First the Service & Computer Industries (SCIR) has been very influential in the financial sector where it has been key in the realization of among others the development of electronic payment systems.For instance considering the past five years, Rwanda’s financial sector has been flooded with advances in technology which have considerably altered the business model for financial institutions and the ways in which they offer services.
Needless to linger on, e-payment structures have taken banking from the traditional four walled structures normally erected more elegant than any around them, to the homes of their customers; allowing for swifter seamless services. As a result, there has been evidence of a convergence between sectors due to ubiquitous infrastructure the most prominent of which is between the financial and telecom sectors where mobile handsets have become virtual accounts from which services like transfers and withdrawals can be made. Armed with just a mobile phone, now a bank customer can easily accomplish what in the recent past would have called for numerous hours of travelling and queuing. From the comfort of one’s premises, it now takes just a split second to move money between accounts using the mobile phone, effect payments, withdrawals and deposits among others.
The advent of such synergies has redefined the cost of availing financial services by financial institutions and at the same time brought new players into the sector that previously were not categorized as ‘banks’ in the sense of offering services like money transfers and holding deposits. Nonetheless, these new contenders to financial market continue to need the backing of traditional banks to mitigate any envisaged risks.
This has further increased competition leading to the last mile customer benefitting from reduced transaction costs thus attaining the ultimate objective of stimulating savings, and by extension, demand that leads to macroeconomic growth. SCIR as a franchise of America’s largest Business IT solutions innovator NCR in the region envisages its role as enhancing such innovations to increase penetration of financial services to a larger section of the population at a fraction of the traditional cost without compromising quality but rather improving the overall customer experience during such interaction.
“We seek to allow our clients identify opportunities by accessing new markets across multiple delivery channels and maximizing the availability and breadth of services,” the company’s management shares.
One of such channels widely deployed in Rwanda, is the Automatic Teller Machine –of which SCIR has supplied and supports over 200 representing close to 70% market share in this niche.
The automation of financial services has driven customer satisfaction to unprecedented levels. But what SCIR does goes beyond niche technologies or markets. The solutions presented by the company have and continue to help businesses around Rwanda and across the globe through the parent company NCR to increase revenue, build loyalty, and reach new customers all of which ultimately yield a reduction in the costs of operations.
Furthermore, the role that the tech solutions offered by SCIR play in improving brand image and ability cannot be overemphasized. The company’s solutions enable its clients to be viewed as innovative by seeking to;
Make banking more convenient and user friendly by reducing the need for over the counter transactions and thus reducing queues
Maximizing staff resources through migration of high volume, low value transactions to self-service terminals
Availing new software capabilities to handle a variety of transactions apart from the traditional cash dispense
The range of services that are being offered across self-service terminals include deposit (both for cash and check), loan applications, bill payments (including bar code invoice scanning), card less transactions, statements, transfers, airtime purchases and mobile money remittances.
This all works to allow businesses increase revenues reduce operational costs and maximize staff resources.
Aside from ATM’s, SCIR also seek to offer self-service kiosks for information and passenger management, transaction processing solutions through centralized host, IT infrastructure and cash management solutions.
In this way, the company says it seeks to become a long term preferred partner of institutions in Rwanda by continuously offering innovative solutions with quality support from a team of qualified technicians. “With the continued focus of government on laying requisite infrastructure in the IT sector, we look forward to contributing towards the development of the financial, retail and service sectors in Rwanda and the wider East African region.”
Through NCR, Services & Computer Industries Rwanda boasts of NCR strategic alliances with among others, Dell as Master Distributor, Cisco as Premier Partner, Microsoft as Certified Partner, Olivetti, Zebra, Tally Genicom, and Hewlett Packard, to ensure that it remains at the forefront of its offerings to its customers.
These alliances ensure that a strong international support network backs the solutions provided to the local market. Since its entry into the Rwandan market in 2008, SCIR has developed its product offerings to bring about solutions to a wide range of IT needs including network infrastructure, security and the service solutions.
