ATM remote management: Revolutionizing self-service banking

By Jay Goodwin, ESQ Business Services Inc.

When ATM monitoring solutions were first available, they did exactly that, they monitored the ATM and determined if it was alive or dead. The operators of those systems were left to determine what to do next, dispatching a service call was often the only option and that could get expensive. 

Since then, these solutions have gotten a whole lot smarter, the ATMs themselves are much smarter and operators of ATM estates have learned a lot about how to leverage all this technology to create much higher levels of ATM availability. 

Today operators of ATM fleets use tools like stored procedures, automated workflows, specialized data tables, norms modules, intelligent fault and error mapping, customized dispatch using geo-fencing and so forth to manage their ATM estates. 

They have moved from monitoring to management, an evolution that gathers momentum year by year and promises to revolutionize self- service banking as we now know it.

The move from monitoring to management also brings many challenges as ATM operators want to use the newer technology and utilize all the associated best practices available, but they do not want to incur the cost of changing systems only to find themselves in a never-ending cycle of professional service expense as they configure the new technology.

The correct configuration of an ATM management system is challenging when we consider that no two institutions’ support organizations are the same. Configuration responsibilities differ, workflows within each area of responsibility differ, geographies differ, dispatch, break/fix and cash vendors differ, communication protocols differ, devices differ, on and on.

Most providers of ATM management software are stakeholders in other lines of business, such as selling ATMs and the delivery of professional services, as an alternate revenue stream; after all their customers want to optimize the solution and will need a lot of help. 

Other providers have a different philosophy more aligned with empowering their customers with lighter, more versatile technology and common plugins that use and support open standards. 

This gives customers a flexible system that can be tweaked and configured by the user to precisely meet changing internal business needs and market demands. This also reduces the headache of having to find additional budget every time the system needs changes.

With a flexible self-configurable ATM management system, a user can create reports using common Microsoft Excel templates, add or restrict user access and abilities, pull in alternate data sources, and create very specific dashboards and views for every constituency within the organization without ever having to involve the software vendor. 

These systems also support a ‘self-discovery’ feature that automatically inventories all devices and their components, make and serial number, software version, patches and service history. 

Workflows can also be customized by admin users in order to automatically route specific issues to specific operators or external vendors; SLAs and KPIs can be built, defined and circulated to make sure everyone is working from the same playbook. 

Using two-way APIs, trouble tickets can be opened, processed, and closed either manually or automatically by an assigned party depending on how the system is configured.

These newer affordable systems are agnostic as to machine manufacturer or type; if the device complies with international industry standards it is supported. These systems are extremely scalable allowing the operator to add and delete devices as needed, the entire life cycle of the machine is stored in a single database.

With a disciplined self-service approach as to how information is distributed and managed, along with a strong emphasis on automation, ATM estates become much more efficient and easier to manage, resulting in improved customer experiences driven by higher device availability. 

With the user in the driver’s seat, any ATM, kiosk, or TCR fault can be mapped to a specific manual or automatic response. 

A fault relative to cassette cash reserves is mapped to the CIT vendor who sees the fault in real time via a portal they have access to, the vendor can then respond within the SLA parameters already established and close out the ticket within the monitoring tool. 

Faults are also prioritized to determine when a device is wounded, partially functional (as in not able to print a receipt), down, inoperable to perform transactions, or just readily available to serve the then customer. 

The ability to identify, reduce and manage failed customer interactions is another area of next generation ATM monitoring. For example, if the same customer dips a card three times but there is no transaction, this can trigger an automatic alert that the customer should be contacted by call or text regarding directions to the nearest alternative ATM. 

This alert is automatically routed to customer service. Safeguards against fraudulent transaction patterns can be identified and action taken in similar ways. 

Whether you are seeking to increase operational efficiencies, reduce risk, or grow revenue through higher ATM availability to your customer, next generation monitoring systems can empower your business to the next level, now and for years to come.

Jay has been in the financial technology space for more than 20 years and at ESQ for more than 10 years. With a background as an anti money laundering specialist, Jay has worked with a broad range of financial institutions, helping them deal with ever-changing technology and regulatory challenges.  At ESQ Jay works with banks, retailers, processors and others to leverage efficiencies era led by the ESQ solution set.