Tuesday, 27 October 2015

The Silence of SOP

My mind is stuck in a situation. Neither able to think further nor is getting out of the trance. Like a life, as it is nothing without a purpose. A bank is nothing without its SOP.
SOP is a short abbreviation of standard operating procedure. It tells about the different procedures which a banker might need to follow when he practices banking. It is a guiding testament for the bankers.
A banker's art of banking is tested in the light of bank's SOP. How well the procedures are followed lead to the increased credibility and soundness of the bank.
After all the significance which I am able to describe about the importance of SOP when I apply the concept with the practicality, I come up with no words to express my feelings. Sometimes the situation causes you to lose your words, you become unable to jot down your feelings and look confused and scattered.
One of the many situations can shed light on the significance of the concept which a junior level officer in a bank who bears the burden of all the chaos, ultimately and definitely face in the organization.
To understand the concept, take an example of a situation where a customer requests the bank to apply cheque book without signing the cheque book request. As he is a valued client the manager giving him maximum favor forwards the request. It needs to be kept in mind that the signatory of the account is out of the country and his manager/accountant is requesting the cheque book on his behalf as it is a corporate account.
When the customer is reminded to send the original request signed by him the accountant/manager on behalf of the customer sends the cheque book request signed by the mandate of the account and the same mandate also authorizes a third person to collect the cheque book on behalf of the customer.
Now here comes the test of patience for the officer who deals with the situation. The SOP is silent on the issue. It is unable to guide that whether the request by the mandate is acceptable and whether the mandate can authorize a third person to collect the cheque book.
The junior officer seeks guidance from the middle manager. The middle manager calls many other and comes up with the mixed replies, confused, but sure of his ex-employer SOP. The case is then referred to the senior manager, who gives his go ahead for the delivery of cheque book on the authority of the mandate and acceptance of the cheque book request signed by the mandate. Although not confirmed about the current SOP,but of the previous employer's SOP, yet he confirms it from his own senior and the customer after being kept waiting for a long time is being told that what shall be accepted and what shall not?
Moral leaves a big question mark. The biggest question is imposed on the bank itself. It sheds light on the importance not only on the presence of SOP, but an updated one. Then onwards the implementation shall give reliability and confidence to the workers and shall help stop leg pulling among employees by misguiding each other and letting them become a convict of ignorance because of the silence of SOP.

No comments:

Post a Comment