MauBank is stepping up efforts to improve operational efficiency and customer responsiveness after being selected as a service-sector Model Company in a national programme focused on productivity and operational excellence. The bank has joined the Operational Excellence and Productivity Improvement Programme, an initiative led by the National Productivity and Competitiveness Council (NPCC) with technical support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
The programme, which was formally launched on 8 September, will see MauBank work with NPCC and Japanese specialists to examine its end-to-end credit process and identify opportunities to improve efficiency, reduce bottlenecks and strengthen the customer experience. The initiative comes at a time when the banking industry is being reshaped by rapid digitalisation, changing customer expectations and growing pressure for faster and more responsive financial services. For MauBank, however, the exercise goes beyond internal efficiency. The bank views productivity as closely connected to its wider role in supporting individuals, entrepreneurs and businesses across the Mauritian economy.
“Productivity in banking cannot be viewed in isolation from the economy we serve,” said Issa Soormally, Officer in Charge of MauBank. “The more effectively we deploy our people, capabilities and resources, the better positioned we are to respond to financing needs and support businesses as they invest, grow and create value.”
Bringing Japanese expertise to the local banking environment
A key component of the programme will be the practical application of Lean Management and Kaizen, two approaches widely associated with continuous improvement and the elimination of inefficiencies. A cross-functional team from MauBank will work alongside NPCC representatives and Japanese experts to assess the bank’s credit journey from end to end. The team will also serve as a group of internal change champions, helping transfer the knowledge gained through the programme to other parts of the organisation. The partnership is intended to combine international experience with MauBank’s understanding of the local market. That local perspective is particularly relevant to the bank, which has built its business around serving the Mauritian economy and maintaining relationships with individuals, entrepreneurs, SMEs and larger businesses.
The objective is therefore not simply to make processes faster, but to ensure that resources and capabilities are deployed where they can generate the greatest value for customers and the wider economy. For Sanjay Matadeen, Chairman of MauBank, the programme forms part of a broader effort to ensure that the bank keeps pace with a rapidly changing financial services environment. “MauBank has an important role to play in supporting the ambitions of Mauritius, and this requires us to continuously improve the way we operate and serve our customers,” he said. “By applying Lean Management and Kaizen principles to our credit process, we aim to make financing more responsive, efficient and customer-focused, while strengthening a culture of continuous improvement across the bank.”
Credit process at the heart of the exercise
MauBank has selected its end-to-end credit process as the central focus of the programme, reflecting the importance of lending to both customer experience and economic activity. For individuals, access to financing can support investment and major life decisions. For entrepreneurs and SMEs, credit can provide the capital needed to launch, expand or invest in their businesses. Improving the efficiency of that process can therefore have implications well beyond the bank itself.
The programme is expected to examine how the various stages of the credit journey can be improved, while encouraging a culture in which continuous review and incremental improvements become part of everyday operations.The approach also places emphasis on building internal capabilities rather than relying solely on external expertise. MauBank’s participating employees are expected to take the lessons from the programme back into their respective functions, helping sustain the improvements after the formal exercise ends. “This initiative forms part of a broader transformation journey as banking evolves through technology, changing customer expectations and new ways of working,” Sanjay said. “Ultimately, a stronger and more productive MauBank will be better equipped to support entrepreneurs, SMEs and investment, while contributing to Mauritius’ economic development and creating lasting value for the communities we serve.”
The programme has now moved into its implementation and monitoring phase. Japanese experts are scheduled to conduct a review in January 2027, with the presentation and dissemination of the programme’s results expected in March.
