Standard Corporate and Merchant Bank (SCMB) has contracted with Software Futures to project manage the development and rollout of Phase 2 of Best, its new-generation, Internet-enabled electronic banking system.
Phase 1 is in its pilot phase and is being rolled out to clients. It is due to go live in the third quarter. Five Software Futures contractors and 15 SCMB people make up the team working on Phase 2.
The system features a Java browser-based front-end, Corba (common object request broker architecture) middleware and interfaces to SCMB`s Natural Adabas and Cobol legacy back-end. Inprise`s VisiBroker has been chosen as the Corba middleware for SCMB, and clients can choose between Internet Explorer or NetScape for their browser.
Magnus Taljaard, director for IT for SCMB, says the bank had decided in July 1997 that it needed to replace its existing electronic banking system to deliver banking services to its 2 000 clients, and Standard Bank`s 15 000 commercial clients, via the Internet. Historically clients have accessed the bank`s services via IBM terminal emulation and through videotex services.
"We wanted to provide electronic banking to the business market, and to make it as friendly as possible," says Taljaard. "Delivering it via the browser was the logical route.
"We contracted Software Futures to try and determine best market practice, for top project management skills and for their expertise in the architecture domain," says Taljaard. "On a project of this nature project management is utterly critical, or we will battle to deliver the project on time, to specification and within budget. And with the organisational changes we are undergoing, we need to apply solid architectural disciplines.
"The introduction of objects has meant a fundamental change to our approach. Software Futures understands what`s the best available technology, understands the methodologies and theories and can make them work in practice."
Paul Mare, MD of FutureWorks, who has been managing the account, says the combined team has placed a heavy emphasis on delivery, risk management and people management. "We have adopted an incremental approach to software development, ensuring we deliver increments on time. We are making use of all the latest object technologies such as use case modelling and iterative development to make sure we deliver benefit early and predictably. We use the right degree of formality to manage project deliverables and risk, and recognise that motivated and enthusiastic team members are key to project success."
"This is not just a pretty HTML front-end, but full-blown Java development, with much of the logic executing on the client," adds Taljaard. He adds that SCMB is looking to extend the success of this project to other divisions within Standard.
"We are looking to come out of this project with a workable project management approach, one that can become a standard in the organisation."
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