July 5th 2022 ∙ 3 min read

Companies recognise their increasingly urgent need to accelerate their digital transformation, with a focus on their day-to-day operations, in relation to their accounts held with NBG and other domestic banks. The transition to the digital world does not depend on businesses’ size or line of activity. The successful transition and utilization of available solutions, can differentiate your business from competition (internal and international) ensuring among others:

• Time and operating costs improvement
• Real time information leading to direct decision making
• Integration of new solutions for strengthen profitability

Ally in this business transition is National Bank of Greece that offers the appropriate digital technology, as well as the tried and tested digital solutions that will facilitate businesses in their decision to follow this new path, enjoying multiple benefits:

• Saving operating cost and time, The automated and direct communication of the business's software with the Bank's system provides immediate information on its bank accounts, automating the execution of tasks that otherwise require more time to complete and use more systems by the business.  
• Utilizing available technology in real time, Using Digital Direct link-up Treasury Solutions allows a business to extract information related to banking transactions while creating them in real time, and at the same time to utilize it in multiple internal applications of the business, e.g. accounting, supplier management applications, inventory management tools, etc. 
• Increased Security and Risk Management, The highly sensitive nature of banking data obviously presupposes the creation of the right infrastructure that will ensure the security of the interface. API technology* itself, on which NBG's digital solutions are grounded, guarantees risk reduction, as compared with the traditional forms of information and order exchange between banks and companies. 
• Flexibility in Implementation, the real-time integration of banking data and operations into a simple or complex corporate platform is usually a complex process and often requires significant IT support. For this reason, NBG has cooperated with providers of corporate software systems in order to be able to offer ready-made interconnection solutions, and has also created the specialized NBG Connector service, for cases where customers who have SAP or Navision software systems. At the same time, the appropriate technical specifications are offered in order to initiate the use of the solutions in a properly designed test environment, significantly reducing times and risks during roll-out.
• The prospect of real-time information management is a basic incentive for businesses to explore their options in interconnection matters and to benefit from the advantages of these solutions. The Payment Solutions and Liquidity Management Sector with its specialized staff primarily aims at working closely with businesses on their journey to their digital transformation by providing the necessary tools and solutions that will add value to this journey and the option to utilize them creatively and to their advantage.

National Bank of Greece, provides an integrated digital ecosystem, with Internet Banking at its base, as a gateway to specialized digital platforms, and enhances it by two new pillars of digital solutions, a) Treasury Solutions and b) Value Added Solutions, contributing to your digital transformation.

The two new pillars of digital solutions serve special needs:

• The Digital Direct Link-Up Solutions (Treasury Solutions), available directly in the Company's software system, automate day-to-day operations by instantly reporting account details and activity and executing transfers and payments from bank accounts, held with NBG as well as other domestic banks. Access to services can be implemented, 
  • through ready-made solutions in cooperation with the main software providers, and 
  • via the NBG Connector Service, compatible with software systems (SAP, Navision), available for installation on the Business’s system
• Digital Value Added Solutions, with innovative services that facilitate the development of the Company's operations, through solutions that can be made available to its own customers. With our new Customer Insights service your company can retrieve the data of your customers who are also customers of NBG, once they have provided their consent.

NBG's Internet Banking for Businesses remains fundamental for upgraded management, information and payment services and is your gateway to specialized digital platforms, such as:  

• i-bank Trade Finance, for International Trade transactions and issuing and managing Letters of Guarantee
• e-Factoring, for integrated management and monitoring of the Business Factoring Portfolio, through NBG Factors
• i-FX, for monitoring, managing and executing Foreign Exchange Transactions
• i-bank e-commerce, for activating Payment Services
• NBG QuickPay, for monitoring transactions carried out through the Invoice Collection Automation Service
• ETHNOfiles, for the use of files for Mass Execution of Payments and Payroll to suppliers and employees

Payments and Cash Management Solutions, through its specialized team aims to be your direct business partner for your digital transformation procedure offering solutions that will add value and enable businesses to utilize them to their benefit.

Giorgos Moraitis 
Head of Payment Solutions and Liquidity Management 
Corporate Transaction Banking 

*APIs - Application Programming Interfaces
APIs (interfaces for applications) have been in the spotlight for quite some time now with multiple applications. They are already used by many companies, who have utilized these innovative tools to move forward with their transformation plans. As a means of allowing two or more applications to interact seamlessly in real time, APIs are not only convenient, but open up a whole new world of possibilities for any interested company that is evolving or transforming to leverage. The interconnection of systems, based on the use of APIs, with continuous and instantaneous interactions in a wide range of transactions and information, obviously concerns the banking systems as well. In short, APIs can transform a Treasury unit by providing the company with a cost-effective technology experience — removing any barriers and difficulties in achieving automation while offering flexibility.
National Bank of Greece has a wide range of APIs to enable its customers and third parties (such as fintech companies) to access its services through this channel (nbg.developers portal)