerates delivery of business operations

International specialty insurer and reinsurer, Convex, signed a multi-year deal with EXL to accelerate the delivery of its business operations. The partnership seeks to improve efficiency and customer experience, delivering a more cost-effective, scalable and resilient operating model, according to a press release. This will allow Convex to continue to maintain its client-centric focus and growth momentum while drawing on EXL’s deep expertise in insurance operations and market-proven AI and data capabilities, it added.

“We selected EXL as a strategic partner because we felt they aligned well with our values while demonstrating a strong capability and drive to leverage cutting-edge technology and data in the delivery of services,” said Adrian Spieler, COO at Convex.

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