A unique effort between Akbank and Microsoft Support Services as they join forces

The Support Services Project was kicked off to improve administrative control of the Cash Management System that serves as a bridge between Akbank and the outside world in managing third party interactions and the BizTalk layer, which lies at the core of the Cash Management System. In time, it has broadened in scope, gained a multi-layer structure, and evolved into a unique success story where teams worked in unison towards a shared goal. To address possible problems in the Cash Management System, Akbank made use of the customized support from Microsoft in identifying problems and causes, preventing repeat occurrence, and ensuring rapid resolutions. This process has gradually turned into "a living project" where development and improvement of the system lied at the core to provide continuity with proactive services within the scope of long-term technical interaction.

The customized support system is inspiring in the sense that it demonstrates how development projects, a mainstream yet frequently ignored item on business agendas, can create a real difference in terms of company-wide development opportunities and furthering shared visions. 

An always-on system with three main goals

The project was shaped around three main goals. While these included minimizing present or possible interruptions to the Cash Management System, reducing end-to-end payment processing time, and effectively integrating teams' new work requests into the system, the end result went above and beyond the goals and yielded an architectural structure that became the pride and joy for the company. 

Akbank's IT Company Integration Team and Microsoft teams focused on the newly created Integration Layer as a core that allowed Microsoft servers, and alternative distribution layers to be integrated into the systems. The joint effort of Akbank and Microsoft Support Services ensured that the server park at the center to always remain resilient, to not cause any interruptions, and to mitigate any core vulnerabilities, ultimately balancing out the load. Microsoft Support Services assumed a critical role in ensuring the necessary coordination among teams and the inclusion of work units essential to rendering the core healthy and stable. 

With a robust structure that includes Alternative Distribution Channels and Main Banking, from an archiving infrastructure to DevOps procedures and a load distribution architecture, Akbank now benefits from the confidence of having a smooth operation where continuous operations are powered despite potential disruptions. Here, the role of cooperation has been of paramount significance. The Microsoft Support Services team, Application Development teams, and other skills centers came together to build the structure to minimize system vulnerability for Cash Management and for the center. With strength from human resources and an impeccable architectural design, solutions provided in the project were designed with the goal of having lasting and effective results in mind. 

Full benefit in quality, business skills and engineering with Microsoft Support Services

When the teams came together, they focused on how Akbank could better serve its users and on a 24/7 uninterrupted basis by identifying gaps accompanied by a comprehensive market assessment. A preliminary analysis revealed these gaps under the SfMC service, detailed efforts were exerted to get to know Akbank frameworks and associated problems better. Accordingly, one of the industry's most ambitious DevOps structures was put into practice. This meant that Akbank positioned itself many steps ahead through this system that works uninterrupted and 24/7, even in case of a cumulative Windows update or a migration to the SQL database, IIS application servers, or BizTalk servers.

During the five-year Unified Support and SfMC Support Service period, the daily load on Akbank's cash management system increased by 81% while unplanned downtime decreased by 68% thanks to extensive efforts and the overarching goal of the project was thus achieved. Online processing time, which has a direct impact on the end-user experience, has also gone down by 25%, which has been the desired goal.

The Cash Management System, which is in constant motion at the core of Akbank and through its life cycle, is a top priority area for the company. Highlighting the value of the improvement in this system, Akbank project teams take justified pride in looking at future projects with an even safer and innovative perspective thanks to Microsoft's contributions and a strong collaboration culture under the Unified and SfMC service.