Challenge.
As one of the biggest savings banks in the state of Saxony, Sparkasse Chemnitz aspires to environmentally-friendly and sustainable business, which is why it is aiming to make its operations completely climate-neutral by 2035. To this end, energy, water and paper are used sparingly in line with the combined digital/analogue consultation and services approach it’s been following since 2019. Financial transactions are carried out digitally on the bank’s own banking platform, but Sparkasse Chemnitz were looking for a way to also digitalise the documents brought in by its customers in such a way as to accelerate processing, particularly of loan applications. The aim was for documents to be scanned early on in the process by customer advisors so that they can be sent to the processing department before being archived. The only documents that should still be physically added to customers’ files are policies, vehicle titles, and other collateral. However, digital files have to be handled in accordance with very strict regulations and seamlessly integrate into the bank’s processes. Sparkasse Chemnitz were therefore looking for a partner to provide a certified archiving solution to fill the gap before final storage in the group’s own data centre.
As a savings bank, we are bound by very strict data-protection regulations and Bechtle, as a certified partner and IT service provider for the S-Finanzgruppe and Finanz Informatik, knows these inside out. Bechtle DOCS proved to be the perfect solution for customer documents either delivered by hand or e-mailed and as a certified archive solutions provider, Bechtle was able to roll out a digitalisation solution that was perfectly tailored to Finanz Informatik’s strict requirements.
Tobias Uhlig, Head of Process Management, Sparkasse Chemnitz
Solution.
When it comes to digital document processing, many savings banks rely on Bechtle DOCS and its security standards, developed together with Sparkasse. Bechtle DOCS runs in the Sparkasse group’s own data centre in accordance with its stringent policies and is therefore as secure as any other Sparkasse application. The web application is an exact replication of the bank’s paper folders allowing files to be scanned and archived and even edited. Sparkasse Chemnitz also decided to leverage Bechtle DOCS for its electronic loan processing. To ensure that digital documents replaced their paper cousins, Bechtle mapped the entire workflow associated with lending processes in Bechtle DOCS, creating a digital desk for employees to edit the scanned documents. Naturally, Bechtle DOCS adheres to statutory banking regulations. Consequently, the solution does not mesh with other banking processes running on the bank’s existing systems, while it does integrate as much as possible, docking onto the various systems’ APIs to exchange relevant information. The first step towards introducing Bechtle DOCS saw Bechtle train administrators on the tool, rolling out the system in the data centre together. The existing decentralised scan systems were expanded to include a scanner with QR code recognition and Bechtle also set up a central mailbox. After a period of extensive and tailored training, Sparkasse Chemnitz employees were involved in a test phase to clarify any open questions. This and the fact that the digital system almost exactly replicates the former paper system saw employees rapidly embrace the new way of working.
Business benefits.
Bechtle DOCS has given Sparkasse Chemnitz employees fast and perpetual access to all important documents and processing has become a breeze thanks to the editing possibilities on the new digital system. This not only saves time, it also lowers indirect costs and is the next step towards the sustainable business practices Sparkasse Chemnitz is striving to achieve.