Bank of Baroda is a pioneer in various customer centric initiatives in the Indian banking sector. Bank is amongst first in the industry to complete an all-inclusive rebranding exercise wherein various novel customer centric initiatives were undertaken along with the change of logo. The initiatives include setting up of specialized NRI Branches, Gen-Next Branches and Retail Loan Factories/ SME Loan Factories with an assembly line approach of processing loans for speedy disbursal of loans.

The major ongoing initiatives of the Bank are detailed below:

Business Process Reengineering (BPR)

Bank had initiated a major Business Process Reengineering to give a big boost to sales growth by enhancing customer satisfaction and by making possible alternate channel migration thus reinventing itself to challenges of the 21st century. Bank’s BPR project known as “Project- Navnirmaan” has altogether 18 activities covering both the BPR and organisational restructuring, aimed at transforming the Bank’s branches into modern “sales & service” outlets.

The most important initiatives planned under this project include – (1) Conversion of all metro and urban branches into modern centres known as Baroda Next branches; (2) Creation of Automated and Leaner Back Offices like City Back Office (for automated cheque processing etc), Regional Back Office (for faster account opening etc), Establishment of two Call Centres, Creation of Academy of Excellence, Introduction of Frontline Automation at select branches for customer convenience and Organisational Restructuring.

People Initiatives

Bank is endowed with a competent and motivated employee base which is engaged in handling the extensive business operations of the Bank across the globe. Strategic HR interventions like, according cross border and cross cultural work exposure to its managers, hiring diverse functional specialists to support line functionaries and complementing the technical competencies of its people by imparting conceptual, managerial and leadership skills, gave the Bank competitive advantage. People initiatives were blended with IR initiatives to create an effectively harmonious workplace, where everyone prospered.

Bank launched a comprehensive leadership development program ‘Project UDAAN’ during 2010-11 with the prime objective of creating leaders for the future. Such a massive and comprehensive leadership development effort is unparalleled in the Indian banking industry and first of its kind for any Indian state-owned Bank. These kinds of elaborate man management policies have made the Bank a breeding ground for business leaders. The Bank provided several leaders to the industry- men who went on to build other great institutions.

New Technology Platform

Bank has made substantial progress in its end-to-end business and IT strategy project covering the Bank’s domestic, overseas and subsidiary operations. All Branches, Extension Counters in India, overseas business and five sponsored Regional Rural Banks are on the Core Banking Solution (CBS) platform.

 Bank has been providing to its customers Internet Banking, viz., Baroda Connect and other facilities such as online payment of direct and indirect taxes and certain State Government taxes, utility bills, rail tickets, online shopping, donation to temples and institutional fee payment.  Bank has a wide network of ATMs across the country and has also launched mobile ATMs in select cities. Initiatives have been taken to provide corporate customers with facilities like direct salary upload, trade finance and State Tax payments etc. Bank has introduced Mobile Banking (Baroda M-connect) and prepaid gift cards.

Bank has implemented the Global Treasury Solution in its key territories like UK, UAE, Bahamas, Bahrain, Hong Kong, Singapore and Belgium.  Bank has taken various technological initiatives in overseas operations such as implementation of Centralized SWIFT activity through Data Centre in Mumbai, Payment Messaging System with Anti Money Laundering check, Anti Money laundering Compliance and Online List Matching solution. While Bank implemented Transaction-based Internet Banking facility for its customers in Uganda, Botswana, UAE, New Zealand, Kenya, Mauritius and Seychelles, a Viewbased e-banking facility was made available in Fiji, Oman, Tanzania and UK.

Marketing Initiatives

Ever since its rebranding in 2005, Bank has consistently promoted its major strengths viz. large international presence; technological advancement and superior customer service etc. Bank had introduced the sub brand BARODA NEXT-State of the Art-Straight from the Heart to showcase how it has utilized technology to nurture long term relationships for superior customer experience. The sub brand has been reinforced by alternate delivery channels such as internet banking, ATMs, mobile banking etc and robust delivery outfits like Retail Loan Factories, SME Loan Factories, City Sales Office etc. Bank’s constant endeavor to strengthen its branch/ATM network combined with well informed staff offering personalized service at its various touch points have enhanced customer interactions and satisfaction. Thus the Bank has firmly positioned itself as a technologically advanced customer-centric bank.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Initiatives

Bank has always upheld inclusive growth high on its agenda. Bank has established 36 Baroda Swarojgar Vikas Sansthan (Baroda R-SETI) for imparting training to unemployed youth, free of cost for gainful self employment & entrepreneurship skill development and 52 Baroda Gramin Paramarsh Kendra and for knowledge sharing, problem solving and credit counseling for rural masses across the country, as on 31.03.2011. Bank has also established 18 Financial Literacy and Credit Counseling Centres (FLCC) in order to spread awareness among the rural masses on various financial and banking services and to speed up the process of Financial Inclusion, as on 31.03.2011.

The Future

Revolutionary and discontinuous changes in the operating environment are stark reminders that business success is 'impermanent'. Bank has achieved substantial progress in technology and is continuously integrating multiple platforms of technology to generate synergies. Bank continuously attempts to adapt to the dynamic economic environment while engaging in long term relationships to provide superior customer service.

Bank’s constant endeavor to delight its customers, which is built on its strong fundamentals will make it stronger, more resilient and enable to achieve its vision of to be the Most Admired Bank.