News

A series of insights on key focus areas that need to be addressed to retain and grow market share in these challenging times for Building Societies

Date:

December 2022

Building Societies need to successfully navigate between meeting customer demand, retaining their unique market proposition and designing a secure digital future.

In today’s technology-driven world, digital access to services is now a standard customer expectation meaning that all financial services providers need to evolve their digital services to keep their competitive edge. These front-end digital capabilities are only achievable by a shift to what we now recognise as ‘digital’ core banking platforms.

As mutual organisations, building societies face complex challenges when it comes to deciding on how, and how far, to transition legacy core systems, balancing risk with reward, legacy with opportunity, and tradition with evolution.

At Mason Advisory we have drawn on our experience of the financial services marketplace, and outcomes from working with some of the largest UK building societies, to discuss key focus areas that need to be addressed to retain and grow market share in these challenging times. These focus areas will be discussed in a series of three insights over the coming months, the first in our digital transformation insight series explores if it possible to bridge between potentially disparate challenges and can be seen below:.

 

  • In choosing financial services, access to digital banking is a priority for almost half of customers globally (48%). That’s hardly surprising in a world emerging from Covid, with rapid innovation rollouts fuelling customer demand.
  • For building societies blending the branch-led customer experience with new digital services is a tricky balancing act as they look to differentiate from market dominating banks and rapidly emerging FinTechs by offering targeted, personalised products for longstanding and new customers alike.
  • Many building societies are embarking on the digitisation path in the context of significant legacies – not just operationally, but culturally. Now, they’re reaching a tipping point. Big decisions need to be made between treading a tried and tested path – dependable, but not equipped to flex – or diving into a brave new world of digital architecture.

Read the Insight here to find out more or download the PDF here

Coming soon!

The second in our digital transformation article series explores how financial services providers can get the best from their supply chain to support digital evolution.

Insight 2 of 3 – Digital transformation in building societies – planned publication May 2023

The digital supply chain – can legacy providers really deliver digital transformation for their customers?

  • The supply chain ecosystem is limited, and often relationships with suppliers extend over many years. That can be a huge strength – but a comfortable supplier in a long-term contract may have little motivation to change the status quo.
  • Legacy suppliers have their own legacy architectures often supported by traditional ways of working which often don’t align with a new digital workplace – are they really best placed to support their customers through this significant change?

The third in our digital transformation article series explores how building societies evolve their digital capabilities and services to retain and grow their business whilst retaining their core essence.

Insight 3 of 3 – Digital value creation – how do Building Societies anchored in bricks and mortar retain their relevance in a digital world? – planned publication June 2023

  • In the current economic landscape the greatest opportunities exist for organisations that have been able to put in place the fundamental digital foundations for growth and profitability.
  • Digital Value Creation highlights the need for organisations to acquire digital competencies on an ongoing basis and invest in ‘stackable’ digital infrastructure that leads to viable digital outputs. The key linkage between these elements is to ensure continued relevance to the customer.