Y Soft
4 min read
Customer Profile
Česká Spořitelna has a rich history as the oldest bank in the Czech market. The bank caters to individuals, SMEs, municipalities, and large corporations, leading the Czech market across multiple financial products and services. Since 2000, it has strengthened its presence in Central Europe as a key member of the Erste Group.
- Industry: Financial institution
- Company size: Nearly 10,000 employees across 369 branches
- Client base: 4.5 million clients
- Location: The Czech Republic
Overview
Česká Spořitelna sought to upgrade its print infrastructure as part of a larger initiative to bring digital service innovation to the Czech Republic. Their IT team defined goals to reduce the bank’s hefty amount of printing equipment without causing disturbance to employees’ printing needs.
Česká Spořitelna contacted their print vendor, Konica Minolta, who recommended Y Soft and SAFEQ 6. A joint project emerged to modernize their print system with mobile devices (4,000 iPads equipped with the SAFEQ 6 mobile app for print management). The goal was to reduce the bank’s printing equipment volume by three quarters to make the system and users more efficient. The project also included Konica Minolta supplying state-of-the-art print solutions across the Erste Bank Group's branches.
Initiating their digital transformation journey, the project addressed several key challenges:
- Better print management security - improve print security and audit trails
- Reduce printing by 25% yearly – cut print costs and paper waste
- Embrace digital workflows - shift towards digital, paperless workflows
- Centralization of operations - overcoming decentralization issues
- Focus on financial savings - prioritize current and long-term cost savings
- Advancing digitalization - align with goals on efficiency and sustainability
Vladislav Duba, Product and Service Group Owner at Česká Spořitelna, confirms that integrating a digital printing system across the bank's extensive network was a challenge for his team.
“A network of over 10,000 employees actively printing with SAFEQ 6, and 4,000 of them using the mobile app, signifies a substantial digital shift for us.”
He highlights, "Security is the highest priority in designing any bank-related solution. In our case, to ensure portable devices, like iPads, work securely and within restricted modes, we needed to make adjustments for compatibility without hindering user productivity."
Moving to SAFEQ 6, with its mobile app, was crucial to tackle the bank's pressing needs:
- Safeguarding client data
- Implementing efficiency-focused technological upgrades
- Adapting to new technologies and processes
In alignment with the print upgrade project, Česká Spořitelna launched the One Device Project, marking the next phase towards their digitalization goals.
One Device Project
The "One Device" project aims to simplify technology use by replacing multiple work devices with just one – an iPad. Instead of separate devices (computer, phone, and tablet), Česká Spořitelna’s bankers now use a single device to check emails, print, conduct meetings, and manage client accounts, making their work more streamlined and mobile.
"This significant shift required adaptations across various technological solutions and applications within the bank. Compatibility and security considerations had to be managed carefully to ensure seamless functionality and data protection," says Duba.
Solution
Česká Spořitelna teamed up with Y Soft and Konica Minolta to upgrade their print management system. Together, we introduced SAFEQ 6 and its mobile application, a modern system that streamlined the bank’s processes and security.
“The journey was complex, especially with integrating a robust print management system and transitioning from a decentralized system to a centralized one in SAFEQ 6.”
According to Duba, the project's success was significantly attributed to the three participating companies' agile collaboration. The joint efforts enabled Česká Spořitelna to see their requirements met and for the project's key objectives to be achieved.
Customized Solution Architecture
Thanks to SAFEQ 6’s building block architecture, we were able to build a suitable print environment from the ground up to align with the bank's operational framework and future strategies. Duba shows appreciation for the solution architects who made a custom-tailored architecture design and thorough documentation for all Erste Group countries.
"I commend the personal responsibility and dedication shown by Y Soft's team, especially the solution architect. Their drive to advance the implementation, even with our limited capacities, truly highlights a partnership based on trust, mutual respect, and a shared pursuit of excellence," says Vladislav Duba.
Impactful Collaboration
- Swift Issue Resolution: Quick information exchange and communication between all parties allowed us to resolve challenges and find effective solutions swiftly.
- Improved Understanding of Requirements: The hands-on partnership enabled Česká Spořitelna to understand the technical details of the project, resulting in improved specifications and implementation plans.
- Flexibility and Adaptability: Regular communication and agile cooperation allowed for flexibility to adjust the implementation strategy as needed.
- Process Optimization: With the right insights, the project group could identify and address ongoing efficiency enhancements.
"Overall, the close cooperation between Česká Spořitelna and Y Soft streamlined and expedited the implementation of new technology, benefiting both parties and strengthening the partnership," adds Duba.
Innovation for Banking
The collaboration with Y Soft and Konica Minolta enabled Duba and his team to adopt their "One Device" project. They deployed SAFEQ 6’s mobile printing application, which facilitated their goals to modernize banking operations and reduce hardware reliance. The solution now meets the bank's current needs and supports their digital vision.
Benefits
"The bank enhanced its document management, especially for its extensive user base. With over 13,000 users in the system, 4,000 users now print exclusively from iPads with the mobile app."
Česká Spořitelna can now process 3 million printed and scanned pages monthly. These jobs are processed on around 2,000 printers. On a peak printing day in August, branches printed a total of 68,793 pages. Tablets accounted for 49,123 pages, while the entire bank printed 106,249 pages overall. In the same timeframe, more than 470,000 scans are performed, and around 260,000 jobs sent out, all while maintaining security and device compatibility.
The bank achieved its goals of reducing printing every year and omitting redundant hardware (supplied with modern, SAFEQ 6-powered Konica Minolta printers).
- Total number of printers is2,468 (at the time of implementing mobile printing)
- June 2023, total pages printed: (monthly average): 2,491,738 pages
- January 2024, total pages printed (monthly average): 1,959,706 pages
- Percentage Reduction in Prints: 21.36% (post-application deployment)
The transition to tablets as part of the One Device project has helped Česká spořitelna reduce the number of physical devices by 1,000, underscoring the bank's ongoing efforts to adopt eco-friendly practices and minimize its environmental footprint.
Implementing a mobile app marks a significant milestone in Česká Spořitelna's digital transformation. It greatly enhanced the operational efficiency of banking processes, strengthened the bank's defense against cyber threats, and facilitated a shift towards a more efficient, paperless banking operation model.
With a joint project and clear goals, we managed to turn ambitious plans into reality on Česká Spořitelna's path to digital transformation.
We want to thank Česká Spořitelna and Vladislav Duba for helping us present new contexts on SAFEQ 6’s benefits. Their enthusiasm and dedication helped us get well-rounded insight into their experience with the product to share with others who may be interested in Y Soft solutions.
