basic questions to ourselves. do we, as bankers, know how many customers our banking sector serves? do we, as bankers and as customers, know how many products our banks offer? i am sure, the answers based on credible information to both these and many such simple questions are not available with us even after the adoption of cbs technology. “ information ” from “ information technology ” indeed seems to be missing or seriously lacking. 9. globally, after technology adoption, 90 per cent of the banking staff is involved in “ front office ” jobs of enhancing customer base and ensuring customer loyalty. only 10 per cent of the banking staff is involved in “ back office ” jobs. the situation in india even after the adoption of cbs is exactly the reverse. a large part of our back office staff is still heavily involved in the preparation and submission of various returns. to these concerns, i would say that we need a mis server to generate returns automatically. we also need the centralisation of kyc norms and one - window - for - all - functions in the banking sector. a mammoth public sector enterprise like the indian railways has managed to harness it to ensure one - window - for - all - functions. we should then ask ourselves, why the banking sector cannot emulate the same. answer is simple, we need to change our business processes, systems and delivery models. 10. it should help banks not just to deliver robust and reliable services to their customers at a lower cost, but also generate and manage information effectively. information should consist of data which should be collected based on the principles of integrity, reliability, and accuracy. banks are piling up large volumes of data relating to customers and transactions. however, how far has this information been subjected to meaningful analysis, usage and creation of a database with the banking sector, with an objective to meet not only the diversified internal and external mis requirements but also using this information to increase the volume of profitable business using unique techniques of customer relationship management ( crm ), is also not known. 11. this is why, i would say, there is a need to look beyond cbs. in today ’ s world of cut throat competition in the banking sector, retaining customers along with growing customer base has become very important. in order to enhance the effectiveness of the various channels such as branch banking, mobile banking and internet banking, banks may consider the use of a comprehensive crm solution which would enable them to access the entire customer details and provide a 360 degree view across channels

. the changing face of the banking sector aided by technological innovations can be seen from various developments in the recent past. the most noteworthy has been the usage of the atm technology. atms started as substitutes for bank branches allowing their customers to withdraw cash anytime and to extend their services wherever it would not be viable to operate a physical branch. the delivery channel revolution can be said to have begun with the atm. the phenomenal success of atms had made the banking sector develop more innovative delivery channels to build on cost and service efficiencies. as a consequence, banks have begun to introduce tele - banking, call centres, internet banking and mobile banking. 6. tele - banking is a good medium for customers to make routine queries and also an efficient tool for banks to cut down on their manpower resources. the call centre is another channel that captured the imagination of banks as well as customers. at these centres, enormous amount of information is at the fingertips of trained customer service representatives. a call centre not only cuts down on costs but also improves customer satisfaction. moreover, it facilitates 24x7 working and offers the “ human touch ” that customers seek. mobile banking can be regarded as “ the delivery channel of the future ”. this is because it offers portability and convenience to the user. it is just like having a bank in the pocket. 7. it would not have been possible for banks to give the full benefits of tele - banking, mobile banking, internet banking, card banking ( multiple delivery channels ) to all its customers without an appropriate banking solution. centralised cbs has been one such development which has revolutionised the banking sector. cbs can be defined as a solution that enables banks to offer a multitude of customer - centric services on a 24x7 basis from a single location, supporting retail as well as corporate banking activities, as well as all possible delivery channels existing and proposed. the centralisation thus makes a “ one - stop ” shop for financial services a reality. using cbs, customers can access their accounts from any branch, anywhere, irrespective of where they have physically opened their accounts. 8. cbs has now stabilised in the banking sector. most branches of commercial banks, including the rrbs, are being progressively brought into the core - banking fold. so far, 79. 4 per cent of the total number of public sector bank branches has adopted cbs. with this remarkable progress in the adoption of the cbs technology, let us pose a few