CommBank: Tech chief recounts Murray era

"In terms of the CommSee platform, the branch platform, that's been rolled out. So that's complete and there are ongoing releases of that platform as you would expect from any system," Girn said.

Murray's departure would not create any change in project strategy, according to Girn. "David's moving off now, so we have a new CEO coming. So it's about maintaining the momentum we have as we get a new CEO in," he said.

"You don't just suddenly stop, the vision carries on."

That vision was not easy to realise in technology terms, however. Girn said Murray's 'Which new Bank?' mandate for IT was to "create one strategy for the bank, but make sure it can be realised".

The IT department developed their strategy, but at first found it "extremely difficult" to win Murray's support, he said.

"David's made, about four years ago, a lot of comments, particularly in front of the technology community, on his view of technology.

"It was difficult. The approach we used was really 'What could technology do from a financial perspective and also a customer service perspective'," he said.

"So we really put the full stop after his view and then said 'OK, well you've got that view, but this is what it can do when it's managed correctly'. So that vision was put to him and the vision of having one architecture."

The technology staff later won management buy-in, and support for their vision.

"It was basically driven by David over the last three of four years. So he's come around," Girn said.

The imperative to deliver on time and on budget also led the Bank to alter traditional business practices.

"We have a view that it's just not the IT strategy that needs to be in place to deliver to the corporate strategy," he said.

"To deliver the IT strategy you need two other things. An IT management, or operating model, which defines the roles and responsibilities...and coupled with that you need a sourcing strategy.

"One of the things we found was, for the 'Which new Bank' program we went through, we had to make some clear decisions upfront on the operating model, and where we were going to source the services from.

"In quite a lot of those instances they deviated from the traditional agreements we had in place. So yes the large CommSee platform was developed by inhouse staff, which is not what most people would have expected given most of our technology is outsourced to EDS."

Technology functions also changed internally.

"At the time we had one architecture department; we basically broke it up into two," Girn said.

"We had something called solution architecture emerging, which was really project level engagement to deliver the architecture.

"Through the solution architecture process, we brought in the development design expertise...from a data security infrastructure perspective.

"What was introduced here was a natural tension between long term direction standpoint and the needed imperative to deliver. That tension still exists, but it was one that was introduced on purpose to actually get that execution focus."

Despite the end to 'Which new Bank' looming, and a new CEO imminent, Girn again reiterated that there would be no major changes to the IT operations of CBA.

Rather, they would follow the same program, he said.

"In terms of where we are now...maybe most people think we're still in 'Which new Bank' and we're chugging along.

"We're now drawing towads the end of 'Which new Bank' and the final stages of implementation. As of two months ago, this cycle of vision and strategy started again. So some parts of the business are still in the implementation phase, and other parts are in the vision and strategy phase for the next cycle.

"Some people start saying 'Oh, Which new Bank 2', but I think as we go into the next few months we'll shape what has to be done in the next few years."

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Talkback 4 comments

    David Murray was correct - The IT Bankers got it WRONG Anonymous -- 22/09/05 (in reply to #120121294)

    David Murray was correct - The IT Bankers got it WRONG. Their upgrade became a downgrage from clients point of view and they are not interested in providing reasonable service responses to enquiries.

    What a piece of incoherent drivel this story is! Anonymous -- 11/10/05

    Basically makes about much sense as David Murray, actually.

    Which New Bank has been about the Bank trying to re-define itself, getting totally lost, losing customer focus, and blaming it all on I.T. CBA's real problem is an ingrained corporate culture that rewards bad customer service, mindless servitude to process, and sticking it to your suppliers. In the end, the only thing that matters to CBA CEO is the share price, and under Murray, even that was pretty average.

    The latest television advertising is an insult to customers and a very good demonstration of how the Bank cannot percieve the discontent of it's own customers.

    Commvenience - does not exist Anonymous -- 12/10/05

    I agree. The bank has lost its way and needs to look at the requirements of it's customers. After all, they pay for all the stuff-ups in the end.

    Digital is more than a website A.C. -- 14/10/05

    I just had an appalling experience with the Commonwealth Bank, bad enough that I'm moving all my business from there as soon as possible.

    There were a lot of problems, but of relevance to this site is the industrial age attitude of the bank. They insist on sending paper forms by post, refusing to send a digital form or even to scan the forms and e-mail them so they only have to be posted back. Completely useless.

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