NDB crowned Best Consumer Digital Bank in Sri Lanka by Global Finance USA

National Development Bank PLC emerged as the ‘Winner – Sri Lanka’ under the World’s Best Consumer Digital Banks category of the World’s Best Digital Bank Awards 2019 conducted by the prestigious US based finance and banking sector publication – The Global Finance. NDB was the only Sri Lankan domestic bank to win an award at this program, and joined reputed regional peers such as DBS Singapore, Citibank, Standard Chartered, Maybank Malaysia and Bank of China Hong Kong as other winners.  

This was the 20th year Global Finance named the World’s Best Digital Banks, in recognition of digital excellence demonstrated by banking institutions from across the globe. Winners were chosen among entries evaluated by a world-class panel of judges at Infosys, a global leader in consulting, technology and outsourcing. The editors of Global Finance were responsible for the final selection of all winners.

Winning banks were selected based on the criteria of strength of strategy for attracting and servicing digital customers, success in getting clients to use digital offerings, growth of digital customers, breadth of product offerings, evidence of tangible benefits gained from digital initiatives, and web/mobile site design and functionality. 

Delivering customer convenience is a key driver at NDB. The Bank is currently in the process of carrying out branch transformations to simplify processes while saving time and cost for customers. Accordingly, NDB has installed Self Banking units at several of its branch locations, with which customers are given the convenience of 24x7 deposits and withdrawals. Customers can now avail this 24 hour service at 50+ locations island-wide. This service eliminates the need to spend time waiting in queues, and encourages customers to embrace efficient digital banking. 

The Bank has fully embraced the digital future with 70% of its transactions now occurring via digital channels. NDB operates around the island with a significant digital footprint and a network of over 150 ATM/CRMs and Bank2U (Branchless Banking) offerings made available at over 80 locations where Bank representatives will meet the customer for the customer’s convenience and ease.

Meanwhile, the Bank has empowered its customers by offering a host of digital tools such as mobile and online banking in addition to the Bank’s first Phygital Branch, NDB NEOS which positioned NDB as the first Bank in Sri Lanka to introduce a fully paperless banking branch.

In time to come the Bank will enhance the range of services provided to their customers to further ease their banking activities, progressing into new solutions, providing additional value such as the Bank’s RPA system.

NDB’s initiative – Robotics Process Automation (RPA) systems, which was introduced early this year, was recognised under such evaluation. The RPA systems solution possesses the capacity to significantly streamline an organisation’s operational processes in addition to enhancing the overall efficiency and effectiveness which contributed to NDB winning this monumental award.  RPA automates repetitive mundane tasks across applications and systems ranging from front office processes to back office workflows and redirects human capital towards business functions which require more analysis and decision making. With the implementation of this system, NDB became the first bank in the Sri Lankan industry to use digital workforce in its operations. The initiative also marks a significant step for the Sri Lankan banking industry, where digital capabilities are deployed for internal process efficiencies.