Mobilising financial services

Transcription

1 Mobilising financial services Benefit from real-time data, secure productivity on the move, accelerate response times and enable better cross-team collaboration. Prepared by Mubaloo Ltd 2014

2 CONTENTS Mobilising financial services 3 Mobility opportunities and challenges 3 The predicaments 5 Financially mobile 6 Business partner apps 6 Employee Apps 7 Consumer Apps 8 Developing your own financial services mobile app strategy 9 Mobility is here to stay 12 Real world example: Schroders 13 Real world example: Hargreaves Lansdown 14 Real world example: Skrill 15

3 Mobilising financial services Financial services providers stand to benefit substantially from opportunities to mobilise their internal operations, as well as partner and customer interactions Transactional apps for consumers and clients have almost reached saturation, a bolder approach to innovation is required The biggest inhibitors to mobilising the sector are a legacy of decades-old proprietary IT systems and a lack of dedicated resources aligned to a joined-up mobile strategy With today s unrelenting demand for mobility, IT organisations can no longer afford to focus on software with a computer as the primary interface Partner apps, employee apps and consumer apps don t simply improve current practices and interactions, but open up new revenue streams and possibilities for differentiation Mobility opportunities and challenges The financial services sector has a unique profile in terms of regulatory compliance, risk management, customer experience, operational profitability and data volumes. However, like other industries, it is having to adapt to the consumerisation phenomenon: mobile devices have become the vehicle of choice for financial services professionals and customers alike, whether for accessing information or supporting transactions and other banking activities. Retail banks have embraced the use of mobile apps to facilitate customer self-service. Increasingly, mobile is changing the nature of secure real world payments, through the integration of biometrics and by harnessing wearable technologies. Mobile can be used to inform, educate and help customers make decisions about budgeting, saving and spending. As traditional conversion paths become less relevant, providing contextual information at the point of decision has become essential to help drive revenue and engagement. The story by numbers 17% of banks spend more than a quarter of their IT budget on mobile banking 46% of banks say mobile application development is central to their overall digital strategy 48% of banks have separate online, mobile and tablet banking development teams Only 5% of banks can internally develop and launch a banking app in less than three months 45% said 6-12 months and 22% more than a year 65% say in-house resources are the first or second biggest influence on time to market for apps Source: Mobile Banking: Testing Times for App Development CSC, Copyright Mubaloo Ltd 2014

4 Following high-profile allegations of mis-selling, many financial providers are wary of explicitly recommending products and investments. Increasingly, creating mobile tools that enable customers to model various scenarios and choose services for themselves, based on the outcomes, has become important. Alternatively, the provider can make recommendations based on customer behaviours and dealings, captured through opt-in mobile app activity. As mobility spreads, financial institutions can extract the greatest value in developing apps that enable employees to address more complex, advisory-based interactions. Mobile apps go beyond being light versions of traditional enterprise software. By being in the hand of employees, they can make use of features unique to mobile, such as different sensors, cameras, location and other device-specific capabilities. By taking a strategic approach to mobility, and understanding the needs of the target user, apps are enabling transformative ways of working and doing business. To do this, front-end complexity must be reduced to make business processes and interactions more intuitive and convenient. In a rapidly changing financial and regulatory landscape, printed collateral quickly falls out of date. By making literature and reference materials available to advisers and consultants via mobile devices, financial institutions can ensure that information is current and compliant. Mobile devicespecific capabilities Encryption Fingerprint sensors Location verification 1 SMS Facial recognition Vocal recognition 4 Copyright Mubaloo Ltd 2014

5 The predicaments Despite the opportunities presented, many financial services institutions are struggling to keep pace with the mobile revolution. The biggest inhibitor by far is legacy IT and slow decision making. Banks have been wary to upgrade from decades-old proprietary systems. Architectural and technological decisions don t always take into account future needs to support growth and diversification in traffic, data, access points, users and devices. Unlike enterprise software, mobile apps need to be delivered in weeks or months, not years. There is a shift in focus from deploying large, feature rich applications, to a greater number of smarter and separate, needs-based executions. Either approach can be a challenge when back-end integration with existing IT systems is typically complex, cumbersome and time-consuming. Compared with traditional enterprise systems, IT needs to be more experimental in the mobile space and update mobile functionality frequently. When it comes to mobile, slow transactions, errors or unavailable platforms will frustrate users and undermine customer loyalty or employee adoption. Various banking outages have made the headlines in recent years, to the detriment of customer satisfaction. Added to this, any end user now has expectations of a slick, intuitive, gestural interface with mobile. This is often a world away from the consumption of traditional enterprise applications created by IT. Financial processes and services can be highly complex, so any mobile experience must prioritise the needs of the user. Mobile apps, sites and services tend to be accessed in a non-linear way, on multiple platforms, via different devices and at different stages. Financial services that developed their in-person, online and mobile channels separately, are now looking to bring a unified experience. In the early stages, these tools were created by different business units, at different times, with no clear strategy. The lack of a unified multi-channel customer experience, can negate cross-sell and up-sell opportunities. In addition, this will impact contextual marketing activities, which are crucial to success amid intensifying competition. Mitigating performance and availability issues demands robust application performance management. These can be overcome by looking to the use of technologies such as cloud and analytics to securely deliver the right user experience, optimised for mobile. This can provide the insight needed to predict and prepare for demand surges such as the selling of stocks, where share price changes from minute to minute to reduce the risk of glitches in mobile apps. Market complexity, trust and security concerns are particularly elevated in the financial services sector. When matched with keeping up with existing demands from IT functions, the ability to secure apps across diverse devices and operating systems has proven problematic. It doesn t have to be this way though, there are solutions available to overcome these problems. 5 Copyright Mubaloo Ltd 2014

6 Financially mobile Financial services organisations that are prepared to evolve are enjoying notable successes mobilising processes such as financial share trading, stock management and portfolio management. As well as delivering dashboards, presentations and other tools via mobile devices. Business partner apps Independent Financial Advisers, wealth managers and financial planners are increasingly looking to differentiate between serviced and self-service clients. Lower-value clients, who may only periodically tweak their financial portfolios, are prime candidates for mobile self-service. However, higher net worth clients require a different approach to support client interactions. Appointments with high net worth clients have traditionally been characterised by reams of paper, outdated reports and portfolio data, with less emphasis on scenario planning. Mobile apps can be used to inform financial planning and performance management, and enable compliance with regulations across different jurisdictions. An app can help an advisor bring the numbers to life with visualisation tools, to give clients an instant, meaningful picture of their portfolio. In this scenario, it is the brokers, agents, planners and bankers who stand to benefit from mobile apps. The main challenge in developing next-generation apps, for these third parties, is the need to go beyond enabling single interactions, to sustaining relationships over many years. Many apps which have morphed from early web-based solutions, have yet to realise the full potential of mobile capabilities. To address this long-term engagement challenge, app capabilities should include mobile client on-boarding, secure access to documentation, ad-hoc reporting and scenario-based financial planning. Companies have the opportunity to integrate with back-office systems, communications and collaboration tools, such as instant messaging and video conferencing, to better support relationship and money management. The vision A third-party reseller of financial services used to carry a lot of literature to client meetings, as well as a bulky laptop. Each meeting could take at least a couple of hours to prepare for, leading to a huge amount of extra work outside of contracted hours. Recently, a mobile app provided by one of the resellers banking partners was introduced, providing access to all the collateral and financial information required for meetings. Furthermore, the app is able to bring in a variety of third party data relevant to different clients together. The app provides resellers with the ability to model various scenarios on a tablet, based on inputs such as market focus, company size, and current and desired financial performance. Behind the slick front-end, the app integrates multiple sources of content and data to automatically deliver customised presentations and collateral. The app has reduced the average time required to prepare for appointments to just twenty minutes, making it possible to arrive to meetings fully prepared. By having accurate and up-to-date information to share with clients, the reseller is able to increase the number of meetings they attend and improve communication with clients, whilst also increasing visibility with the banking partner. 6 Copyright Mubaloo Ltd 2014

7 Employee Apps To operate effectively, employees need information, content and tools built around their job role, at their fingertips. IT departments are working to adapt to the changing dynamics of remote working and looking at how to securely utilise cloud technology to store and access business data and documents. By drawing together data from disparate sources, such as credit history, live account details and transactions; mobile is helping to transform processes such as applications, instant decisions and referral workflows. Potential use cases include: Acquisition undertaking credit checks and validating addresses Onboarding verifying a new customer, activating a new product, managing marketing preferences or general proposition reinforcement Engagement enabling the straight-through servicing of an account Transacting by enabling customers to move money and make payments, while cutting queues Marketing with opportunities to educate as well as cross-and up-sell The use of tablets, in particular, allows staff to be more mobile and proactive, by engaging with partners and customers, while removing the literal and figurative barrier of a desk. Importantly, as business decisions become increasingly data-driven, to demonstrate greater accountability, managers and executives can benefit from having access to data on the go. This will include mobile access to reports, dashboards and analytics, as well as being connected to CRM and other back-office systems. The vision Financial advisors need to stay up to date with industry developments, news and information. This used to be quite a challenge when coping with the demands of the daily workload. One company recently launched an app designed for both mobile and tablet, that has been able to push out to its financial advisors across the globe. The app provides financial advisors with all of the relevant information they need, from multiple sources, for the different clients they serve, based around dashboards. The information held in the app is protected; financial advisors have to use biometric security to access it. By pulling together relevant s, CRM data, financial performance metrics, competitor news and other associated data, financial advisors now have exactly what they need, wherever they are. Intelligent back-end services include push notifications that alert them to pressing news and required actions, specifically relevant to their portfolio of clients, enabling a proactive approach to delivering the best advisory service to clients. The app even links to online meeting and video conferencing capabilities, to share insights remotely with clients. The app has led to financial advisors being better informed, and able to access or input information relevant to clients. The ability to easily look at information has meant that satisfaction with clients has risen. 7 Copyright Mubaloo Ltd 2014

8 Consumer Apps Customers are interacting with financial services providers across an ever-growing variety of channels. Mobile makes researching a product or service far more immediate. For some providers, this has led to an increase in the number of people converting over the phone or in branch. Common mobile banking functionality includes checking financial account balances or transactions, transferring money between accounts, as well as to other people and making bill payments. As these activities and apps have become commonplace, this area is largely saturated. The next step for mobile money apps, is to provide tools for managing personal finances and controlling spending. In recent years, people have begun to borrow more and save less. In the UK, consumer debt has trebled since 1993, reaching 158 billion in While average household debt, including mortgage lending, is 54,000 up from 29,000 just a decade ago. As smart devices have become our constant companions, there is a unique opportunity for mobile apps to provide just-in-time information that can influence consumers decisions and behaviours. Financial services institutions need to explore inspired ways to mobilise. This should include approaches to surfacing data and content for consumers, communicating more proactively and openly, moving the experience forward. This will prove vital to differentiating their offerings and services in a largely commoditised space. Increasingly, it will also become a key channel to promote trust between the public and retail banks, following an extended period of turbulence. The vision Many consumers are looking to get their feet on the property ladder, but find it difficult to discipline themselves. One bank has rolled out a new app that is able to intelligently help customers better manage their finances, by setting goals about what they want to achieve financially; the app acts almost like a personal financial advisor. The app is able to better analyse spending habits and make recommendations about how to manage finances. The app sets a weekly budget for different activities and shows how much will be saved at the end of the month, based on the changes the user makes to their spending habits. By doing this and acting in the same way as a personal advisor might, consumers with the bank have been able to save up to 20% more on average. The app has also led to the bank being able to acquire more customers seeking to get on the property ladder, or save for other items. In addition, the app also provides the benefit of modelling various repayment scenarios, based on changes to interest rates. The ability to cross-sell based on intelligence has also helped to drive other financial products offered by the bank, creating more loyal and more valuable customers. 8 Copyright Mubaloo Ltd 2014

9 Developing your own financial services mobile app strategy Step #1: Master the back end Established financial services providers typically have a sprawl of proprietary (or at least, extensively customised) legacy systems. Having made substantial investments in these applications, IT departments are understandably reluctant to move away from them. However, this means that complexity grows exponentially, as information silos multiply. Any mobility initiative will require multiple devices to connect to these backend systems and not just the smartphones and tablets available today, but also growing array of wearable technologies. The flexibility provided by APIs (application programming interfaces) allows banks to quickly provide the kind of product customisation and experience users expect. This does come with one condition: IT departments (or more specifically, legal & financial teams) need to embrace the concept of open infrastructure and data feeds, to enable the development of new applications in a safe, secure environment. That means cultivating more of a systems integrator approach to determining what services can be mobilised. This is where it doesn t pay to go it alone. Instead, organisations should engage the technology partners that are already in their ecosystem platform vendors, enterprise software vendors, big data specialists and such to help with the heavy lifting. This is a facet of the changing role of the CIO, with greater emphasis placed on business enablement through IT service delivery, however and with whomever it makes sense to do so. Step #2: Drink your own Champagne If they haven t done so already, financial services providers should look to mobilise their own business processes. Deploying B2E apps should be a priority for banks looking to drive efficiency, productivity and competitive advantage, and build confidence and competence in mobile initiatives. Financial institutions should take the opportunity to learn how to build the business case for mobilisation, gain an intimate understanding of mobile tools and technologies, and overcome the inevitable challenges of realising a BYOD strategy. When mobilising business processes, specific focus on the user experience is vital, with the lessons learned being applied to future customer-facing mobile initiatives. 9 Copyright Mubaloo Ltd 2014

10 Step #3: Develop a mobile mindset and resource accordingly Financial services providers have, to date, largely focused on extending mobile services to existing customers. Their approach has been somewhat opportunistic, rather than part of a pervasive mobile strategy and apps have often been regarded as throwaway. Today, the business case for apps is not just about delivering direct return on mobility, but in quantifying the opportunity cost of not having a mobile offering. As the pace of mobile innovation accelerates, a cultural shift is required within financial institutions, to develop a mobile-first mentality. Indeed, having recognised this, several are in the process of establishing and resourcing dedicated digital transformation teams. Building out this capability doesn t happen in isolation: board-level sponsorship is required for cohesive mobile investment, with oversight from a strong C-level champion or mobile evangelist. With customer-facing mobile initiatives in particular, it is likely to be the business, rather than IT, that drives and funds app development projects. Roles across both lines of business functions and IT will need to be evolved to accommodate a mobile remit, with division of ownership and responsibilities between the two clearly articulated. Step #4: Define a joined-up mobile strategy Mobile strategies fail, when approached purely as technology projects, without clear business objectives. As an organisations mobile capability matures, launching a me too app is no longer an option. When initiating an app development project, it s vital to be clear about the intended outcome: is the emphasis on customer engagement, retention, acquisition, cost reduction or something else and how will ROI be measured? Understand where the business touches customers whether consumers, IFAs or brokers and how mobile can interact with the company s core applications and business processes at the moment of decision. Exploring and fully understanding the decision making process, should bring to light the opportunities where mobile may be able to provide information or facilitate speeding up the decision making process. Start with simple objectives, such as information lookup, access to content or digitising forms. Get to grips with different ways of surfacing content and data, before considering more complicated scenarios that use embedded mobile functionality such as geo-location or biometric security to move the experience forward. 10 Copyright Mubaloo Ltd 2014

11 Step #5: Design with security in mind From a data security perspective, the requirements of the financial services sector, to protect information about clients, employees and suppliers doesn t differ substantially from any other industry. In the mobile context, that means applying sound development principles and a thorough understanding of UX (user experience) and UI (user interface) best practices. This includes: End-to-end encryption from device to platform Secure data access to the back-end Encryption for data in motion/data at rest Single sign-on capability Support for all major operating systems Embedded analytics However, end user adoption is a fundamental component of the business case for mobile initiatives. In order to ensure uptake of an app, the need for security must be balanced with respect for the user experience. If the app isn t secure enough, people won t use it. Make security too arduous or punitive, and they may abandon the app altogether. Step #6: Collaborate A cohesive mobile strategy must go beyond opportunistic app deployments. The demands of mobility can overwhelm internal teams that lack the specialisation or dedicated focus to develop apps and mobile web experiences. Working with a partner can accelerate the development and launch of mobile finance apps. A collaborative relationship between the development partner and the financial institution is required to define, design, develop, test, deploy and manage mobile apps. That means finding a partner that can lay the foundations for long-term success: one that can extend expert support to the organisation s internal teams where needed, and transfuse mobility best practices gained through working with clients in analogous industries. Evaluation criteria should include: strong advisory and technology consulting on industry-leading app deployments, to shape the vision, as well as technical and implementation experience the ability to assess mobile money opportunities and define business and product requirements reference cases of helping businesses in the financial services sector drive crosschannel innovation, with an emphasis on self-service enablement and customer or client engagement the use of an open, standards-based, future-proof platform, to develop new and extend existing capabilities, faster and manage upgrade costs more efficiently a commitment to continuous improvement, that draws on insights into user behaviour provided by mobile analytics 11 Copyright Mubaloo Ltd 2014

12 Mobility is here to stay This is the age of consumer-driven enterprise software, mobile consumers and mobile employees. Today s mobile mind-set means people expect any information or service to be available on any device in context, at the moment of need. Business clients and consumers alike are looking to carry their bank securely in their pocket. While financial services employees can be more effective and successful at their jobs, when the tools they rely on day in, day out prioritise familiarity, availability and usability. Providing a great mobile experience isn t simply pandering to end-user convenience speed, simplicity and context ultimately translate into better financial results. To keep pace, financial services IT organisations can no longer afford to design software with a computer as the primary interface, and provide mobile apps with limited functionality, as an afterthought. Empowered users view technology not as the end in itself, but as a means to get the job done. This should be wholeheartedly embraced as a driving imperative to innovate and differentiate financial processes, practices and relationships. Mark Mason CEO mark.mason@mubaloo.com Sarah Weller Managing Director London sarah.weller@mubaloo.com Copyright Mubaloo Ltd 2014

13 Mubaloo Financial Service Client examples Real world example: Hargreaves Lansdown CHALLENGE Hargreaves Lansdown, one of the UK s leading financial service providers and asset management specialists, was looking to extend its award-winning trading app for smartphones, to tablet devices. Analysis of mobile metrics revealed that smartphone use was peaking in the morning and the desktop website was being used during the day a tablet app would bridge the gap. The key objective was to enable customers to trade quickly and efficiently, via a beautifully designed, intuitive and customisable app. SOLUTION The tablet app enables users to manage their accounts and place share and fund trades quickly and easily. The user experience is built around customisable tiles that define the journey, bring together information about shares, funds, investment ideas and expertise, and provide a snapshot view of activity. Users can add shares and funds to watchlists, to monitor how their investments are performing. BENEFITS The ipad app gives users another channel to manage their stocks and funds and get the latest information about the financial marketplace. The app was downloaded 27,500 times in its first week and accounted for 2.3% of all trades. Debuting at number one in itunes free finance apps, the app has consistently stayed in the top six free apps since its release. We are quite entrepreneurial. You have to be responsive to clients needs due to the speed and nature of mobile technology. Chris Worle, Head of Digital, Hargreaves Lansdown 13 Copyright Mubaloo Ltd 2014

14 Mubaloo Financial Service Client examples Real world example: Aviva Investor App CHALLENGE Aviva, the UK s largest insurer, wanted an app to provide investors, shareholders and journalists with up-to-date, accurate and informative information regarding the performance of Aviva plc throughout the year. Aviva originally had an app built in Adobe Air but it didn t quite deliver the experience Aviva wanted for their users. Mubaloo was asked to develop a completely new native ipad app to help enhance the customer experience and adhere to Aviva s accessibility guidelines; two of the things that the original app did not deliver. SOLUTION The Aviva Investor app provides investors with on the go access to information about Aviva plc. Designed to make the most of the ipad s native features, the app has a rich and compelling interface which enables users to view share price data, watch videos, access annual reports and more. Through an interactive graph, investors are able to look at share prices and also look at the news events that have influenced share price fluctuations. Accessibility was absolutely paramount to Aviva, so the app now has the ios VoiceOver feature to ensure visually-impaired or blind users can navigate themselves around the app quickly and easily. BENEFITS Aviva now has a compelling ipad app that provides their investors and shareholders with quick access to all of the latest information about Aviva plc. The Aviva Investor ipad app is a great example of how organisations can provide their investors with company information and make it a more personalised and interactive experience for users, through the use of a mobile app Aviva can ensure the most up-to-date information and prices are being used. The sales and marketing team has reduced its dependency on printed literature and presenting via a tablet, whether one-to-one or via a display or projector, has exceptional impact. 14 Copyright Mubaloo Ltd 2014

15 Mubaloo Financial Service Client examples Real world example: Skrill CHALLENGE As one of the world s largest digital payments companies, with over 36 million account holders, Skrill was looking to re-engineer its desktop payment solution for mobile. The primary objective was to enable merchants to improve their interactions and engagements with customers using mobile technology, and drive person-to-person payments. SOLUTION The Skrill app is designed to transform the user experience of sending and receiving money, and uploading and withdrawing funds. The bespoke native app was developed for ios and Android, and includes encryption and password-protection for added security. Its robustness was established through rigorous penetration testing prior to launch. The app supports multiple languages and integrates with Skrill s customer relationship management system and web services. A built-in analytics engine delivers insights into adoption and user behaviour. BENEFITS Customers can conveniently access their Skrill account quickly and securely with a 5-digit PIN, rather than entering a username and password for each account. They can view and search their transaction history, or sign up for a Skrill credit card via the app. VIP account holders and merchants can easily switch between multiple Skrill accounts. Merchants gain direct insight into customer behaviour, enabling them to personalise offers and drive mobile payment conversion rates. All the features of our new mobile app have been designed to enhance the customer experience and simplify the process of money management on the move. Mark Carter, VP of Mobile, Skrill 15 Copyright Mubaloo Ltd 2014