Visually challenged SBI staffer develops app to automate daily banking tasks, without any coding knowledge

“We were asked to prepare a daily report for all the branches regarding a particular activity. The challenge here was that all the teams used Excel sheets which were shared through OneDrive with staff expected to update the status against their branch code and name,” says Ramkumar. But so many people editing the same excel sheet simultaneously led to the problem of data redundancy. “Sometimes the Excel sheet wasn’t getting saved or updated properly.”

Around this time, a chance meeting with Praveen Kumar from the housing loan sales department led to the creation of Digi Toolkit. Praveen, who too was facing some similar challenges, told Ramkumar about the Microsoft Power Apps platform. “Both of us have a similar mindset and thought of making an application that will help collate large chunks of data for daily reporting. And, that’s how it all started,” remembers Ramkumar. After a colleague volunteered to do the user acceptance test, they created a prototype and submitted it to the DGM Shailendra Dixit, who was overwhelmed by the efficiency of the application. Dixit later allowed the group to create the app.

B Ramkumar, who came up with the Digi Toolkit app; R Radhakrishna, chief general manager of SBI’s Chennai local head office; Praveen Kumar T, who worked on Power Automate features for the app; and Bharathram S, who tested the user interface for the app. (Photo: Loganathan Velmurugan/Microsoft)

“When Ramkumar asked me to develop the Digi Tool Kit application, he was very specific about user accessibility features and wanted to ensure that the application was accessible to everyone, regardless of their abilities or disabilities,” says Praveen Kumar, adding that the Microsoft platform provides an environment where accessibility features are already incorporated.

Inclusivity at the centre

The application is currently accessible to all employees, and Ramkumar takes pride in the fact that they developed an application with inclusivity in mind. The multi-faceted Digi Toolkit has simplified campaign tracking and lead tracking and has “various tools in its arsenal”. Ramkumar says Digi Toolkit app has offered 100 per cent automation in daily reporting tasks.

“Earlier, I had to go through over 700 branches as part of the activity and see if they submitted their report in Excel. If they did not, then I would be required to call them. But, now it’s completely automated.” Ramkumar’s app will send an email prompt if any branch does not respond. Based on the prompt they will input the data which is later consolidated into a single report. They get a detailed report in Excel which can be mailed instantly. “We have plans to automate the emails too. With all these activities, the app has taken the human effort out of the equation.”

No knowledge of coding

Perhaps, the most interesting facet of Ramkumar’s initiative is that he created an entire app without the slightest knowledge of coding or programming thanks to Microsoft Power Apps, a platform that helps in driving innovation with low-code tools. “From buttons to screens, coding is essential to all aspects of app development. With platforms like Power Apps, one needs to input what they want in simple language, and the rest is taken care of by the platform,” explains Ramkumar, who believes coding is the biggest put-off for those with ideas.

“They can at least create a prototype that can be showcased as a proof of concept,” says Ramkumar who is certain AI will only make things easier. He believes platforms such as Microsoft Power Apps are game changers for micro, small, and medium-sized companies that lack the funding to deploy a team of experienced IT professionals to create applications to promote their business.

B Ramkumar, a manager in the digital and transaction banking unit at SBI’s Chennai office, developer the Digi Toolkit app using Microsoft Power Apps. (Photo: Loganathan Velmurugan/Microsoft)

“Office 365 provides a powerful platform for citizen developers to create innovative solutions that can benefit people from all walks of life. Throughout the development process, I overcame numerous challenges to deliver an application that is user-friendly and efficient,” adds Praveen Kumar.

Technology and accessibility

Ramkumar wanted to learn computers from 6th grade, however, his family could not afford to buy a desktop for him. “Since I belong to a middle-class family, we couldn’t afford to buy a computer during my school days. Even though my parents managed to get me a used PC, there was nobody to teach me how to use it. Also, screen readers and the software in which they were written were very expensive,” he says.

Finally, he was introduced to computers after he completed his 12th in 2004. “The awareness was so poor at that time in India that nobody could guide me. But somehow, I came to know that there is something called a screen reader with which I can use computers. It helped me in completing both my graduation and Chartered Accountancy and also secure a job with SBI.”

During his Chartered Accountancy days would carry a scanner to scan a book, then edit on PC to eventually read it. “Now every phone has a camera and each camera has Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology built into it. By simply, focusing a camera on a document, you can read the text. I feel whenever a product is designed with accessibility in mind, maybe for a small target audience, it will eventually go on to be adopted in the mainstream.”

Ramkumar knows technology has made it possible for him to complete his studies and land a job. Accessible technology, he says, plays a vital role in ensuring both social and financial security for differently-abled individuals. The banker uses an iPhone as his primary smartphone and also has an Android device. “I am eager to know all the happenings in the tech world and that’s why I want to experience both iOS and Android platforms,” he explains. Apart from his laptop and desktop, Ramkumar also uses an Apple Watch.

For Ramkumar, Microsoft’s Seeing AI iOS app helps him carry out day-to-day activities such as reading, scanning documents, and even reading handwritten notes. According to Ramkumar, accessibility-centric apps on iOS or the default apps on iPhone help differently-abled individuals gain a sense of freedom.

Ramkumar advises others with similar challenges to “not lose hope and stay strong”. “No matter what the situation, be strong and believe in yourself.”