The vision for Celent’s Model Bank research, now in its seventh year, was to try to answer an apparently simple question: “What would it look like for a financial institution to do everything right with today’s technology?” To answer this question, Celent sought examples of best practices in technology usage.
These examples span a five-part report series:
- Part 1: Digital and Omnichannel Banking
- Part 2: Innovation and Emerging Technology
- Part 3: Legacy and Ecosystem Transformation
- Part 4: Payments
- Part 5: Cash Management and Trade
In Part 1, Celent profiles four innovative initiatives:
- mBank: Digital platform redesign
- Standard Bank of South Africa: Inclusive banking initiative
- US Bank: Mobile Banking Enhancements
- UMB Bank: Voice of the Customer Platform
While adoption of online and mobile banking has grown steadily, there is plenty of room for improvement. What can banks do to promote the usage of self-service? It’s all about creating value for the customer and seeking win-win scenarios for the customer and the bank. Banks have to move from providing basic transaction engines to offering value-driven interactive solutions.
“Most banks have come to terms with the fact that user experience is critical to a successful and pleasant online or mobile interaction,” says Jacob Jegher, Senior Analyst with Celent’s Banking Group and coauthor of the report. “User experience and functionality go hand in hand. For example, banks that invest in PFM solutions aren’t going to see instant adoption, even if they have a slick user interface. Banks have to become trusted financial partners and educate their customers about money management.”
“Banks often talk about customer-centricity through the lens of products. Better apps. More PFM. Timely alerts,” adds Stephen Greer, Analyst with Celent’s Banking Group and coauthor of the report. “Products are an important part of the digital customer experience, but true customer-centricity is difficult to achieve without changes at the institutional level.”
This report first provides an overview of the digital and omnichannel landscape, giving a summary of the state of innovation in the market. Then Celent profiles three innovative projects, and finishes with conclusions that are indicative of broader market shifts.
