From days to minutes for account opening

I redesigned the Meezan Bank digital account journey, proposing an AI-driven model to automate manual compliance checks. The design aimed to optimize complex workflows, reduce turnaround times, and allow for faster customer deposits.

Role

UX Research & Strategy

Timeline

November 2023 - February 2024

Projected Results

71%

Reduction in human effort to process new accounts

71%

Reduction in human effort to process new accounts

71%

Reduction in human effort to process new accounts

79%

November 2023 - February 2024

79%

November 2023 - February 2024

79%

November 2023 - February 2024

16 hr

Reduction in average manual processing time

16 hr

Reduction in average manual processing time

16 hr

Reduction in average manual processing time

Context

I led a management-backed initiative to reduce manual effort in digital onboarding. By auditing the end-to-end journey, I identified why accounts weren't opening automatically and designed an AI-driven flow to streamline the process.

Problem

71% of new account opening required manual review, stretching wait times from minutes to days and resulting in an average processing time of 16–19 hours.

82% of those accounts were opened within 24-hours, and the remaining presented a significant loss in potential deposits due to manual delays.

Account Opened by Month
Automatic
Manual
0%
15%
30%
45%
60%
75%
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Account Opened by Month
Automatic
Manual
0%
15%
30%
45%
60%
75%
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Account Opened by Month
Automatic
Manual
0%
15%
30%
45%
60%
75%
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct

Over 70,000 accounts opened from March to October of 2023.

Over 70,000 accounts opened from March to October of 2023.

Over 70,000 accounts opened from March to October of 2023.

Research

I interviewed Compliance and Operations teams to pinpoint exactly where the digital journey defaulted to manual effort. This helped me identify the specific gaps where the process fell back on human intervention.

Additionally, I analyzed 50,000+ applications to find the primary causes of these delays. This data-driven approach highlighted the friction points that most hindered the process.

I interviewed Compliance and Operations teams to pinpoint exactly where the digital journey defaulted to manual effort. This helped me identify the specific gaps where the process fell back on human intervention.

Additionally, I analyzed 50,000+ applications to find the primary causes of these delays. This data-driven approach highlighted the friction points that most hindered the process.

I interviewed Compliance and Operations teams to pinpoint exactly where the digital journey defaulted to manual effort. This helped me identify the specific gaps where the process fell back on human intervention.

Additionally, I analyzed 50,000+ applications to find the primary causes of these delays. This data-driven approach highlighted the friction points that most hindered the process.

Persona

Based on user interviews, 2 core personas emerged. Ahmed and Sajid

Ahmed

Account Operations Officer

Bio

Responsible for reviewing applications that fail straight-through processing. Also ensures new accounts meet bank standards before activating them.

Goals

Process all new applications within the same business day to meet turnaround targets.

Verify that every flagged account meets bank standards before manual activation.

Challenges

Meeting daily processing targets is difficult when the majority of applications require manual intervention.

Many applicants are misidentified as high-risk, resulting in manual reviews before account activation.

Ahmed

Account Operations Officer

Bio

Responsible for reviewing applications that fail straight-through processing. Also ensures new accounts meet bank standards before activating them.

Goals

Process all new applications within the same business day to meet turnaround targets.

Verify that every flagged account meets bank standards before manual activation.

Challenges

Meeting daily processing targets is difficult when the majority of applications require manual intervention.

Many applicants are misidentified as high-risk, resulting in manual reviews before account activation.

Ahmed

Account Operations Officer

Bio

Responsible for reviewing applications that fail straight-through processing. Also ensures new accounts meet bank standards before activating them.

Goals

Process all new applications within the same business day to meet turnaround targets.

Verify that every flagged account meets bank standards before manual activation.

Challenges

Meeting daily processing targets is difficult when the majority of applications require manual intervention.

Many applicants are misidentified as high-risk, resulting in manual reviews before account activation.

Sajid

Compliance Officer

Bio

Updates watchlists for screening accuracy and performs post-facto verification to protect the bank from compliance risks.

Goals

Screen all applicants against internal and international watchlists to ensure compliance.

Update screening watchlists on a daily basis to maintain accurate regulatory data.

Challenges

Updating watchlists is a slow, manual process due to inconsistent data formats like images and Excel.

Reviewing applications on a post-factor basis is necessary to ensure ongoing bank compliance.

Sajid

Compliance Officer

Bio

Updates watchlists for screening accuracy and performs post-facto verification to protect the bank from compliance risks.

Goals

Screen all applicants against internal and international watchlists to ensure compliance.

Update screening watchlists on a daily basis to maintain accurate regulatory data.

Challenges

Updating watchlists is a slow, manual process due to inconsistent data formats like images and Excel.

Reviewing applications on a post-factor basis is necessary to ensure ongoing bank compliance.

Sajid

Compliance Officer

Bio

Updates watchlists for screening accuracy and performs post-facto verification to protect the bank from compliance risks.

Goals

Screen all applicants against internal and international watchlists to ensure compliance.

Update screening watchlists on a daily basis to maintain accurate regulatory data.

Challenges

Updating watchlists is a slow, manual process due to inconsistent data formats like images and Excel.

Reviewing applications on a post-factor basis is necessary to ensure ongoing bank compliance.

Drivers of Manual Intervention
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
False Positive
Name Edit
Facial Error
Others
Drivers of Manual Intervention
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
False Positive
Name Edit
Facial Error
Others
Drivers of Manual Intervention
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
False Positive
Name Edit
Facial Error
Others

False positives dominate manual interventions, accounting for the vast majority of cases.

Opportunities & Considerations

Problem

Strict rules flag too many accounts, causing excessive manual work.

Strict rules flag too many accounts, causing excessive manual work.

Strict rules flag too many accounts, causing excessive manual work.

18 different watchlists in various formats must be updated dail.

18 different watchlists in various formats must be updated dail.

18 different watchlists in various formats must be updated dail.

Applications require review for name edits by following unsuccessful ID scan.

Applications require review for name edits by following unsuccessful ID scan.

Applications require review for name edits by following unsuccessful ID scan.

Customers' facial recognition cannot be processed, resulting in manual review.

Customers' facial recognition cannot be processed, resulting in manual review.

Customers' facial recognition cannot be processed, resulting in manual review.

User Needs

A system that separates real risks from minor name variations.

A system that separates real risks from minor name variations.

A system that separates real risks from minor name variations.

A tool to update and standardize watchlist data.

A tool to update and standardize watchlist data.

A tool to update and standardize watchlist data.

A way to verify names against ID and national data without human intervention.

A way to verify names against ID and national data without human intervention.

A way to verify names against ID and national data without human intervention.

A more accurate way to verify identities digitally without requiring human judgment.

A more accurate way to verify identities digitally without requiring human judgment.

A more accurate way to verify identities digitally without requiring human judgment.

How Might We

Reduce false positives while maintaining standards?

Reduce false positives while maintaining standards?

Reduce false positives while maintaining standards?

Automate updates to ensure data consistency across the system?

Automate updates to ensure data consistency across the system?

Automate updates to ensure data consistency across the system?

Out of scope due to technical and operation risk within the current framework.

Out of scope due to technical and operation risk within the current framework.

Out of scope due to technical and operation risk within the current framework.

Out of Scope due to low case frequency and high effort, making it non-viable for this phase.

Out of Scope due to low case frequency and high effort, making it non-viable for this phase.

Out of Scope due to low case frequency and high effort, making it non-viable for this phase.

KPIs

  • Reduction in manual processing hours.

  • System accuracy

  • Reduction in manual processing hours.

  • System accuracy

  • Reduction in manual processing hours.

  • System accuracy

  • Reduction in manual processing hours.

  • System accuracy

  • Reduction in manual processing hours.

  • System accuracy

  • Reduction in manual processing hours.

  • System accuracy

N/A



N/A

NA

N/A



N/A

NA

Solution

AI is introduced to validate false positives whenever the bank's system flags a customer. This bypasses the manual review process, significantly reducing customer waiting times.

Additionally, automation is introduced to update different watchlist data, providing the real-time accuracy required for the AI to screen effectively and enable instant account activation.

Smart Validation Process for Digital Onboarding.

Reflection

Ownership & Process

Despite limited ownership, I secured management buy-in by delivering a solution that effectively balanced user friction with operational efficiency.

Ownership & Process

Despite limited ownership, I secured management buy-in by delivering a solution that effectively balanced user friction with operational efficiency.

Ownership & Process

Despite limited ownership, I secured management buy-in by delivering a solution that effectively balanced user friction with operational efficiency.

Technical Transition

The project transitioned to IT for infrastructure development. Without project ownership, I lacked visibility into implementation timelines.

Technical Transition

The project transitioned to IT for infrastructure development. Without project ownership, I lacked visibility into implementation timelines.

Technical Transition

The project transitioned to IT for infrastructure development. Without project ownership, I lacked visibility into implementation timelines.

Navigation

Home
Home
Home
Projects
Projects
Projects
About
About
About

Contact

osama.afzal96@gmail.com
osama.afzal96@gmail.com
osama.afzal96@gmail.com
Linkedin
Linkedin
Linkedin

Designed by Osama Abaali. ©2026 Osama Abaali