TRAINING COURSE – OPERATIONS RISK MANAGEMENT FOR NON-RISK MANAGERS

Johannesburg, South Africa - 7 & 8 September 2011

In the past decade Operations Risk management has been increasingly pushed into the foreground by the work and the requirements of international risk management and standard setting bodies, such as the Bank for International Settlements.

However, banks have seen the need to effectively manage their operational risks as simply an issue of complying with what the bank regulator requires, rather than a disciplined process that serves to not only ensure a banks survival but which can, in the long run, contribute to that bank’s financial fortune.

Additionally “risk management” is also seen as the domain of the professional risk manager. This assumption is totally wrong. Every manager, every staff member; whether they fill a line or staff function needs to be acutely aware of the risks in the business and the operations that they perform.

Implementing and maintaining an effective Operational Risk Management regimen is a complex process. At its core is an understanding of what Operations Risk is, how it can be managed. This knowledge is needed by every last staff member, be they business or technical.

This course is a basic introduction to Operations Risk management and mitigation aimed specifically at non-Risk Managers.

This structured course provides a complete well thought-out package for learning in all main aspects of the subject of Operational Risk. It will enable participants to understand the key issues as well as plan and manage the implementation of the operational risk management processes in their bank or financial institution.

Who should attend?

• All management and personnel involved in business, line and staff functions
• Financial Officers 
• Internal Auditors 
• Staff with roles and responsibilities in operational risk in risk management departments, businesses and central departments.

For a fully descriptive brochure as well as other course details please send a blank e-mail to courses@citadeladvantage.com with RISK-JHB in the Subject line.

How algorithms shape our world

Kevin Slavin argues that we're living in a world designed for - and increasingly controlled by - algorithms. In this riveting talk from TEDGlobal, he shows how these complex computer programs determine: espionage tactics, stock prices, movie scripts, and architecture. And he warns that we are writing code we can't understand, with implications we can't control.

(Source: TED http://www.ted.com/ )

TRAINING COURSE – PROCESS IMPROVEMENT & MANAGING CHANGE

Johannesburg, South Africa - 5 & 6 September 2011

Process Improvement is a series of actions taken to identify, analyse and improve existing operational processes within any business or organisation to meet its goals and objectives. Such goals/objectives may include the need to reduce costs, achieve greater operational efficiency, the merging and simplification of existing processes etc.

Process improvement follows a specific methodology or strategy to create successful results. All operations whether back-office, middle-office or front-office are based on business processes. Often however, these Processes have been inherited from earlier times, and have been endlessly modified over time leading to a loss of their earlier efficiencies.

This applies equally to all businesses, organizations and their activities – from large modern-day corporations, through offices, factories, shops – and at all levels from businesses or organizations with thousands of staff right down to Mom ‘n Pop stores.

With Process Improvement comes change. Often too, these changes introduce a layer of uneasiness to the individuals that make up the business or organisation. Just as critical as improving your processes and benefitting from innovation, is getting your staff to accept change as beneficial. Change introduces elements of unease that push people out of their own comfort zones and can create resistance in even the best run organisations.

This course is designed for all people involved in business, services and other profit and non-profit organisations to introduce them to the world of Business and Organizational Processes – what they are and how they can be improved. It incorporates managing change, and how by coping with change, the changes themselves are strengthened and enhanced and beneficial instead of something to be feared. The course has also been specially designed to address the differing entry level knowledge of the participants.

How will you benefit from this course?

• Understanding a Business Process—what it is and how it is mapped. 
• Understand how business processes can be improved. 
• Understanding change and our reactions to this. 
• Understanding stress within the context of process reengineering and change. 
• Successful approaches to planning, initiating and managing a successful process improvement project.

Who should attend?

This course is aimed anybody in any business/ organisation who wishes to gain a clear understanding of business and operational processes, what they are, how they come about and how they can be improved in an organized logical way.

Managers, supervisors, senior and junior staff, from operational and administrative areas will all benefit from this straight forward, comprehensive course on Process Improvement. This course applies equally to staff of firms operating at the corporate level, in manufacturing, in services, in retail trade and in non-profit organisations.

For a fully descriptive brochure please send a blank e-mail to courses@citadeladvantage.com with PROCESS-JHB in the Subject line.

Where will mobile payments be in the next five years?

Wells Fargo's Peter Ho speaks on where you'll be able to use your phone to pay in five years.

Mobile payments: Who needs NFC anyway?

Despite flurry of NFC interest, Starbucks is satisfied with success of barcode scanning technology.

Starbucks says it has done just fine using basic barcode scanning technology for its successful US smartphone payment system, which raises the question: Who really needs Near Field Communication wireless technology for mobile payments?

Get the full details HERE.

Payments service Dwolla Hits $1 million transactions a week

Payment platform Dwolla is celebrating an important milestone this week; Hitting almost 1 million a week in payments on the service. This is rapid growth, as six months ago the startup was completing $50,000 in transactions a week. Only three months ago, it hit the $1 million transactions a month mark.

Co-founder Ben Milne says that this is notable because it was only a little over a year and a half ago that billion dollar startup Square crossed the exact same “$1 million a week” milestone.

With 20,000 users currently, Dwolla provides a free web based software platform which allows users to exchange funds with any other Dwolla user. Users who receive funds are charged 25 cents, versus PayPal’s 30 cents.

The company recently released their FiSync feature, and has thus far hooked up with 11 banks to provide the service to another potential 600,000 users. In addition Dwolla recently launched GRID, allowing third party platforms like Google Wallet and Mint to potentially access its API as well as Spots, a payments feature based on location checkins.

Co-founder Ben Milne writes, ” I can say this with a straight smile on my face, ‘Thank you Google.’ Since the announcement of the Google Wallet, we’ve seen outstanding interest and excitement in our cash-based network from merchants wanting to adopt our low-cost mobile payment platform. “

The payments space is definitely heating up.

Mobile banking multiplies in South Africa

Africa's banking picture is changing, thanks to rising incomes and spreading use of mobile phones. In South Africa, Standard Bank is breaking from its main business in favor of a low-cost mobile phone model. WSJ's Peter Wonacott reports.