CIO 100: ASB Bank

THE ICT TEAM at ASB Bank is driven to think differently – to see the organisation as more than a bank, and as a technology company that is licensed and trusted to provide financial services.

This shifting perspective comes as the bank faces an increasingly digital world and a changing competitive market.

ASB CEO Barbara Chapman highlighted these when she said, “The financial services industry is evolving rapidly as customers embrace digital technology to access and manage their finances…Providing our customers the most seamless and innovative mobile and online experience remains a core strategic focus.” Chapman said ASB will continue to invest in building its frontline capacity in specialist areas, while remaining focused on maintaining its leadership in technology and innovation.

The 515-member ICT team takes this perspective in the range of programmes they are implementing with other business areas and with external partners.

ASB continues to announce a steady stream of enhancements to its mobile banking. The Card Control function, for instance, allows customers to manually lock their credit or debit card temporarily and impose a range of restrictions on how and where their card can be used. The app has had 100,000 unique users since the launch last year.

ASB says the app has accelerated the customer shift to mobile banking, with users of the ASB Mobile app having grown by around 37 per cent.

Working with marketing, procurement and external partners, the ICT team developed ‘Clever Kash’, a cashless moneybox designed to make saving money fun for children and introduce good financial habits as society becomes increasingly cashless. Instead of holding coins, Clever Kash accepts virtual money from the ASB Mobile app. It connects kids to their savings through the use of touch and interactivity.