NTT DATA Launches Mobile Passbook Printer- Patent-Pending Technology to Save Labor in Customer Relationship Support Operations at Shinkin Banks -

NTT DATA Corporation (President and CEO: Toru Yamashita; headquarters: Koto-ku, Tokyo; NTT DATA) is launching a mobile passbook printer which will save labor in customer relationship support operations at Shinkin banks.

At present, Shinkin bank customer relationship managers visit customers to collect account credits, but they must then bring the customer passbooks back to their bank branch to update them. With this mobile passbook printer, passbooks can be updated at customer locations. This will reduce customer relationship managers' clerical work at their bank branch while at the same time reducing the risk of passbook loss during transport and handling (customer passbook control operations).

Customer relationship support is a key function at Shinkin banks, and these banks are seeking ways to reduce the clerical burden of these operations and thereby strengthen their cost competitiveness. NTT DATA is committed to responding to the various issues faced by Shinkin banks through the mobile passbook printer and other services.

NTT DATA has submitted a patent application (patent application no. 2008-085145) for this scheme that enhances the convenience of customers and Shinkin bank customer relationship managers by bringing together applications and various processing equipment, including a dedicated server for accounting, a communications network, and the mobile passbook printer.

Background

The core business of Shinkin banks is to provide community-based financial services, and a key operation of Shinkin banks is customer relationship support. Customer relationship managers visit bank customer locations and customers consult them with their various needs. Customer relationship managers also are in charge of handling account activity procedures and updating customer passbooks.

In regard to these kinds of services, Shinkin banks are looking to cut costs to strengthen their competitiveness in their community, and they are also seeking to reduce the risk of passbook loss during handling and transport between the bank branch and customer location. There is a need to reduce both the clerical burden and the loss risk involved in customer passbook control procedures when customer passbooks are transported from the customer to the bank branch, updated, and then returned.

Product Outline

NTT DATA's mobile passbook printer is a small, lightweight printer designed to print account activity entries in passbooks. With this printer, passbook updating and account credits can be processed online and passbooks can be updated at customer locations. Those who are currently using portable terminals to process account credits at customer sites can use the mobile passbook printer with that terminal.

In August 2008, the Kameari Shinkin Bank introduced NTT DATA's mobile passbook printers on a trial basis. After experiencing the benefits of these printers, the Kameari Shinkin Bank initiated full introduction of the printers in December that same year.

The mobile passbook printer offers the following three features:

1. Online Processing of Account Credits
   Customer relationship managers can record account credits from account holders in passbooks in real time at customer sites (i.e., locations other than financial institutions). This prevents account overdraft and payment delinquency as well as illegal activity related to passbook control by customer relationship managers and account holders.
2. Updating of Passbooks
   Currently, passbook transactions require the use of a bank teller or an automated teller machine (ATM) at a bank. Mobile passbook printers make it possible for customer relationship managers to update passbooks at customer locations without requiring the use of a bank. This also makes it possible to improve services for customers in remote locations and for elderly customers.
3. Improvement of Security
   • Authentication
     Illegal communications are prevented because the printer confirms the identity of the customer relationship manager before permitting communications to be processed.
   • Transaction Restrictions
     Because a ceiling for account credits is set in advance for each account and the printer can determine whether the cumulative account credits for each account for each transaction exceed the ceiling, errors and illegal activity by customer relationship managers and account holders are prevented. Transaction records are shown in real time on a terminal at the bank office, making it possible for bank offices to monitor transactions as well.
   • Communications
     Secure communications are ensured because communications are not performed via the Internet.

Patent (Patent Application No. 2008-085145)

The invention under patent application is the setup for customer relationship managers to instantly update customer passbooks with account credits from the account holder at the customer location and thereby prevent illegal activity by customer relationship managers and account holders and prevent account overdraft.

Benefits of the Mobile Passbook Printer

A sampling survey conducted by NTT DATA of Shinkin banks with 40 to 50 branches and about 150 customer relationship managers showed that an average of about 40 passbooks a day are retained in customer passbook control operations per bank branch, and each customer relationship manager visits on average five customers a day simply to return passbooks. The introduction of mobile passbook printers will reduce customer relationship managers' passbook control work. Allocating to other services the resources freed up by the mobile passbook printers will increase Shinkin banks' competiveness in their community and will lead to even better customer service.

NTT DATA believes mobile passbook printers are the first step toward operational reform at Shinkin banks.