Measuring effectiveness of ATMs as workload relievers: A study with reference to cooperative and private sector banks in Pune city

This study explores the issue of whether the use of the Automated Teller Machines (ATM) as service delivery tools used in cooperative banks and private banks have achieved their intended objective of reducing the workload of bank tellers. The purpose of the study is to find out whether in the current scenario, ATMs lead to a workload relief and better performance of the bank employees. ATMs have been installed with a multiplicity of objectives; this study determines whether the ATMs are good enough to achieve the objective of workload reduction. Data was collected using questionnaires that were administered to branch managers. The findings showed that though most bank customers who use the ATM services perceive the ATM as a suitable, reliable, precise and appropriate service delivery device for their banking needs; they still underutilize the ATM's service capacity by choosing to go to the bank branch premises to make cash withdrawals of amounts that could be obtained from the ATMs. During the study, it was found thatbranch managers'experiences about the private sector banks wereless satisfying than that of cooperative banks. At the same time, it was found that though ATM's work to their best potential in the opinion of the branch managers, the expected relief in workload is not achieved for both types of banks. This study also makes an attempt to find the reasons as to what circumstances have led to such a situation.