Towards Improving Banking Services Quality - 13 - Non-value-added Activities

Towards Improving Banking Services Quality 

13.

Non-value-added Activities

 

Introduction

 

Non-value-added (NVA) activities are a critical focus in Lean management as they consume resources without adding value to the product or service from the customer’s perspective. In the banking sector, such activities lead to inefficiencies, delays, and frustrations for both customers and employees. Identifying and minimizing non-value-added activities is crucial to streamline processes, reduce waste, and enhance operational performance. This chapter explores the criteria for non-value-added activities, examples from banking, and essential NVA activities that cannot be eliminated but require optimization.

 

Criteria for Non-Value-Added Activities

 

Non-value-added (NVA) activity consumes resources but does not add value to the product or service. Since such activity does not add any value to the product or service, the same can be termed as waste.

 

Typical non-value-added activities include scheduling, moving work-in-process from point to point, setting up equipment, recording time spent on a particular job, inspecting a part, and billing a customer.

 

Non-value-added activities are characterized by the following:

 

1.       Resource Consumption Without Value Addition: These activities use time, effort, or money but do not enhance the product or service.

 

2.       Customer Indifference: Customers do not recognize these activities as beneficial and are not willing to pay for them.

 

3.       Waste Creation: They contribute to inefficiencies or delays in service delivery.

 

Examples of Non-Value-Added Activities in Banks

 

A few examples of non-value-added activities in banks are:

 

1.       Unnecessary Movement:

 

o   Employees walking between multiple counters to complete tasks.

 

o   Customers moving between various counters for different services like deposits, passbook updates, or cheque-book requisitions.

 

2.       Too Many Work-Specific Counters:

 

o   A customer visiting a branch for multiple services (e.g., cash deposits, passbook printing, and cheque requisitions) being asked to visit separate counters for each task, leading to wasted time and frustration.

 

3.       Lengthy Payment Processes:

 

o   A cheque-based payment requiring multiple steps: presenting the cheque at one counter, receiving a token, and waiting in a queue at the cashier counter.

 

4.       Lengthy Deposit Processes:

 

o   Requiring manual filling of forms, multiple verification steps, and long queues to deposit cash or cheques.

 

5.       Unnecessary Verification Points:

 

o   Overlapping approvals or verifications for simple transactions that do not add value to the outcome.

 

6.       Repetition of Processes Due to Errors:

 

o   Errors in data entry or documentation leading to rework, such as reprocessing loan applications or revalidating cheque details.

 

7.       Waiting Time:

 

o   Customers waiting in queues due to poorly designed queue management systems or limited staff deployment at peak times.

 

8.       Excessive Documentation Requirements:

 

o   Asking customers to provide redundant documents for processes where automation or database integration could simplify requirements.

 

9.       Poorly Designed IT Systems:

 

o   Outdated software requiring manual workarounds, such as re-entering customer data across multiple systems.

 

10.   Re-entry (Duplication) of data:

 

·       Transferring information manually from one system to another or re-entry (duplication) of data due to a lack of system integration.

 

Non-Value-Added But Essential Activities

 

Certain activities in banking, though non-value-adding, are essential due to regulatory or operational requirements. Such activity / activities does / do not add value, but cannot be eliminated. These include:

 

1.       Compliance with Statutory and Regulatory Requirements:

 

o   Activities like customer identity verification (KYC – Know Your Customer) or reporting to regulatory authorities. For example, automating KYC processes with OCR (Optical Character Recognition) can drastically reduce errors and time consumption.

 

2.       Documentation for Audit and Record-Keeping:

 

o   Maintaining records for compliance, internal audits, or legal purposes.

 

3.       Mandatory Audits:

 

o   Periodic audits to ensure financial accuracy and regulatory compliance. Banks in India are required to undergo statutory audits to ensure the accuracy of their financial records.

 

4.       Risk Assessments:

 

o   Internal checks required to manage and mitigate operational or financial risks.

 

Conclusion

 

Addressing non-value-added activities is a pivotal step toward Lean banking. By identifying and eliminating unnecessary tasks, banks can improve efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance the overall customer experience. Essential non-value-added activities that cannot be avoided should be optimized for speed and accuracy. In the competitive and fast-evolving banking sector, minimizing waste and focusing on value-creating processes are vital for long-term success and customer satisfaction. Asking a vital question to bank employees - Reflect on your banking experiences—can you identify processes that might be non-value-adding? What could banks do to enhance their value delivery to customers? 

I welcome your comments, questions and suggestions.

Warm regards,

Keshav Ram Singhal 

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