FinTech the Champion of -Banking- Services

Abstract - Cashless or LessCash are terms, which are often interchanged, which in most cases create confusion amongst consumers and to some extend new startups. If we are to consider the Asia-Pacific region where Digital disruption is at the top of the banking sector`s agenda. The question that arises is; will the banks’ respond to the rise of Fintech effectively? To answer this billion dollar question, there is need for analysis from different aspects and perspectives of bankers, consumers and FinTech service providers. One thing for sure, securing either funding or capital as cheap raw material will not last for long and with time, thise raw material will gain or attain its actual position and then it would become nightmare for millions of start-up Fintech’s which rely purely on crowd funding and block chains.  Marketplace lenders (MPLs) are deemed as unlikely to pose a threat to banks in the mass market. This is not an approach likely to fend off MPLs which are the real threat of wide-scale digital disruption. Instead, banks need to take a step back and interrogate their innovation strategy from the ground up.

Fintech’s also known as banks lunch-eaters. FinTech services are really new phenomenon that is fundamentally different from the previous 4000 years of banking. The forces moving this revolution ahead are also known to almost every single bank which are consumer needs, speed, less complex KYC and customer demand “Give me what I want” and “Stop pushing what you have and repainted for me”. Identifing the services as hotspots  is daily FinTech activity. Which areas of banking do Fintech covers as on date; most likley retail bnking. Most intreseting senarios to observe is to see how do major global banks reacting to this (Like HSBC, Citi, Santander and others).  To see how these major institutions are reacting to FinTech. We need to learn about cooperative-competitive techniques and take a specific look at innovation labs and dedicated FinTech VC arms run by major banks. 

Introduction - Digitalisation has come in overwhelming waves, driven by the growth of e-commerce – first in the B2C, and now the B2B space – and the proliferation of smart devices. With it has come continuous innovation to meet the demand for technologies that drive efficiency, lower transaction costs and boost convenience. Banking giants have deemed, a harsh blow to the credibility of profitable startups. According to World economic Forum, investment in the Fintech sector is ascending at incredible rates – from $1.8 billion in 2010 to $19 billion (Source Google search engine) last year. Few comments could be perceived as the bitter outburst of a market rival, yet evidence to the contrary, is abundant. There are many reasons to be skeptical about the long-term survival of MPL business models and their thoughts around CashLess or LessCash economy. In order to achieve a boom in business, consumer and micro payment transactions, and one is to lead, who will win FinTech, Bank or “BanTech”? (Where bank will adopt Fintech work style and move with speed as needed by the market and rise above their 100 year old mind set).

If you remember my post from March 26 2016 “FinTech – The BaaP & BaaS Boomer” where I mentioned Banking can come from any financial service provider and not just banks. Now if we look at the same phenomena at a different angle i.e Banks  now offer their platform to all new start-ups whilst enforcing tight regulations and security frameworks; a situation that will lead to THE AWESOME/WOW MOMENTS. A true presentation of “BaaP - Banking as a Platform “and “BaaS - Banking as a Service” under Banking hall will bring all together new wonder in customer experience. But merely jumping on the Fintech bandwagon — or even building a successful Fintech company — will not create a successful financial institution neither will it drive consumers to banks who normally  shy away from banks to date, due to either exorbitant charges or stringent KYC requirements. Banks don’t just need to improve the customer experience, they also need to stay ahead of the innovation game and ensure financial inclusion or finclusion is on their mind, heart and voice from top to bottom and drive it as basic human right thereafter.

Main Story - Incubators are good for customer and shareholder PR, but will they deliver actual innovation or just more and more apps and fancy colorful papers? There is need for Banks to adopt a logical approach in achieving clear differentiation with their Fintech investment. Currently, significant spend on incubators and accelerators appears to be either adding to the ever-expanding pool of Fintechs or being channeled towards funding similar projects — many of them focused on developing apps. I heard very interesting statement during my Kenya visit in one of the conference where somebody said very bold statement on stage during round table discussion which is “FinTech is not spelled as A. P. P”. Banks are hiring world-class marketing consultants, but are incumbents backing up the message with real change in culture and product innovation? Most likely no. Do banks really want to take on the massive risks associated with fledgling startups? Answer is very clear no, not at all. Do they have clarity around the development and price points that make a startup commercially viable acquisition target? Most likely yes, as they have very bright young and well-experienced professionals who got on board in fresh blood regime.

One of these areas that has seen radical change has been payments, with innovators such as PayPal, EcoCash, M-Pesa, Alipay, Samsung Pay (All of them came out of payment industry/domain with very little or no experience in said domain but doing wonders and making world to think again) and many more revolutionizing the way we expect to make and receive (instant) payments for products and services. Big banks will continue to leverage on their large hordes of cash, low cost of capital to pay a premium to acquire and utilise Fintech solutions, exploit the banks’ brands, marketing expertise, and distribution capabilities to package and deliver solutions to customers. In recent years, the payments arena has been characterized by the rapid ascension and widespread adoption of novel concepts which include Investments, Financial Management, and even some virtual reality or what we call as Finovate. These fall into different avenues of change – from streamlining payments or integrating billing, mobile payments, security developments, crypto currencies and peer-to-peer transfers.

Such innovations continue to make payments increasingly cashless/LessCash and invisible, while enabling data-driven engagement platforms for customers. While enjoying the Fintech momentum, banks need a road map to look at why they’re innovating and what requires innovation. Why are fintech startups different from other tech startups? Many people would answer regulations, and that’s certainly part of the story. Banks want fintech to be regulated to level the playing field whilst fintech companies want easier regulation to collaborate with banks. Managing new digital innovations introduces risk of fading out from market and solution is clear Innovation, Collaborations (Creating new opportunities through strategic & networked alliance), and Leaders as resources and Investments.

• · Innovation
  Is it wrong to say “Banks have been caught asleep on the wheel in the Digital Age”. Most likely not, hence birth of FinTech to the responsibility of building the online/CashLess/Mobile payment services that are top of mind for consumers today. On mobile, more people default to social media, MNO’s mobile payment services, etc., to transfer money to families and friends rather than a bank app. Open innovation is at the heart of the digital revolution but bank said “No way i.e do it my way”. Fintech’s took this forward and got it, engaging as external technology solutions provider with immense knowledge. Cheap capital came as free raw material for Fintech’s and resources which were waiting for this kind of golden opportunity just jumped on board .

• · Collaboration.
  Creating new opportunities through strategic and network alliances, traditionally financial services incumbents have partnered with others in their own industry—especially to share processes or services considered “non-core,” which help all collaborators reduce their costs or create new market opportunities. Without serious threats of disruption, most banks have focused on consolidating to drive down costs and cross-sell services, placing customer-facing product experience on the back burner. Yet collaboration will need to go a step further in the future, to build ties with those in different industries, outlooks and identify new ways to generate value. Collaboration between incumbents and new players will be essential to fully comprehend the effects (both positive and negative) of technological developments on the industry risk profile.

• · Leaders as Resources.

1. People Skills - Listening, Stakeholder Management, Influence, Persuasion, Inspiring
2. Soft Skills - Listening, Communication in all forms, Facilitation, Storytelling
3. Information Analysis & Synthesis Skills
4. Superlative Finance & Economics Skills

To be a great leader, innovator and dream seller one needs to be an expert at these first because they are what will make them a world-class consultant, not so much the other. Basically don’t buy the lie that is common that states the broad certification path is the best path to success – take the road less traveled.

• · Investment.
  How financial technology firms and digital ecosystems can leverage banks’ core competencies through equal partnerships, to innovate and grow in the B2B, B2C and C2C space; Venture investing has always been at the heart of the start-up innovation model. Some banks will strategically choose to invest heavily in building their own tech solutions but speed gets into as show stopper. Though, it will make sense to leverage their infrastructure, deep pockets and formidable sales and marketing force while using start-ups as their R&D arm. Once the start-up is user tested and approved, these banks will acquire or partner, then expand those services through the bank’s consumer base. Now, more than ever, established financial services firms are taking this route to try and generate innovation for their business.

Food for thought - FinTech community incubators, bootcamps, accelerators, co-working, and location-independence. What are the risks faced and posed by FinTech companies?  Analyze risks and discuss why FinTech companies are thought to be so much more successful in innovation than banks. Who are their clients?  The financial needs of the Millennials, how it differs from the needs of their parents. Discuss opportunities and threats posed by this new generation of clients. Take a look at "omnichannel" banking and how it differs from the "multichannel" approach being popular earlier. The definition of FinTech in your mind and whats available on internet compare to some real time startup. The reasons behind the rise of FinTech. The geographic centers of FinTech. FinTech Startups vs Bricks & Mortar Banks. How did the 2008/2009 crisis fuel FinTech?. Where will the revolution be in five years? The FinTech Jargon: Bootcamps, Accelerators, Incubators. Location-independent communities: how do they cooperate? How are FinTech companies regulated now? How will FinTech companies be regulated in the future? How is FinTech doing in Europe, Asia & Africa.

Conclusion – If an organization or bank or company can make use of Innovation, Collaborations and Investments then a very strong and positive disruption comes as a gift and award. Disruption in payments will continue, with ongoing innovation shaping customer behaviors, business models and the structure of the industry. FinTech go into opening up the their own organization’s own intellectual property, assets and expertise to outside innovators to help generate new ideas, change organizational culture, identify and attract new use cases, and discover new areas for growth. Innovative and nimble new players – Fintechs and digital ecosystems – have entered the payments game, creating increased competition for already-pressured banks. But without access to a client base, the expertise to navigate the regulations and licensing of the finance industry, client confidence, and robust global infrastructure, these new entrants can only go so far on their own.

But despite the proclamations of some visionary Fintech founders, banks aren’t disappearing anytime soon. The engine under the hood of big banks — the compliance and money-transfer systems — are simply too difficult for any start-up to replace, which is why tech plays like apple are still built on top of existing bank systems and payment rails. To maintain the dominance they’ve enjoyed up to this point, however, banks need a radical redesign of their customer-facing assets. If banks fail to overhaul their exteriors to offer a personalized, best-in-class product experience, they will be relegated to supplying the engine for sleeker-looking tech companies in 10 years.