Raiffeisen Bank dd Bosna i Hercegovina

Raiffeisen Bank dd Bosna i Hercegovina (RBBH) has been a cornerstone of the country’s financial sector since 2000. As the second-largest bank in the market, it serves over half a million individual customers and 50,000 business clients ranging from micro-enterprises to large corporations. The bank operates as part of the broader Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI) network, benefiting from both local market expertise and international economies of scale.

The bank has built a reputation for stability and customer service. But in an increasingly digital world, the bank recognized that maintaining its competitive edge would require more than traditional banking approaches.

The challenge facing RBBH was both immediate and strategic. Customer behaviour was shifting rapidly, and their expectations were accelerating beyond the bank’s capability to develop. “The demand for digital services is increasing, and we cannot afford to fall behind,” explained Kreshnik Halili, the bank’s CIO/COO. The bank’s legacy systems, built over many years, had become a constraint rather than an enabler.

Basic processes such as opening a current account were complex and lengthy, creating workload for staff and delays for customers. Integration with new digital channels was limited; and the speed required to compete in today’s market was simply not achievable.
“We couldn’t settle for small enhancements around the edges,” said Kreshnik. “We needed a complete overhaul of our technology.”

RBBH’s selection process balanced their immediate needs with a longer-term view. The bank evaluated multiple vendors while also examining implementations within sister banks across the RBI banking group.

Temenos emerged as the clear choice for several compelling reasons, not least because Temenos Core was already live in other RBI subsidiaries, including Kosovo, Slovakia, and Poland. “This wasn’t just a local technology project; it was a move to ensure strategic alignment and standardization across the group.”

The decision was reinforced by Temenos’ broad customer base and partner network. “Implementing a core banking system is not an easy project. Finding companies that have successfully put systems into production meant a lot to us.”

There was also a practical element to this, added Kreshnik. “It gave us confidence that during project implementation, we would have many doors to knock on if we needed support or consultation.”

Rather than opting for a ‘big bang’ approach RBBH undertook a phased go-live, starting with its core retail products: current accounts, bundles, and overdrafts. Deposits and lending will be the focus of subsequent phases, followed by its business accounts.

The implementation was led by Tech Mahindra, supported by Temenos and RBBH’s own internal team, already certified in Temenos delivery. “Mature technology and a mature team; both are needed for success,” advised Kreshnik.

Organisation is also key, he added. “We had clear roles, shared priorities, and strong communication across all three teams. That’s what made the difference.”

By adhering closely to out-of-the-box functionality and standard processes, the team minimized customization and reduced the risk of complexity creeping in mid-project.

A key enabler was Red Hat OpenShift, which allowed the deployment of Temenos in a containerized, cloud-ready environment. “When the timing is right from the regulatory point of view, our technology is ready to be migrated from on-premises to the cloud.”

It did not take long for the bank to see the benefits of their investment. Internal users noticed faster response times and better integration between functions. Operational simplicity followed. Previously, it relied on three to four different systems to originate products. These were replaced with a unified, streamlined workflow within Temenos Core. As a result, new products could be created in days, rather than weeks.

One of the early priorities post-go-live was the launch of new, tailored banking packages aimed at attracting new-to-bank customers. With Temenos Core, the team was able to model and launch these products quickly and with minimal technical intervention.

“Designing tailored packages for acquisition is a key lever for our growth,” Kreshnik said. “We now move from concept to launch far faster than before.”

With the consolidation of product configuration, pricing, and lifecycle management, manual reconciliation and task duplication has been minimized. For branch teams and call center agents, this has meant better visibility, fewer systems to navigate, and improved service consistency.

“We’ve gone from managing products across multiple systems to orchestrating everything through a single core. It’s faster for our teams, and that means it’s better for our customers.”

One of the biggest enhancements was the implementation of Temenos Data Hub, which now acts as a central data layer. It enables real-time streaming to digital channels, supports faster insights, and lays the groundwork for AI-based personalization.

“We’re actively monitoring AI development and testing small proof of concepts,” explained Kreshnik. “TDH provides capabilities that we believe will contribute to this strategy and opportunities when they become available.”

The bank plans to expand Temenos Core and TDH across more product lines as it continues to drive digital rollouts, fintech integrations, and open banking services.

“The market is moving fast, especially around digital expectations and embedded finance. Now we have a core that can keep up.”

The team is already scoping the next phases, which will bring Temenos into lending and card systems. Meanwhile, APIs are being opened up to enable new partnerships and mobile experiences.

A key advantage of the transformation is how it brings regional alignment with local innovation. As more RBI entities adopt the Temenos platform, knowledge and solutions can be shared across borders.