A sample listing of issues that typically plague the bank might include:

1. Are the tactical plans and objectives of your back-office operations and IT aligned to the bank’s business strategies? Is the IT department reeling under an unmanageable load of ‘projects’ and service requests from the business lines and compliance requirements?

2. Is the structure of your IT and Operations organisation geared to handle today’s business realities, or is it burdened by the legacy of its past? Is there an operational change management process in place that will drive the requirements of adapting to a new business environment?

3. Is your organisation listening to the ‘voice of the customer’? Is there a service quality blueprint that guides the bank towards differentiating itself in today’s highly competitive market?

4. Is operational performance in the “back-office” being objectively measured? Is Operations & Technology a metrics driven organisation? Are the performance indicators optimally aligned to the objectives?

5. Are Operations and IT linked to the various lines of business only through service-level agreements or is there genuine partnership between the front line and the operational service centres?