BNP Paribas Fortis, one of the biggest banks in Belgium, plans to outsource several activities and nearly half of the staff from its Client Service Centre — around 500 employees — to an Ireland-based IT consultancy Accenture.
From next year, a dedicated Belgian entity will be established within Accenture to house these employees, the bank announced in a press-release. BNP Paribas Fortis claimed that all of the workplaces will be retained and their locations wouldn’t be affected.
The company stated that its customers wouldn’t be affected by the changes immediately. At the same time, their claimed aim is to provide better customer service, while reducing the strain on the bank's operations.
CEO Michael Anseeuw explained, "Customer expectations for banking services continue to evolve. Regulations have also become more complex, coinciding with unprecedented technological advancements." Instead of implementing necessary transformations internally, the bank has opted for a long-term partnership with Accenture.
BNP Paribas Fortis's Client Service Centre handles behind-the-scenes services, such as processing investment files, credit files, and customer inheritance matters. All of these activities will now be transferred to Accenture.
BNP Paribas Fortis is the first Belgian bank to undertake such an outsourcing operation, although it is common internationally.
