Absa Bank has partnered with SAS to modernise its credit risk management infrastructure.
The credit risk management system – built on SAS Viya, the company’s data and AI platform, and running on Amazon Web Services (AWS) has reduced reporting cycles by 80% to 90% – from weeks to hours. It also helps the bank roll out new models 50% faster than before.
“Absa’s adoption of SAS Viya on AWS has transformed model risk management from a back-office function into a forward-looking strategic advantage,” says Stu Bradley, senior vice-president of risk, fraud and compliance solutions at SAS. “The focus on governance is helping streamline AI innovation, and this evolution enables faster, more reliable credit decisions, improves loss predictability and strengthens regulatory compliance for Absa.”
With more than 500 credit risk models supporting its retail portfolio, Absa recognised that delays in model monitoring and updates could adversely impact capital reserves, loss forecasts and regulatory compliance. The bank’s legacy system – reliant on manual scripts and siloed processes – was unsustainable.
“Model monitoring is a vital part of our model governance,” says Dewald Fourie, modelling data scientist at Absa. “Previously, analysts spent up to four weeks generating a single report. Now, with SAS Viya on AWS, we’ve automated the process and shifted our focus to strategic analysis and innovation.”
The benefits of Absa’s new SAS-powered capabilities on AWS extend far beyond efficiency:
- 80% to 90% reduction in reporting time: Model monitoring reports are now generated automatically.
- 50% faster onboarding of new models: New frameworks (including all associated approvals) now go live in less than six months.
- Strategic reallocation of talent: Analysts once bogged down in manual work are now focused on higher-value projects.
- Elastic cloud usage: Instead of idle server capacity, resources now scale dynamically to meet demand – paying only for what’s used.
- Built-in AI guidance: The automated “Insights” feature of SAS Viya surfaces recommendations for further optimisation.
To lead the transformation, Absa established a Centre of Excellence and partnered with SAS to rebuild its monitoring framework. The new system delivers:
- Standardised reports and dashboards across all models.
- Automated execution to reduce human error and manual effort.
- Real-time insights for business and regulatory stakeholders.
“With SAS Viya on AWS, we turned a once dull-but-necessary manual function into an automated strategic capability,” said Fourie. “We now deliver faster, more reliable credit decisions while improving loss predictability and ensuring regulatory compliance.”