The unpleasant experiences and frustrations ocassioned by systems uprage by GTBank that was meant to last for four days, October 11 to 14, have turned to continuous nightmares for its customers.
Since then, customers of the bank have been struggling to access their funds due to the network disruptions that accompanied the exercise .
Amid, the wave of disruptions and frustrations in the banking sector, First Bank has announced plans to transition to a new cloud-based procurement and financial platform as part of its ongoing strategy to improve operational efficiency and service delivery.
Already, many transactions, particularly since the commencement of the exercise by GTBank were botched, leaving customers struggling to confirm either payments as well as transactions history.
The bank had informed customers that the upgrade would occur between Friday, 11th October, and Monday, 14th October 2024. In a notice, the bank announced its transition to a new and advanced Finacle Core Banking Application System, promising improved customer experiences through enhanced technology.
According to the bank, the upgrade was scheduled to start on Friday, October 11, with all branches closing early at 12:00 p.m. that day. Branches were to remain closed throughout the weekend, reopening at 9:00 a.m. on Monday, October 14.
However, things have not gone as expected and customers have continued to wait endlessly for improvement, which seems not coming, at least, as at today.
Presently, things are muddled up as transfers could be made occasionally but without alerts, while debits ocur without adequate explanations.
Transfers to GTBank accounts from other banks were being delayed for days, with many customers complaining of trapped funds.
Some customers who spoke with metrobusinessnews.com (MBN) say, if the ugly experiences continue, they will be left with no options other than to migrate to other banks. This is so as the bank’s mobile app, in particular, remains problematic for several users.
ALSO READ:GTBank’s IT Upgrade Hardship Lingers, Unsettles Customers
However, First Bank’s migration is scheduled to begin on Saturday, October 26, with expected service disruptions, the tier one lender said in a Wednesday notice.
Part of the notice read, “As part of the bank’s continuous investments to improve operational efficiencies and service experience, we will be transitioning from our current procurement and financial platforms to a new cloud-based platform that provides additional capabilities and benefits.
“During the cut-over period, certain activities and transactions will need to be suspended to aid housecleaning and safe migration of transactions with minimal disruption.
“The cut-over period will be from Saturday, October 26, 2024, to Sunday, November 3, 2024, while the new cloud-based solution will be live on Monday, November 4, 2024, and normal activities will resume.”
The lender also noted that during the transition period, vendors would be unable to submit invoices on its current Electronic Business Suite.
Payments will only be processed if invoices are submitted for received purchase orders by Friday, October 25, 2024, the lender noted.
Additionally, FirstBank stated that its current supplier portal will no longer be in use effective November 4.
The bank will provide further communication on the details of the new Supplier Portal, along with a job card, ahead of the system’s go-live date on Monday, November 4, 2024.
“Kindly note to take proactive steps as indicated above to avoid business disruption during this critical period. Further details regarding onboarding, training, and user guides will be communicated before the end of the week.”
Since September, at least four major banks in the country have switched their core banking applications.
