A self-service passbook printing system at bank branches.

Organet' PB-Print application is a self-service passbook printing system, using which customers at bank branches can update their passbooks. The printer station guides the customers interactively through appropriate messages throughout the transaction update process.

The PB-Print application is available with different passbook printer options and accordingly, there are three versions of this software:

Fully automated solution with auto page detect and auto page turn

The fully automated version of the solution supports auto page detection (by reading the optical tags/marks affixed on the pages of the passbook) and auto page turning. These ensure that the printer station turns the pages of the passbook from the first/current page to the page where the new entries are to be printed. The customer only needs to insert the passbook in the printer station and the system reads the customer’s account number from the magnetic strip/barcode/RFID tag and sends the request to the bank host interface for downloading the new transaction entries. After receiving the transaction details from the bank host, the PB-Print application drives the passbook printer to print the new entries. On completion of printing, the updated passbook is returned to the customer.

An additional security feature can be incorporated in the application to authenticate the user of this service, in case the bank so desires. This will require the user to swipe/flash his debit/ATM card issued by the bank and enter his PIN details and only after successful authentication can the user insert the passbook into the printer station. This security feature ensures that only the concerned account holders can use the self-service facility.

Semi automated solution with manual page turn
In this version of the software, the auto page detection and auto page turn modules are not available, as the printer is not as sophisticated as the one used in the fully automated solution. The customer would need to turn the pages of the passbook manually.

A magnetic/optical reader attached to the printer station picks up the account number of the customer from the magnetic strip/barcode/RFID affixed on the passbook. The customer however would have to key in the date from which transaction updates are required. In case user authentication is required as an additional security measure (to ensure that only the customer can update his passbook and not anyone else), the feature of PIN entry and its validation can be added to the system. Authentication of the user would be the first step, followed by insertion of passbook into the printer station.

The details entered by the customer are forwarded to the bank host for getting the transaction details. The customer has to insert his passbook taking care to see that the correct page is opened for printing. The PB-Print application prints the appropriate number of entries on the open page and ejects the passbook for manual page turning by the customer in case there are more entries to be printed. The printing continues in this manner until all the entries up to the current date are printed. The printer thereafter ejects the passbook for collection by the customer.

Entry level solution with manual page turn
This is an entry level solution and is not a self service system. In this version of PB-Print, the bank staff would enter the account number of the customer as well as the date from which the transactions are to be updated. The bank host downloads the required details to the printer station. The bank staff would have to turn the pages of the passbook manually until all the entries are printed.

	Significantly better customer experience at bank branches with lesser queues.
	The fully automated and semi automated solutions can be made available on 24 x 7 basis (i.e. round the clock).
	Drudgery on the part of bank staff for updating passbooks is removed, leading to improvement in their productivity.
	The system can be scaled up to support from remote locations passbook printing.
	Printer stations installed within the premises of the bank and outside offer tremendous scope for advertising the products and services of the banks.