Business Strategy of Barclays Bank Kenya

Business Strategy of Barclays Bank Kenya Chapter 1: Introduction 1.1 Rationale The research will be looking at some of the core business processes within Barclays Bank Kenya and discussions on how automation has been achieved vis-Ã  -vis the hardware and software tools used to drive automation within these processes. The research will also outline the criteria for the selection of automation tools used, how these tools work together to drive automation and how process automation could be made more efficient in the future. Singh et al. (2002) observed that, the need for banks to recurrently remain relevant in a very competitive industry and to satisfy ever growing customer demands, triggered the need for an e-banking solution whose transformaton goes as far back as the 1970s. The deployment of advanced Information Technology helped reduce cost by mostly eliminating the need to build new brick and mortar structures. It also helped to ensure that customers could perform transactions such as cash withdrawal and account balance checking without necessarily stepping into a banking hall. While (Arebeyen, 2011)stated that the high level of competition in the banking sector and a need to remain competitive and relevant together with customer demands for more efficient 24hour banking services led to a need for banks to re-engineer their business processes mostly with the introduction of electronic services. He also concludes by stating how the re-engineering process, through the application of Information Syste ms significantly improved the profitability performance of the banks. Oluwatolani, Joshua and Philip (2011) reported on the impact Information Technology has had on the banking sector. How it has become a transformational tool in making the national economy for competitive and produced a new domain of economic and social partnerships. Laudon and Laudon (1991) also argue that it is impossible for managers to ignore Information Technology as they play a fundamental role in modern day organizations. They pointed out how the worlds top 500 companies have now been linked with Information Technology and how Information Technology has increasingly changed the way banks organized their corporate structures to enhance the efficiency and speed of service delivery. Banks opt for tools that are used to automate business process for various reasons. These tools enable banks to have smaller operational units that result to value-adding tasks that include complex processes like deal origination as well as activities requiring human interventions. Automating processes helps in reducing the use of paper, supporting decision making and digitizing work flow. By embracing fully the use of these tools, banks often create a substantial improvement in customer service and in productivity. In other words, these tools are cost effective and more efficient because they offer solutions that rescue back-office procedures from unnecessary errors and expenses. Therefore the objective of this research is an attempt to fill that gap in knowledge. To conduct a study and gain insight into the tools (hardware and software) that have tremendously improved the banking services within Barclays Bank Kenya, which will be used as a case study for this research. 1.2 Problem Statement The problem this research aims to solve is the inadequate availability of studies on the hardware and software tools that drive process automation within the Kenyan banking sector. This problem has led to a gap in knowledge between the need/analysis of Information Systems in the Kenyan banking sector and the impact Information Systems have had on the sector over the years. This study therefore seeks to bridge that gap by conducting a research on the tools (hardware and software) used to drive automation within Barclays Bank Kenya, the criteria for the selection of tools used, how these tools combine to form a cohesive and effective workflow of processes and how process automation could be made more efficient in the future. 1.3 Justification New generation of modern technology tools enable organizations to resolve the paradox of having to standardize their operations and business processes as a means of achieving operational excellence as well as cost leadership. They help the organizations to achieve significant goals as well as changing their operational models so that they achieve efficiency and innovations. The use of technological tools in running business processes is significant more so because the priorities of organizations are sifting and at the top of the list, most organizations are considering productivity and cost control as most crucial. The technology has helped many organizations to be more effective in their services and products delivery. Business process management utilizes digital tools as a means of creating models that lead to optimization of key business processes. Within the banking system, there are four core business processes that include; production, ad-hoc, administrative and collaborative. The core business within the banking systems are implemented to meet various business requirements such as: acquisitions or mergers by a bank, the need for more flexibility within an ever increasing competitive market as well as the regulatory changes that are inadequately handled through legacy systems. Administrative work flows entail processes that are repetitive and predictable and involves simple task coordination rules like travel request and routing an expense report via an authorization process. Ad-Hoc workflows deals with human coordination, co-decision, collaboration and mostly appear in office processes including sales proposal and product documentation. On the other hand, collaborative workflows involve several iterations of a similar step up to the time an agreement is reached and may also involve getting back to a previous stage. Lastly production workflows encompass predictable and repetitive business processes that are usually critical in nature and may include loan application. Production workflow refers to a process of information that involves access to several or one information system. Production and administrative business processes are the bureaucratic procedures that comprises of well-defined steps that are controlled through defined rules. These two processes can be described with a lot of ease by conventional modelling tools. They are automated by the use of a Workflow Management Systems. Ad-hoc processes are quite similar to administrative processes but differ in that they deal with loosely defined or unique conditions. These conditions cannot be modelled easily nor can they be supported by current Workflow Management Systems effectively. On the other hand, collaborative processes are characterized by the number of those participating as well as by the synchronization required. Collaborative processes are adequately handled by the use of groupware technology. There are various tools used to automate various processes. Theres no question about the impact Information Technology has had on banking operations and still continues to have. It is therefore important to not only study these impacts but also to look at some of the tools that have helped automate the operations of the banking sector. This research will help fill that gap in knowledge by exposing readers to how various hardware and software tools are being used to automate some of the business operations within the banking sector. 1.4 Aims and Objectives 1.4.1 Aims The aim of this research is to provide insight into the hardware and software tools that are used to drive banking process automation within Barclays Bank Kenya. 1.4.2 Objectives The specific objectives of this research are: To identify and analyze the various computing tools used to automate the operational processes of Barclays Bank Kenya. To determine the criteria used by Barclays Bank Kenya in selecting the tools used in automation. To identify the synergy between the various operational tools and interactivity. To identify possible upgrades to the automation system that could increase efficiency. To write a report on the research findings 1.4.3 Research Questions What is the operational workflow of the banking process? What are the hardware and software tools used to automate the banking process? What are the criteria for the selection of hardware and software tools used in the automation of the process? How does the process integrate with other processes? How can the process be made more efficient vis-Ã  -vis the tools used? 1.5 Scope This research is concerned with the hardware and software tools that have been used to achieve banking process automation within the Barclays Bank Kenya. The bank was selected due to its wide coverage branch network and its heavy reliance on Information Technology in carrying out its banking operations. The research also looks into the criteria used in selecting the tools used for automation. It describes the synergy between the various tools and how they interact. And finally it identifies possible upgrades to the tools that could increase the overall efficiency of the automation process. 1.6 Ethical and Professional Issues 1.6.1 Ethical Issues Informed Approval The subject of the case study must fully understand the scope and depth of the research before the researcher can start the study. Impropriety in Research Forgery and distortion in conducting and analyzing research must be avoided and if present should be reported to the supervisor of the research as every academic community has the responsibility of tackling research misconduct. 1.6.2 Professional Issues Citing Sources It is important for the researcher to cite the works of other authors that have been included in his/her research in other to avoid plagiarism. The use of citations is professional as it gives credibility to the researchers own work. Confidentiality It is important that the confidentiality of the source(s) always be maintained by the researcher unless where the source(s) has given explicit permission for their name(s) to be mentioned in the research. This increases the level of rapport between the researcher and their source, making the source willing to provide vital information to the research without fear of their identity being disclosed. 1.7 Schedule The project schedule is shown below with the aid of a Gantt chart. Research Define Research Questions List the cases and choose analysis tools Arrange to collect data Collect data analyze the data Write a report Jan. 2017 Feb. 2017 March. 2017 April. 2017 May. 2017 April 2016 Figure 1.0: A Gnatt Chart Showing the Research Schedule 1.8 Budget TABLE 1.0: Breakdown of Proposed Estimate for Conducting this Research S/NO BUDGET ITEM AMOUNT (KSH) 1 Phone Calls 2,000 2 Internet Data 2,000 3 Printing 1,500 4 Transportation 1,500 TOTAL 7,000

Privatization Essay -- Government Businesses Papers

Privatization Privatizing services is a more attractive option for most local governments and is widely practiced around the state. There are certain government services in which it is impractical to create a free competitive market. For others, it is almost impossible to predict the potential success or failure of privatization. These unclear predictions make privatization a very complicated issue for local governments. The combination of rapidly rising service costs and slowly increasing revenues has led officials in some cities and counties to use non-traditional income services to fund government options. Throughout the mid 1980's state and local governments continue to be in trouble because of the rapid increase in the demand for services they provide along with an increasing resistance on the part of their citizens to raising taxes in order to provide those services. Privitization is an outsourcing of functions to private companies that the financial burdern of providing these services shifts from the taxpayers at large to the individual consumers. Doing away with government services at the local level is almost impossible. Elected officials are often resistant to vote to cut services. The elected officials are usually familiar with the people who might be negatively impacted by such an action. Citizens usually do not want to do away with local government services because they view services such as water/sewer, fire , police and recreation as being life sustaining. Citizens feel that services can't be provided adequately by state or federal governments, and would like to keep services at the local level. A factor to keep in mind when looking at the potentials and downfalls of privatization is the private... ...ion/BURZASH.htm. Privatization on the Roll, says RPPI http://www.reason.org/apr98central.html The Opportunities and Challenges of Privatization http://www.doe.gov/privatization/report/chapt-3.htm The Opportunities and Challenges of Privatization http://www.doe.gov/privatization/report/chapt-4.htm The Legal and Political Enviornment of Privatization http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/pgem/ch1c.html ASCH, Peter, and Sececa, Rosalind S. Government and the Marketplace 2nd Edition. The Dryden Press, a division of Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc., 1989 Weicher, John Private Innovations In Public Transit. Washington, D.C.: American Enterprise Institute for Public policy Research, 1988 Krikorian, Greg and Riccardi, Nicholas Board Votes to Test Privatizing Child Support System. Los Angeles Times, November 11, 1988.

5.04 Sinclair: Snoop for Scoop

5. 04 Sinclair: Snoop for Scoop! Part I: 1. Sinclair â€Å"muckrake† for social reform, by uncovering the terrible working conditions people in the meat industries were experiencing. After uncovering these terrible conditions Sinclair then wrote â€Å"The Jungle† which made the public aware of the terrible & unsanitary working conditions in the meat industry. Soon after, Americans demanded better regulations for the meat industry. 2.The Pure Food and Drug Act was established as a direct result of the public outcry from Sinclair novel â€Å"The Jungle†. 3. As a result of his novel Sinclair wanted to opened the public eyes to the terrible working conditions people were experiencing and how the meat products were being produced. In this he hoped to see changes in meat productions such as healthier productions and working conditions. Sinclair also wanted to help promote socialism. 4.Majority of the public was mortified that their meat was filled with contaminations & wanted this problem to be fixed immediately. Some on the other hand saw Sinclair's book as an exaggeration of what was really going on. Many people began to stop eating meat. 5. ABC News found that the conditions at Food Lion was mortifing. Food Lion was selling food that was rotten & washed them with bleach to get rid of the ordor. They also found cheese that was being gnawed at by rats. . Food Lion could not prove the findings were false. 7. The basis of Food Lion's lawsuit against ABC-News was that they were charged with fraud ,trespassing, and breach of duty. 8. In the jury's verdict they ruled against ABC News 9. The jurors' rationale for the verdict was that Food Lion Lion food recieved twice the amount as compensation for wages paid to producers because the jurors' believed ABC didn't have to lie to get the information about Food Lion Part II:I do believe journalists have a duty to be â€Å"watchdogs† for the public, but to a certain instinct. I say this because altho ugh it is apart of their profession if being a so called â€Å"watchdog† for the public means breaking morals & laws then it shouldn't be done. But then again I feel that we have to be our own â€Å"watchdogs† inorder to know what's really going on. I'm not sure of the name of the person who post I responded to, but the date of the post I replied to was on Thu Oct 11 09:36:35 2012 5.04 Sinclair: Snoop for Scoop 5. 04 Sinclair: Snoop for Scoop! Part I: 1. Sinclair â€Å"muckrake† for social reform, by uncovering the terrible working conditions people in the meat industries were experiencing. After uncovering these terrible conditions Sinclair then wrote â€Å"The Jungle† which made the public aware of the terrible & unsanitary working conditions in the meat industry. Soon after, Americans demanded better regulations for the meat industry. 2.The Pure Food and Drug Act was established as a direct result of the public outcry from Sinclair novel â€Å"The Jungle†. 3. As a result of his novel Sinclair wanted to opened the public eyes to the terrible working conditions people were experiencing and how the meat products were being produced. In this he hoped to see changes in meat productions such as healthier productions and working conditions. Sinclair also wanted to help promote socialism. 4.Majority of the public was mortified that their meat was filled with contaminations & wanted this problem to be fixed immediately. Some on the other hand saw Sinclair's book as an exaggeration of what was really going on. Many people began to stop eating meat. 5. ABC News found that the conditions at Food Lion was mortifing. Food Lion was selling food that was rotten & washed them with bleach to get rid of the ordor. They also found cheese that was being gnawed at by rats. . Food Lion could not prove the findings were false. 7. The basis of Food Lion's lawsuit against ABC-News was that they were charged with fraud ,trespassing, and breach of duty. 8. In the jury's verdict they ruled against ABC News 9. The jurors' rationale for the verdict was that Food Lion Lion food recieved twice the amount as compensation for wages paid to producers because the jurors' believed ABC didn't have to lie to get the information about Food Lion Part II:I do believe journalists have a duty to be â€Å"watchdogs† for the public, but to a certain instinct. I say this because altho ugh it is apart of their profession if being a so called â€Å"watchdog† for the public means breaking morals & laws then it shouldn't be done. But then again I feel that we have to be our own â€Å"watchdogs† inorder to know what's really going on. I'm not sure of the name of the person who post I responded to, but the date of the post I replied to was on Thu Oct 11 09:36:35 2012

Persuasion Essay Against Online Eduation Essay

Nowadays, everything about the world is accessible at one’s fingertips. Left and right, technological advancements surge throughout stores, offices, and schools. Not only are schools becoming more technology friendly, but online schooling is also growing rapidly. These online schools are attracting millions of teenagers around the world, but they are not as good as they seem. Many teenagers who attend online schools prefer traditional schooling since online schools lack several necessary aspects for learning. Some feel like they do not learn much, if anything at all, and others dislike how detached they feel from their teachers or other students. Although education specialists claim that online education has more benefits, it should not replace traditional education used by the current school system. Granted, online education provides a more flexible schedule. Usually, the students who attend online school have very busy schedules, and online schooling allows them to have a schedule that fits their needs. These students do not have to follow a set time schedule. They are allowed to log in and out of their course whenever their schedule permits, and as long as they complete their assignments by a certain deadline, they pass the course. Also, if a student moves at a slower pace compared to other students, then that student can take his or her time with the lesson. Likewise, if another student learns much faster compared to the average student, then he or she can speed through the lesson without waiting for others. However, attending an online school will lead to a lack of social interaction. Students from online programs can talk to each other through student forums and discussion boards, but they have a very slim chance of meeting face to face considering many of these students live all around the world. With these student forums and discussion boards, the response comments can make an everlasting strand of posts, but no one will be interested enough to read all of them. All of these conflicts make it harder to create long-lasting friendships. In addition, these students do not really get to know each other. Besides that, these students do not get to experience all the activities that traditional schools have to offer like extracurricular clubs. They also cannot create those glorious memories that most people laugh at when they are older and reminiscing. Nevertheless, online education is much cheaper and can save a family a large amount of money. Since these families do not have to pay for tuition, gas, or housing, they can spend their money on other things like house improvements, bills, debts, necessities, college funding, etc. Also, for those who cannot afford to go to a university, an online degree is much easier to achieve. This helps many of those who could not afford to earn a degree to finally attain one. On the contrary, one cannot get as much help from an online program compared to a traditional school. Since online teachers have a limited role in teaching, they try to guide students through the pre-written material. If the teacher is not properly trained to teach online courses, then the students are forced to teach themselves the whole lesson. This can cause students to get frustrated with themselves and not be as motivated to complete their course. To add onto the problem, asking questions is highly more difficult. The students who have questions cannot just raise their hands or stop by their teacher’s office to ask them. They have to wait for answers through e-mails, talk to other students through student forums, or make some sort of appointment with the teacher. In the end, being online educated may involve more work and could take much longer to finish. Most importantly, some online credits are not accepted in traditional schools or colleges. Certain online credits are not accepted because their credits are either not up to par or have no relevancy toward the student’s major. Even though online schools have been given more credibility in the past few years, many still believe that online schooling is much easier than traditional schooling, so college administrators do not take online degrees seriously. Also, some online schools are not accredited by legitimate agencies, and credits from those schools are overlooked completely. In other words, educational specialists should not replace traditional education with online education. Once again, online education not only reduces social activity, but also takes away from the high school experience. In addition, online schools do not offer as much help for students as traditional schools. Lastly, some colleges and universities do  not even accept online credits. While online education may be more viable in the future, they are currently not in the best condition to be implemented into school districts. Until online education is more adaptable to the traditional model, it should not be allowed to jeopardize the learning experience of today’s students.

The Great Cascadia Earthquake of 2xxx

The Great Cascadia Earthquake of 2xxx Cascadia is Americas own tectonic version of Sumatra, where the magnitude 9.3 earthquake and tsunami of 2004 occurred. Stretching off the Pacific shore from northern California some 1300 kilometers to the tip of Vancouver Island, the Cascadia subduction zone appears capable of its own magnitude 9 earthquake. What do we know about its behavior and its history? What would that great Cascadia earthquake be like? Subduction Zone Earthquakes, Cascadia and Elsewhere Subduction zones are places where one lithospheric plate plunges beneath another (see Subduction in a Nutshell). They create three kinds of earthquakes: those within the upper plate, those within the lower plate, and those between the plates. The first two categories can include large, damaging quakes of magnitude (M) 7, comparable to the Northridge 1994 and Kobe 1995 events. They can damage whole cities and counties. But the third category is what concerns disaster officials. These great subduction events, M 8 and M 9, can release hundreds of times more energy and damage wide regions inhabited by millions of people. They are what everybody means by the Big One. Earthquakes get their energy from strain (distortion) built up in rocks from the stress forces along a fault (see Earthquakes in a Nutshell). Great subduction events are so large because the fault involved has a very large surface area on which rocks gather strain. Knowing this, we can easily find where the worlds M 9 earthquakes happen by locating the longest subduction zones: southern Mexico and Central America, South Americas Pacific coast, Iran and the Himalaya, western Indonesia, eastern Asia from New Guinea to Kamchatka, the Tonga Trench, the Aleutian Island chain and Alaska Peninsula, and Cascadia. Magnitude-9 quakes differ from smaller ones in two distinct ways: they last longer and they have more low-frequency energy. They dont shake any harder, but the greater length of shaking causes more destruction. And the low frequencies are more effective at causing landslides, damaging large structures and exciting water bodies. Their power to move water accounts for the fearsome threat of tsunamis, both in the shaken region and on coastlines near and far (see more on tsunamis). After the strain energy is released in great earthquakes, whole coastlines may subside as the crust relaxes. Offshore, the ocean floor may rise. Volcanoes may respond with their own activity. Low-lying lands may turn to mush from seismic liquefaction and widespread landslides may be triggered, sometimes creeping along for years afterward. These things may leave clues for future geologists. Cascadias Earthquake History Studies of past subduction earthquakes are inexact things, based on finding their geologic signs: sudden changes of elevation that drown coastal forests, disturbances in ancient tree rings, buried beds of beach sand washed far inland and so on. Twenty-five years of research has determined that Big Ones affect Cascadia, or large parts of it, every few centuries. Times between events range from 200 to about 1000 years, and the average is around 500 years. The most recent Big One is rather well dated, although no one in Cascadia at the time could write. It occurred around 9 p.m. on 26 January 1700. We know this because the tsunami it generated struck the shores of Japan the next day, where the authorities recorded the signs and damages. In Cascadia, tree rings, oral traditions of the local people and geologic evidence support this story. The Coming Big One Weve seen enough recent M 9 earthquakes to have a good idea of what the next one will do to Cascadia: they struck inhabited regions in 1960 (Chile), 1964 (Alaska), 2004 (Sumatra) and 2010 (Chile again). The Cascadia Region Earthquake Workgroup (CREW) recently prepared a 24-page booklet, including photos from historic quakes, to bring the dreadful scenario to life: Strong shaking will last for 4 minutes, killing and injuring thousands.A tsunami up to 10 meters high will wash over the coast within minutes.Much of coastal Route 101 will be impassable due to wave and landslide damage.Parts of the coast will be cut off from inland cities when the roads are buried. Roads through the Cascades may likewise be blocked.For rescue, first aid, and immediate relief most places will be on their own.Utilities and transportation in the I-5/Highway 99 corridor will be disrupted for months.Cities may have significant fatalities as tall buildings collapse.Aftershocks will continue for years, some of them large earthquakes in themselves. From Seattle on down, Cascadian governments are preparing for this event. (In this effort they have much to learn from Japans Tokai Earthquake program.) The work ahead is enormous and will never be finished, but all of it will count: public education, setting up tsunami evacuation routes, strengthening buildings and building codes, conducting drills and more. The CREW pamphlet, Cascadia Subduction Zone Earthquakes: A magnitude 9.0 earthquake scenario, has more.

People Have Become Overly Dependent on Technology Essay

People Have Become Overly Dependent on Technology - Essay Example The chief aim that humans seek to advance technologically is to make life easier and better. However, as humans make more innovations, they have also become more dependent on technology such that most aspects of human life cannot be sustained if technology was withdrawn. Off all the forms of technology, computer technology stands out to be the one, which has become a crucial part of human life. However, the list of technological devices and gargets that define the life of modern humans is endless. Numerous aspects of human life demonstrate the unlimited level of human dependence on technology (Hooff, Dijk, Bouwman, & Wijngaert, 2005). The list of aspects of human life that are extremely dependent on technology is endless. Technology has become part of human life without which life would be unimaginable. Even the simplest of human needs cannot be met without technology. A good example is food. Technology is considered important and process such as production, storage and food preparation enormously depend on technology. Some food types would not be in existence without technology. The extension of the shelf life of most human foods depends on technological devices. Food preparation processes such as cooking make use of technological devices. The quality of processed food depends on the type of technology used. The food production and processing industries are extremely dependent on technology. Since food remains the most crucial basic need for humans, it is thus correct to say that humans are excessively reliant on technology. Without technology, food shortage would be a serious predicament facing human beings (Ra hman & Raisinghani, 2000). Technological devices such as computers have become an essential need in running the daily activity of any organization, institution, or even business. Communication has become advanced and progressively dependent on technology. Communicating devices such

Human sexuality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Human sexuality - Essay Example Golanty and Edlin (196) describe experiment where persons got alcohol with tonic or tonic without alcohol, and it was told to the randomly taken subjects that they drink alcohol. These persons, regardless whether their drinks contained alcohol or not, demonstrated sexual desire. Alcohol decreases the level of self-control of increases the level of aggression. ‘Alcohol myopia’ when a person ignores negative consequences and is focused on the sexual context is a known result of the alcohol consumption (Bancroft 406). As alcohol decreases control of own behavior, it becomes one of the strongest predictors of the sexual aggression (Rosental 412). Alcohol is just a symbol of establishing the proper sexual behavior. Biological impact of alcohol is harmful for the human sexuality. Chronic alcoholism is the main risk factor. Alcohol decreases sexual desire for both male and female. The most commonly reported problem for male alcoholics is erectile dysfunction. Ejaculatory incompetence, erectile impotence and premature ejaculation occur less frequently. Typical problems of the female alcoholics are lack of orgasm, lack of sexual interest, lack of sexual arousal or pleasure, lack of lubrication, painful intercourse and muscular spasms (Aluko et al. 1281). The mechanisms of alcohol’s impact on the human sexuality are not well understood. It acts as depressant and sedates on the brain cells decelerating the brain activity. The researches results show that chronic intake of alcohol may significantly decrease the level of testosterone for male persons. The low level of testosterone can be a possible explanation for the sexual dysfunctions of male alcoholics. Another effect of alcohol the retardation of blood congestion and swelling in the genitals, as well as decrease of the vaginal blood volume. It can explain the erectile dysfunction due to altered blood flow to genitalia and/or