What are the main functions of your role?
I work on building and managing applications that maintain customer data in B-North, the system is called nCino which is built on top of the Salesforce platform. nCino is one of the top cloud solution providers in the banking sector. The main functions of my role will include, configuring data according to business needs, and ensuring these configurations work as expected. I was also involved in maintaining a process for system deployment and making sure that it is available all of the time with no fail-outs.
How integral is B-North’s technology infrastructure to the mission of delivering a bank?
For a company like B-North, where the integral part of the business is commercial lending, technology plays a major role. Customers today are very technology savvy in their day to day activities, so we must be too. The better the technology the better upgrade to speed that we can deliver to stakeholders, which will, in turn, help Lending Managers/Lending Directors to be able to close the deals more efficiently and deliver a better customer experience. On top of this, using cloud-based data will provide extra security to our systems, keeping important data safe.
How does developing a system on a ‘blank canvas’ at a new bank compare to working around existing structures at an established lender?
Before I started working at B-North, I worked for a large well-established multinational organisation, which had a huge set of process and procedures built over decades. This set of rules and process guidelines had to be followed closely, and most of the processes couldn't be changed when an issue was identified. It was very difficult to make any improvements to the system. Working at B-North is completely different. I am blown away by the amount of flexibility offered by my team. This allows me to try out various ways of doing things, from which I can then choose the best-suited option for the needs of the business. Customers’ expectations from corporate IT is constantly growing, therefore at B-North, our target is delivering no less than expectation beating technical advances. I am happy and confident in saying that B-North has left no stone unturned in finding the best solutions.
How important is it to make sure B-North's system uses the latest technology?
New technology is essential for any business, especially start-ups. Not only can new tech increase profitability and efficiency within the bank and also provides effective security. Especially during the pandemic, our extensive use of tech makes work for the B-North team much easier. By using cloud solutions like Microsoft teams, nCino, MAMBU the core banking platform, and, many others, we have been able to achieve great things!
To stay ahead, many SMEs will look to develop their IT capabilities, what advice would you give them when starting a new project?
The one suggestion I provide to new project teams is to be aware of the latest advancements in technology, and understand customer demands, and choose the best tool based on this.
Outside of work, how do you like to spend your spare time?
I have a simple and small world with 2 kids and I really enjoy spending time doing yoga. I also love to cook, which I do almost 2-3 times a day.
