Delft, February 6, 2023 – Often, 'innovation' is seen as something that takes a long time and is very complex. As far as we are concerned, this is not necessary at all. You can also innovate small pieces of a system or process, in a short time and without it having to be very complex. In fact, we think that often that is actually smarter. Because even a targeted improvement through innovation is an improvement. And ultimately, every improvement benefits everyone working with such a process or system. Our motto is 'smarter with…' for a reason. We believe that making innovation less complex leads not only to faster innovations but, above all, to better customer service.
Personalised approach through innovation, ever more feasible
And that is necessary. Because the world around us is getting faster and faster, and more and more complex. Or at least we feel that it is. A growing group of (especially older) people are struggling to keep up with all the technological developments. Especially when it comes to mortgages, insurance and other finances.
In contrast, there is an also growing, group of young people who are actually growing up as 'digital natives'. For them, technology is an integral part of their lives. These groups thus seem to be growing apart, but they both need to be served, with and from the same systems and processes. And all this with the trend of growing consumer self-reliance in mind, especially when it comes to finance. Consumers want or need to do more and more themselves. With that, there is thus a growing need for customisation, but delivered from innovative, standardised systems. We therefore think it is better to approach and serve the individuals in these groups more personally. An appropriate, individual offer, therefore, tailored to the capabilities and wishes of those individuals. The right digitalisation makes this possible.
Smarter processes, better results
And who can do that personalised approach with that personalised offer better than specialised financial service providers? If those ensure that their processes are better and smarter and therefore better aligned with their customers' wants, needs and capabilities, then that is a win for everyone. But that is only possible if they are enabled to design those processes and systems better and smarter. In doing so, an integral overview of the customer is indispensable, preferably using smart data. This requires looking beyond the past and the present. The future is at least as important. Recent research shows that most Dutch people rely on their own administration when it comes to planning their financial future. However, the question is whether those records provide adequate insight.
Making the right decisions in time
If service providers empathize the customer journeys of their customers even more, and design the processes in those journeys in a smart and innovative way, they will be better able to foresee what those customers require. And thus make the appropriate decisions already at the front end of the process. In any case, we will do our utmost to make 2023 a smart and easy year; for financial service providers as well as for their customers.