IT and Finance: How Optima Bank Leverages Technology to Save Thousands of Work Hours
Optima Bank is one of Kyrgyzstan’s leading financial institutions, and much of its success can be credited to its commitment to technological innovation. Every day, the bank’s IT team works closely with business units to streamline operations and enhance efficiency.
Adal Bazarkhanovich Izmukhanov, First Deputy Chairman of the Board at Optima Bank, shares how the bank is building a modern tech-driven environment..
Adal Bazarkhanovich Izmukhanov, First Deputy Chairman of the Board at Optima Bank
1. What role does IT play in achieving the bank’s business objectives?
IT is central to executing our business strategy. It enables us to operate more efficiently, reduce operational costs, improve the customer experience, and quickly adapt to both market shifts and regulatory changes.
We rely heavily on automation and analytics to ensure our internal processes are as fast and accurate as possible.
Delivering excellent service is a priority — that’s why we aim for maximum automation. It allows us to maintain high performance and reduce errors. Our IT team also helps reduce the burden of manual tasks for employees, and we’re seeing strong results from these efforts. Our IT infrastructure has become a true enabler for the business.
2. What are the biggest challenges you face as an IT leader?
Speed is everything we’re constantly working to implement changes quickly, scale effectively, and maintain high standards for cybersecurity.
Another challenge is driving digital culture across the organization. It’s not enough to simply introduce new tools; teams need to adopt a digital mindset.
With emerging technologies — from generative AI to evolving automation platforms we need to evaluate each one carefully for its relevance and impact.
3. What technologies do you see as most promising for banking?
Our talented team is always eager to explore new tech. Right now, we’re focused on RPA (robotic process automation), AI and machine learning, and scalable, microservice-based architectures with strong API integration. These technologies help us stay agile, responsive, and customer-focused.
4. Which systems and platforms are essential for the bank, and how do they work together
We’ve built a fully integrated digital ecosystem. At the center is our core banking system (ABS), which connects seamlessly with CRM, our data warehouse (DWH), payment gateways, mobile and online banking channels, monitoring tools, and of course, our RPA platform.
All systems communicate via APIs and a data bus, enabling smooth information flow and uninterrupted business operations.
5. How active is your RPA adoption? What results have you seen?
RPA is a major part of our digital transformation. We’ve deployed over 70 software robots that assist with data processing, report generation, and other routine tasks. This has significantly boosted internal efficiency, reduced errors, and freed up employee time.
We use the Kazakhstan-based platform Python RPA, which, as the name implies, is built on Python. It allows us to quickly automate even small, repetitive processes.
Often, employees approach the IT team with manual tasks they’d like to automate. In many cases, we’re able to deliver a working solution in less than two weeks and they’re thrilled with the results.
6. Can you give some real examples of how RPA works in your bank?
Take daily financial reporting — previously a time-consuming task requiring several hours of manual input. Today, a bot handles it entirely, so everything is ready by the start of the workday. Another bot compares data across different systems, ensuring accuracy and completeness. Our robots run 24/7, which is crucial for business continuity, especially in critical operations. Altogether, we save around 1,000 hours of manual work per year, while also minimizing errors.
7. Are you using AI or machine learning in your operations?
Absolutely. We’re actively piloting and deploying AI-based tools. For example, we use machine learning to build credit scoring models and detect fraud.
We’re also exploring the use of generative AI to assist employees and process large volumes of text.
The Python RPA platform now includes a module that makes it easy to integrate LLMs (large language models) just a few clicks, and you’re up and running. We’re currently testing use cases and are excited about the possibilities.
More broadly, we’ve started transitioning from RPA to Intelligent Process Automation (IPA) and are closely evaluating AI agents. Of course, it’s important to adopt these innovations responsibly and avoid rushing into trends without a clear business case.
8. What is your core IT strategy for the next 2–3 years?
Our priorities are intelligent automation, deeper data analytics, and building a resilient digital foundation. We’ll continue scaling our use of RPA and AI, enhancing our data capabilities via the DWH, and expanding our platform-based approach.
Ultimately, we want every process in the bank to be faster, more efficient, and more user-friendly for both customers and staff. Our goal is to set the standard in the market.
9. What motivates you most in your role?
What inspires me is seeing how technology truly makes a difference — for our teams and for our customers. We’re not just introducing tools; we’re creating a smarter, more responsive bank. Being part of this transformation is a privilege and a constant source of motivation.