Dynamic new partnerships and initiativesare 'at the heart of the digital future' for banks
Parti
BANKS andfinancialinstitutions are globallyfacing immense challenges as disruptive change—driven by a combination of heightened regula
tion, fastpaced technological innovation and evolving consumer behavior—reshapes traditional waysof doing business. But banks navigating the transformation trail are struggling in a lowgrowth economy,balancing financial returns over the short to mediumterm, while simultaneously investing in their digitalcapabilities and innovation to position themselves forlongterm growth.
Complicating the challenge to innovate more rapidly and efficiently is the complexity of legacy banking infrastructure, the size of organizations and their"risk averse" cultures and hierarchical structures,which often kill innovations before they can gain anymomentum.
There's no doubt that new entrants, such as fintechs and, increasingly, ecommerce giants, arebringing fresh and innovative ideas and services to amarketplace of eager consumers who are voicing lesstrust in—andloyalty to—traditional institutions. Apostglobal financial crisis worldhas seen a transitionfrom the battle of the balance sheet to an intense andurgent new battle to attract and retain customers intoday's increasingly competitive environment.
Invariably, every strategy and change initiative willrequire very careful consideration of these significantchallengesinorderfor suchlarge, complex, highlyregulated organizations employinghundreds of thousandsof people to truly reinvent themselves amid disruptionof the entire ecosystems in which they operate," saysIan Pollari, global coleader, KPMG fintech practice.
"It raises questions about the role of innovativenew partnerships and sourcing of new capabilities,and where to invest in and/or acquire fintechs orsmaller tech companies that are agile enough to offerbig banks the immediate ability to experiment andevolve much more quickly and effectively than theycould individually, given their size and constraints.Innovative partnerships can offer tremendous capabilities to solve problems and drive effective changesto operations, technology, processes and services."Exploring and facilitating such partnerships to
drive change will require financial institutions torecognize that they are dealing with a whole newcategory of thirdparty service providers," Pollariadds. Such initiatives bytheirnature will, therefore,need to be more experimental and collaborativfe inorder to rapidly solve specific problems and address
evolving needs as disruptive changes keep rewritingthe rules for doing business.
Banks will need to figure out how to augment theirtraditional sourcing and procurement practices inways that are more conducive to working effectivelywith smaller fintech companies in a more agile, experimental environment where the change is lowcost, low risk and quick. It will require a far morecollaborative approach than the traditional vendorrelationship today's banks are accustomed to."
Topdown strategies are criticalBIG banks that are prepared to engage with fintechswill also need to adopt a very strategic approach thataddresses two key perspectives. First, they need tohave in place strategic priorities for the changes andnew services or models they need to implement. Thisincludes identifying capability gaps that need to befilled or addressed by the bank itself or a fintechrelationship. "This will require a topdown strategyon the priorities of the organization and how theseare going to drive engagement and interest in fintechs," Pollari says.Beyond immediate needs and solutions, banks
should also be exploring and assessing opportunitiesthat transcend the immediate ecosystem in termsof future capabilities or services.
The right fintech can actually prompt the bank toconsider a new opportunity or adjacency they mightnot have imagined or considered. I encourage banksto dedicate maybe 70 percent of their efforts to addressingcurrent strategic priorities and 30 percent toexploringorpursuingnewdevelopments or emergingtechnology that can really come to fruition quickly forthe benefit of their customers or operations.
"The need to remain forwardlooking amid theconstantly changing landscape will remain critical,"Pollari notes, meaning banks need to be committedto the innovation trail. And while some industry players are adapting and moving forward with progressive new engagements, partnerships and initiativesin the face of disruption, many are lagging behindand facing tremendous new risks that include beingleft behind, or worse, in the future.A significant number of financial institutions
get it and are responding accordingly. But broadlyspeaking, you could have a third of banks and financial institutions today that are not adequatelyengaged. And some will struggle in a digital economy where innovative partnerships between Fintechs and large incumbents can deliver rapid anddramatic advances. To be continued
Headline Dynamic new partnerships and initiatives are 'at the heart of the digital future' for banksMediaTitle Business MirrorDate 20 FebSection Banking and FinancePage No
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