Vincenzo Fiore, Auriga CEO, talks about Reimagining Branches and how Technology

How can banks seize the digitisation opportunity in their branch transformation strategy? Digitisation is getting ever faster and now is the time for banks to take a real lead. And use innovative technology to redesign their customer engagement strategies. And to generate more value. The next generation of branches may be smaller in number and scale. But they will be smarter, more customer-oriented and better located. So, how does technology matter in the next generation branch? Banks are in whirlwind of change. Quite simply, the pandemic is making more people change how they bank. Many branches are being closed. Those that are open have limited opening hours. Many services are by appointment only. Staff are working from home. At the same time, customers are being told to cut unessential travel. They aren’t going into the centres of towns where their banks are. Footfall on shopping streets is falling. In a word, branch banking is disrupted like never before. The result? If they weren’t before, customers are shifting their banking to digital channels. Digital self-service makes their branches more automated for health security reasons. It minimises physical contacts between colleagues and customers. And keeps vital services open. Of course, branch network transformation is part of a long-term trend. And this has been driven by changing customer expectations. Customers expect banks to be socially responsible and guarantee services to the whole community. They expect banks to do good for wider society. Banks must keep on cutting unnecessary costs and maximise efficiency. At same they must also create new streams of revenue and drive profitability. As the pandemic made so stark, banks need to get closer to their customers. They must prioritise ways to improve customer loyalty. For these drivers, technology has a pivotal role. AI and machine learning can make processes more efficient. Smart automation reduces OPEX.