In the last two years, banks worldwide, including those in Poland, have shifted priorities from adding and developing new features to improving existing solutions and optimizing user experiences. As reported in this year’s Deloitte advisory company’s “Digital Banking Maturity 2024” report, the most advanced digital banking institutions, one in ten of which are from Poland, are investing in personalization, app redesign, and building ongoing customer relationships. This is reflected, for example, in the maximum simplification of the user’s entire path – from remote account opening, offered by almost all leading players in the industry, to increasingly digitally supported mortgage processes, which are available more than three times more often among sector leaders than in other banks.
Digital Banking Maturity 2024 is the largest global study of digital banking, which delivers a comprehensive picture of solution maturity through an external assessment of “mystery client” remote channels of retail banks. In this year’s sixth edition, nearly 350 financial institutions from 44 countries on six continents were surveyed, allowing for the identification of leading global trends and best practices, as well as revealing any gaps. Three areas were evaluated: analysis of over 1000 digital functionalities, a study of consumer preferences regarding 18 key banking activities, and identification of user experience (UX) design principles and best practices.
The banks analyzed were divided into four categories: the top performers were digital champions, setting directions for digitizing the banking sector, among which are 40 banks, including four from Poland. The next group is digital smart followers – institutions that are effectively implementing key solutions and trying to match the leaders. Next are the digital adopters, in a phase of technology adaptation, who are still developing their digital capabilities. Finally, there are banks with the greatest backlogs in this area, which are just starting their transformation (digital latecomers).
The report indicates that the most advanced banks offer the ability to remotely open a personal account – both online and via the app – to 95% of top players, thereby clearly distinguishing them from less innovative institutions. The authors also note that mobile banking is playing an increasingly large role, with banks more often introducing solutions known from other market applications. Since 2022, the digitalization of this area has been experiencing a significant increase – by 17% in account opening, by 11% in cross-sell functions and by 5% in card management and investing.
In Poland, the banking sector leaders are increasingly focusing on redesigning their apps. The report’s authors indicate that, recently, there has been a noticeable slowdown in introducing new functionalities in the domestic market, and in some cases, there is even a review and withdrawal of less useful ones.
On the Polish market, five banks stand out, whose activities distinguish them from other institutions in the financial sector and were awarded by Deloitte during the Gala Evening of Presidents organized by MMC. According to experts, it is ING Bank Śląski, as the winner of another edition of Digital Banking Maturity, that offers the most comprehensive range of services and functionalities for users, constantly working on improving customer experiences. Meanwhile, mBank, ranked among the top banks in the world in personal finance management, stands out with advanced digital functions, especially in the area of card management. Another Polish champion, PKO Bank Polski, dominates in the offer of non-banking services and provides the best customer service in the country. Two other banks also perform above average – Santander Bank Polska, which achieved the best results in Poland in channel accessibility and scored the highest in the bancassurance category, and Alior Bank, which made the most progress in the ranking, distinguished by the improved account opening process and customer support in their first actions in the banking system.
Source: https://ceo.com.pl/deloitte-polskie-banki-wyznaczaja-nowe-standardy-w-bankowosci-cyfrowej-personalizacja-kluczem-do-sukcesu-73369
