Press Releases
Hyperwave transforms internal Communications at Bank Austria/Creditanstalt
Group
Bank Austria uses Hyperwave Knowledge Management software to
build Intranet, linking 500 branches and over 12,000 staff nationwide
June 28, 2001
Over 12,000 staff at Vienna-based Bank Austria/Creditanstalt Group
can now access information from throughout the organisation using
a comprehensive intranet solution based on Hyperwave's knowledge
management software. Making information instantly available through
the company's intranet, the Hyperwave Information Server has eliminated
the need for couriers and faxed memos and has transformed the way
in which information is relayed between teams and employees in the
Bank Austria/Creditanstalt Group and its 500 branches.
The intranet solution was designed to provide comprehensive online
help for the bank's decentralised workplace systems. Content needed
to be accessed directly from applications on a context-related basis
and Bank Austria/Creditanstalt Group required an efficient information
service that would be available to all employees. "Our employees
now have optimal access to permanently up-to-date information and
our bank is now benefiting from considerable cost savings by using
the knowledge management solution," said Gerhard Edl, Head
of Information and Communications Systems in the Bank Austria/Creditanstalt
Group. Currently the intranet is divided into five main categories:
News, Product Information, Processing, Data & Facts and Service.
In total, 12,400 users will be able to access 130,000 static HTML
documents, image, graphics and PDF files on a cross-location basis.
Access to 1,850 comprehensive product descriptions with relevant
information and all in-bank processes and system documentation will
also be possible.
Hyperwave's solution automatically manages and structures content
as it is added. Dynamic hyperlinks ensure that information is constantly
updated as documents are added, amended or removed, providing users
with connected and continuously updated information. Information
can be actively linked across categories and links can be easily
identified by all users, allowing information to be used efficiently.
Says Gerhard Edl: "When choosing an intranet solution, link
management was a decisive factor. We needed to reduce expenditure
and any possible sources of error. Users always know where to find
information since the hyperlinks remain intact if objects are moved
or renamed. If objects are deleted, the links will be removed by
the system. Moreover, users only see the content they are meant
to and do not see links to information which they are not authorised
to see."
The Hyperwave Information Server guarantees optimal content recoverability
with its hierarchical structure, separation of document content
and additional attribute based information. A benefit of this type
of solution is that the individual information objects are only
dealt with once. For example, changes in the personnel system automatically
change and update the content displayed in the intranet, without
any manual maintenance work.
Another requirement during the development of the intranet was
the ability to access authoritative, company-relevant information.
Since the knowledge management system was implemented, the relevance,
quality and speed that information is distributed across the company
has significantly improved. Specially implemented push technology
means that employees receive the information that is relevant to
them. For example, Bank Austria currently targets groups, each comprising
3,000 to 4,000 recipients, with a group-specific email newsletter
that also has additional links to the intranet. All news articles
are automatically archived for subsequent retrieval.
Terry Jordan, VP Worldwide Marketing at Hyperwave, commented that
"With the implementation of the new Hyperwave intranet, we
believe we have moved Bank Austria's working environment one step
closer to the paperless office ideal. By adopting a comprehensive
knowledge management solution, Bank Austria can now harness the
full potential of its corporate knowledge."
About Bank Austria/Creditanstalt Group
Bank Austria/Creditanstalt Group was formed in 1991 with the merger
of the "Zentralsparkasse" and "Länderbank"
banks to create Austria's biggest credit institute. With the acquisition
of the shares of the "Creditanstalt" from the Austrian
federal government in January 1997, Bank Austria took another step
towards European expansion. With a balance of € 165 Mrd. it
is among the first of the five main Austrian banks and is almost
as big as the four following banks put together. The group employs
18,787 specialists - 14,700 in Austria. It is also highly profitable,
with a return on equity of 13.1%. Bank Austria takes care of 1.7
million private customers and around 50,000 business accounts in
650 Austrian and foreign branches. One out of five Austrians and
four fifths of the big enterprises in Austria maintain business
relations with the group.
The group is present throughout Austria with focus on the Vienna
region in accordance with the economic structure of the country.
The Bank Austria/Creditanstalt Group is the biggest foreign bank
in the central and Eastern European countries since the region's
opening to the West.
About Wave Solutions Information Technology GmbH
Several companies take care of the organisational and IT-facilities
of Bank Austria. The Bank Austria/Creditanstalt Group's systems
administrators come from WAVE Solutions Information Technology.
WAVE was established in 2000 and comprises now also CAMSCO, the
IT company of Bank Austria/Creditanstalt Group formerly operating
only in CEE-countries. WAVE is responsible for the whole systems
architecture, its development and maintenance as well as all projects
for the future relating to data processing to customer interfaces.
In preparation for the organisational and IT activities required
for building the bank's network within the CEE-countries as well
as when creating an internationally compatible IT structure, in
February 2001 the group entered in a programme of centralizing the
whole organisational/IT-section. All IT activities run together
under the roof of the soon to be founded "HVB Systems AG".
Operating as a kind of holding society, HVB Systems controls five
business sections: WAVE/System E, group controlling/SAP, investment
banking, lead competence real estate and e-business solutions. The
lines of business are responsible for their assigned systems on
HVB as well as on Bank Austria level. The re-organisation is due
to be finished by July 1, 2001.
|
Home
» News
» Press Releases
