SunGard today announced that ABN AMRO, one of Europe's largest banks, has launched a pilot program to test the new message standards released from SWIFT with SunGard's intelliTRACS solution to improve automation in the exceptions and investigations process.
SunGard research, conducted annually at Sibos, shows that 3-5% of all transactions result in exceptions, yet the cost of resolving those exceptions accounts for nearly 80% of back-office expenditure. Currently, the use of free format messages and multiple communication channels do not support automated solutions and the lack of agreed industry practices is creating significant inefficiencies. New message standards will help automate the exceptions and investigations process, and build a significant business case for banks and investment firms to implement automated systems. The new SWIFTNet Exceptions and Investigations solution will help banks see the benefits of increased automation in reducing the resource-intensive and costly activities of exception investigation and resolution, and help in improving customer service levels through quick and efficient resolution of problems.
In late 2003 a SWIFT working group was formed of 15 industry leading banks and two software vendors with the remit to produce new message standards for exceptions and investigations and to release them to the market in a phased approach. The first phase has released 16 standard XML-based messages for pilot.
ABN AMRO has already standardised the Cash & Payments Investigation process across its global network, delivering improved speed of query resolution and improved client satisfaction. The introduction of the SWIFTNet Exceptions & Investigations Solution is the next step in improving this process, by not only standardising SWIFT messaging but also the end-to-end management of Investigations by SWIFT members. Used in conjunction with the intellITRACS solution, ABN AMRO can further enhance the automation opportunities presented by this new messaging standard.
ABN AMRO will lead the intelliTRACS pilot program, by ingesting these standard XML messages from their counterparties into intelliTRACS, SunGard's exception management solution. Once ingested into intelliTRACS, the solution will process these messages and automatically create outbound correspondence to the Bank's counterparties on a file by file basis, demonstrating immediate response to inquiries.
Daniel Cotti, head of global transaction products, ABN AMRO, commented, "We believe the SWIFTNet Exceptions and Investigations solution will help the entire banking community to reduce operational risk and costs and will significantly improve overall client satisfaction. We are pleased to be the first bank to pilot the SWIFTNet Exceptions and Investigations Solution with intelliTRACS to help improve the level of automation in the industry."
Colin Day, director of products and strategy at SunGard's STeP business unit, said, "We are pleased to be participating in the pilot of these new standards and believe that standards are key in delivering improved automation. The recent release of real-time cash reporting messages and the future release of exceptions and investigations messages will help move the industry leaps and bounds."
Lazaro Campos, head of banking industry, SWIFT, commented, "SWIFTStandards XML for exceptions and investigations provides a common business protocol for the financial industry. It sets the foundation for a much larger project as it will be re-used for other business areas. This development in the payments arena complements the cash management portfolio providing tools that banks need to reduce costs, meet customers' business demands, and comply with legal requirements."
A live demonstration of the new SWIFTNet Exceptions and Investigations messages can be seen at Sibos at SunGard booth #C239. SunGard's intelliTRACS solution has been accredited SWIFTNet Ready for Exceptions and Investigations.
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