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Business Strategies for Retail Banking by Eugene Galligan
The financial services market is going through serious changes . New challengers have appeared and are looking for a slice of the market . In addition , customers are more demanding and more informed , expecting convenience and simplicity when it comes to financial services , particularly online and via mobile devices .
Digital services such as Netflix , Amazon and Uber are loved because they are easy to use and deliver more convenience and better customer experiences than the status quo and , therefore , are winning the market .
A critical change in thinking is needed to compete with disrupters , challenger banks and fintechs . Most differentiators are operating at the digital level . They approach the market with a goal to simplify exchanges and create experiences that many bigger banks currently cannot copy .
Currently , start-ups and fintech companies are driving innovation in the banking industry and are challenging the banks ’ traditional roles , acting as aggregators ( comparison sites ), innovators ( social investing apps ) and disruptors ( peer-to-peer lending ) to reduce market share , at a time when banks are dealing with paradigm-shifting regulations .
The key for financial institutions is to beat the challengers at their own game , by rethinking strategy , focusing on digital expansion but with a human element . To do this requires banks to focus on four key points : customer experience , efficiency , quality and speed .
Banks can most effectively accomplish this by pursuing an omnichannel delivery model , i . e . developing a seamless , integrated customer experience across all channels . That said , the future of retail banking lies in the palm of the consumers ’ hand , and banks need to prioritise mobile growth . With the majority worldwide owning a mobile device , and smartphone ownership exploding across the developing world , it ’ s essential that banks regain control of driving digital change and relentlessly pursue digital simplicity to ensure a seamless and effective omnichannel experience .
In doing so , banks can develop their own ‘ blue oceans ’ and leverage the considerable data they hold to create personalised and , more importantly , quality products for their customers . Blue ocean strategy allows banks to focus on avoiding these challengers , and drive innovation by developing a different strategy with lower costs .
The future of retail banking lies in the palm of the consumers ’ hand , and banks need to prioritise mobile growth .
Firstly , banks need a growth focus , considering customer needs while looking beyond the traditional markets and competitors to develop a multi-horizon portfolio enabling the development of growth platforms suitable for market mining . From there , banks can begin value identification , understanding customer values using a value curve . This depicts where traditional , incumbent players are placing their value . It allows banks to visualise where competition places value , where customers place value , and where there are potential opportunities to disrupt the market . Banks can determine which specific value attributes to eliminate , reduce , raise or create based on this visualisation . By creating new value attributes , banks create a ‘ blue ocean ’ to compete in .
It is important to remember that it is not just about developing new blue oceans to compete in . Banks need to consider offering variants and add-ons to further distance themselves from the competition and expand the size of their blue ocean , maximising market share , profit and growth .
In order to develop these blue oceans , banks face some structural challenges that need to be addressed in order to effectively address the newly discovered needs of their consumers . When Apple introduced the iPod , it did something far smarter than wrap a good technology in a great design . It wrapped good technology in a great business model . Great business models can reshape industries and drive spectacular growth .
In order to understand whether or not the business model needs to change , it is important for banks to analyse and articulate what makes their existing model successful , look for warning signs that necessitate change , and consider all costs and challenges involved in reinventing – will this change the industry or market ?
Without understanding all of the above , banks will struggle to capitalise on the opportunities brought with reinventing their business model and struggle to respond effectively to a shifting basis of competition . A brilliant strategy may put you on the competitive map , but only solid execution keeps you there . Most banks , like all companies struggle with implementation because they rely on structural changes to execute strategy .
To ensure excellent execution , the most innovative companies focus their efforts on two levers far more powerful than structural change : clarifying decision rights and effective information exchange . In specifying who ‘ owns ’ each decision and who must provide input , responsibilities are clearly defined . Similarly , promoting managers laterally enables the development of the networks needed for the cross-unit collaboration that is critical to a new strategy . Once banks have implemented the changes to their business model , it ’ s essential to continuously monitor performance and track real time results against the initial plan , resetting planning assumptions and reallocating resources as needed .
A brilliant strategy may put you on the competitive map , but only solid execution keeps you there .
Similarly , no strategy can be better than the people who must implement it . By making the selection and development of managers and key people a priority , banks develop their ability to successfully execute future strategic changes .
Eugene Galligan is an RBA faculty member with over 36 years of Retail Banking experience . With hands on experience of executive positions in Europe and the Middle East , he has been responsible for a number of major strategic change initiatives and is renowned for his creative and innovative approach . www . retailbanking-academy . org
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