Reflection – Learning Launch

Challenge         I am the Head of Business Analysis & Project Management at Aramco Asia. At the request  of the CEO, we conducted an analysis of the bank’s system and methods of processing loan applications.  We realized that these are essentially manual and that processing times are extremely long, going from 7  to 21 days on average. In order to improve them, we decided upon automation as a solution.     We mapped out the processing mechanisms of all the different types of loans proposed by the bank in  order to identify the ones which could be automated.     A project team composed of staff from all the bank’s departments involved in the processing of loan  requests was set up. The work to be done was scheduled over a period of 90 days.  Needs assessment workshops were held with all the stakeholders to objectively identify the loan application  processes to be automated.    During these workshops, it was decided that the following loan products would be part of the project’s  scope:

  Product Program Salarié

  Product  Program Gage Espèce

  Product Program Escompte

  Product Program Commune

  Product Program Caution Scolaire

Selection      The project team finalized the configuration and unit testing phases on EASYVISTA, which is an application  that would subsequently be used for the automation of the selected loan application processes. The  products were tested by a small group of employees that helped evaluate the platform's flexibility and  identify potential improvement opportunities. To do this, we adopted the "Learning Launch" tool.

Application       The project team built the optimized process mappings of all the products and submitted them to the  approval of all the stakeholders and the validation of the CEO.     The project was carried out in agile mode while making use of the SCRUM method with the goal of  delivering operational versions of the application as quickly as possible. This approach enabled the gradual  integration and configuration of the workflows and documents associated with each product into  EASYVISTA.       Insight      In this learning phase, the project team invited all stakeholders involved in the processing of loan  applications.    The tasks related to each product were identified and tested in EASYVISTA with the users based on the  working hypotheses encountered under normal operating conditions.    When an Account Manager input the data of a customer who submitted a loan request to the bank in  EASYVISTA, the project team found that everything was progressing as planned with the exception of credit  scoring data that contained a few bugs.    After conducting some control operations, the project team realized that the values that were fed to the  system were erroneous. These iterations between the testers' observations and the adjustments made by  the project team allowed for the improvement and go-live of the platform, product by product.        Approach      An alternative approach would have been for the project team to carry out the analysis and design of the  workflows for each product to be automated with the support of the internal stakeholders before  identifying and modeling the supporting documentation for each of them.    Due to the unavailability of the necessary software in the bank, a call of tender would have been conducted  in order to invite bids from interested suppliers.    The project team and the selected service provider would have managed this project in agile mode using  the SCRUM method.

After finalizing the setup of each product, the project team members and all the stakeholders involved in  the processing of loan applications would have appropriate performed tests.    All anomalies identified would have been reported to the service provider for correction, after which a fresh  round of checks would have been conducted by the users. These iterations between the testers'  observations and the adjustments made by the service provider under the supervision of the project team  would have made it possible to improve and render the platform operational, product by product.     With the positive results observed, the deployment could have been carried out without any problem for  the product (s) already completed and certified.


Reflection – Learning Launch Challenge I am the Head of Business Analysis & Project Management at Aramco Asia . At the request of the CEO , we conducted an analysis of the bank ’s system and methods of processing loan applications . We realized that these are essentially manual and that processing times are extremely long , going from 7 to 21 days on average . In order to improve them , we decided upon automation as a solution . We mapped out the processing mechanisms of all the different types of loans proposed by the bank in order to identify the ones which could be automated . A project team composed of staff from all the bank ’s departments involved in the processing of loan requests was set up . The work to be done was scheduled over a period of 90 days . Needs assessment workshops were held with all the stakeholders to objectively identify the loan application processes to be automated . During these workshops , it was decided that the following loan products would be part of the project ’s scope :  Product Program Salarié  Product Program Gage Espèce  Product Program Escompte  Product Program Commune  Product Program Caution Scolaire Selection The project team finalized the configuration and unit testing phases on EASYVISTA , which is an application that would subsequently be used for the automation of the selected loan application processes . The products were tested by a small group of employees that helped evaluate the platform 's flexibility and identify potential improvement opportunities . To do this , we adopted the " Learning Launch " tool . Application The project team built the optimized process mappings of all the products and submitted them to the approval of all the stakeholders and the validation of the CEO . The project was carried out in agile mode while making use of the SCRUM method with the goal of delivering operational versions of the application as quickly as possible . This approach enabled the gradual integration and configuration of the workflows and documents associated with each product into EASYVISTA . Insight In this learning phase , the project team invited all stakeholders involved in the processing of loan applications . The tasks related to each product were identified and tested in EASYVISTA with the users based on the working hypotheses encountered under normal operating conditions . When an Account Manager input the data of a customer who submitted a loan request to the bank in EASYVISTA , the project team found that everything was progressing as planned with the exception of credit scoring data that contained a few bugs . After conducting some control operations , the project team realized that the values that were fed to the system were erroneous . These iterations between the testers ' observations and the adjustments made by the project team allowed for the improvement and go - live of the platform , product by product . Approach An alternative approach would have been for the project team to carry out the analysis and design of the workflows for each product to be automated with the support of the internal stakeholders before identifying and modeling the supporting documentation for each of them . Due to the unavailability of the necessary software in the bank , a call of tender would have been conducted in order to invite bids from interested suppliers . The project team and the selected service provider would have managed this project in agile mode using the SCRUM method . After finalizing the setup of each product , the project team members and all the stakeholders involved in the processing of loan applications would have appropriate performed tests . All anomalies identified would have been reported to the service provider for correction , after which a fresh round of checks would have been conducted by the users . These iterations between the testers ' observations and the adjustments made by the service provider under the supervision of the project team would have made it possible to improve and render the platform operational , product by product . With the positive results observed , the deployment could have been carried out without any problem for the product ( s ) already completed and certified .