Reconciliation is an important focus for our sector and building on our grassroots community connections. Many of our customer-owned banks have formally committed to this via Reconciliation Action Plans.
This week, in recognition of October being Indigenous Business Month, we are putting a spotlight on how one of our members, Great Southern Bank, is successfully partnering with First Nations businesses as an important pathway to reconciliation.
Building strong partnerships and evolving the bank’s supply chain to include more First Nations businesses is a strong focus of Great Southern Bank’s second Reconciliation Action Plan, their Innovate RAP.
“Within our RAP, we have a number of commitments to improve the economic and social participation of First Nations peoples and partnering with First Nations businesses is one way that we are delivering on this commitment,” says the bank’s Head of Corporate Affairs & Sustainability, Linda Henry.
“Improving economic outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples helps empower them to have greater choice over where and how they live, and we believe that aligns to our bank’s overarching purpose of helping all Australians to own their own home.”
Through its partnership with Supply Nation, Australia’s largest directory of verified First Nations businesses, Great Southern Bank has partnered with at least 10 First Nations businesses during the past 12 months – for services spanning catering, relocation services, cultural advice and even technology solutions.
The bank’s partnership with Born Digital Solutions is a great example of this. The 100% Indigenous-owned automation consulting firm is a small business that’s making a big change, and the bank has just signed a new 3-year deal to cement the ongoing collaboration.
With a workforce comprised of 50% Indigenous FTEs and more than 50% female consultants, the business is committed to giving underrepresented groups an opportunity to drive innovation in the technology industry.
Tony Kljucevic, Managing Director at Born Digital Solutions, says the partnership has delivered value both to their business and Great Southern Bank.
“It’s wonderful to see Great Southern Bank actively seeking to work with more First Nations businesses. As a relatively small business in the technology space, we certainly appreciate the opportunity to demonstrate our capabilities and building a fruitful working relationship that ultimately benefits both parties.”
And this innovation is having an outstanding impact on Great Southern Bank’s business. In the past year, Born Digital Solutions helped Great Southern Bank streamline the processing of a significant volume of transactions. This has created efficiencies that have freed up team member’s time, allowing them to focus on more creative and strategic initiatives that drive greater value for the bank.
Jean-Pierre Van der Westhuizen, Great Southern Bank’s Platform Delivery Manager for Intelligent Automation & Testing, says working with Born Digital Solutions feels more like a partnership, rather than a transactional relationship.
“What we value most about working with the team at Born Digital Solutions is they have taken the time to understand our business, and what our teams and customers need. Like us, they are customer obsessed, so they don’t try to upsell us on products or solutions that wouldn’t deliver value for our business. Their approach feels genuinely collaborative, which is what we’re always looking for when working with vendors.”
In addition to partnering with First Nations-owned businesses, Great Southern Bank worked with First Nations cultural advisor, Jason Timor, to offer workshops to help employees have the confidence and capability to procure goods and services from First Nations businesses. The bank has also continued to simplify its procurement and contracting processes to make it easier for First Nations suppliers to do business with us.
For Great Southern Bank, partnering with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander owned businesses goes beyond just procurement – it’s about breaking down systemic barriers, fostering long-term relationships, and delivering on the commitments of the bank’s Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) through everyday activities and actions.
“As customer-owned banks, the interests of our member-owners and our communities are at the heart of everything we do. Like other customer-owned banks, Great Southern Bank was started by people who saw an opportunity to give Australians a fairer deal. Investing in First Nations-owned businesses will help us enable a more diverse and inclusive financial services sector that delivers long-term value, both for our customers and society,” Ms Henry said.
For more details about Great Southern Bank’s reconciliation actions, read the Innovate RAP here. For more information about engaging with First Nations businesses, visit supplynation.com.au.