OCBC Bank Roll Outs Digital Account Opening Service For Multi National Companies
by Company Announcement December 19, 2018OCBC Bank has rolled out a digital account opening service that simplifies account openings for multi-national companies (MNCs) and other large corporate customers – a first by a bank in Singapore.
With the use of the digital service, the time taken to set up an account can be shortened from months to weeks, in some cases by as much as 75%. The number of data fields has also been reduced from more than 200 to less than 50.
Unlike retail and SME customers, setting up an account for MNCs and large corporates is far more tedious and can take months to complete. As part of the process, these large organisations are typically required by banks to fill in a physical application form that could be as long as 40 pages with more than 200 data fields.
This is due to the complexity of these companies where cross-jurisdictional structures and multiple levels of ownership are not uncommon; some could have operations in 20 – 30 countries and account opening could require upwards of 15 authorized signatories.
With the digital account opening service, the process is made simpler and more convenient with not only a reduction in the time taken to set up an account. The accuracy of data and documents submitted has also improved substantially. Human errors, such as the inconsistent and missing information commonly associated with hardcopy application forms, are minimized. The number of data fields that require the applicant to input has been cut to less than 50.
These are made possible by two key features of the digital account opening service.
- Digital connectivity: Information related to the Singapore operations of the large corporate is auto-populated from the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority’s (ACRA) business registry database, via a service provider.
Where the same information is required in multiple sections, the entry made in the first instance is auto-populated subsequently.
- Dynamic advisory: Based on the company profile and information provided by the applicant, the digital service advises the applicant on the specific documents needed to be submitted thereafter to complete the application. These documents include articles of association, board resolutions and certificates of incumbency.
Elaine Lam
Ms. Elaine Lam, Head of Global Corporate Banking, OCBC Bank, said:
“We want to transform digitally the way MNCs and large corporates engage with banks, a customer segment which is far more complex than others. The roll-out of this digital account opening service is part of an ambitious plan to create new digital touch points and pioneer new solutions to enhance their experience and bring greater value to our customers.”
Featured image credit: Unsplash
