From having a good idea to developing a business and financial plan to leading a sustainable enterprise: there's a lot to keep in mind In this testimony from Xerius, read all about how integration and collaborating with KBC enabled the company to simplify and improve its application processes.
A number of administrative matters have to be taken care of in order to establish a company. The first step is to apply for a company number from a recognised enterprise office. It is now very simple for entrepreneurs to apply for this digitally One thing that is required in order to start a business is a bank account number.
This is also a cinch thanks to KBC entering into partnerships with various enterprise offices, thus enabling entrepreneurs to be able to apply for an account number digitally, too. This is possible due to an API being integrated into the application process for a company number.
Xerius: a testimonial
Xerius was the first of KBC's partners to integrate the API, which it did in mid-2019.
"Here at Xerius, we have integrated the process to apply for a business bank account at KBC into our wizard for founding a sole proprietorship. This allows us to give fledgling entrepreneurs the chance to open a business bank account straight away. It also means our underlying process for registering new sole proprietorships in the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises is quicker and runs more smoothly.
Xerius registers more than 15,000 sole proprietorships in the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises each year. One third of applications are submitted by our end customers using online wizards. Since integrating the KBC Business Account, they now have the option to open a business account after submitting their application. Around 25% of users are now taking advantage of this option.
The collaboration between Xerius and KBC took place over two stages. The obstacles faced by the two partners in phase one were tackled in phase two:
- Both teams appointed a project manager to maintain a good overview and coordinate things on an overarching scale – this proved to be highly beneficial
- The full teams were involved at an early stage and and there was direct coordination between the designers, analysts, developers, etc. at KBC and Xerius
- Simultaneous analysis and development trajectories were pursued by both parties, meaning the teams were accessible and available to assist one another
Despite the improvements made in the second phase, there were still a few barriers to overcome:
- It wasn't possible for us to conduct the full end-to-end tests, because Xerius did not have remote access to KBC's systems
- While we weren't dependent on each other's development team, we were dependent on each other's release plan.
- After the system goes live, you often end up relying on the other party being available for troubleshooting. During the development period and in the first post-go-live support phase, the lines were very short, giving both parties the room they needed to support each other. However, the situation is different if there are issues in the communal flow later on
All in all, the collaboration was definitely a successful one!”
KBC also came away with a positive impression
KBC likewise found the collaboration with Xerius to be highly positive and constructive.
Both in phase one and phase two, the project managers at KBC found it very pleasant to work with their counterparts at Xerius. All issues that arose were tackled constructively by both parties. As a result, the process to apply for a KBC business account through Xerius was improved significantly in phase two.
The structural aspects of the collaboration will be discussed during the quarterly account meeting between Xerius and KBC. In the meantime, we are keeping the communication lines open so we can respond to developments quickly.
As far as KBC is concerned, the collaboration has been excellent!
Are you interested in integrating this API? Get in touch with us at developer.kbc.be/contact.
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You will find an overview of the various business solutions and technical integrations on the KBC Developer Portal.