Abstract

Digitalization and new technologies have drastically altered customers’ habits, expectations and preferences even in one of the most traditional industries, i.e. banking services. Nowadays, with easier access to online financial knowledge and more rapid transaction via mobile devices, users prefer to interact with the bank through digital channels, leading to an increasing shutting down of bank branches. This requires banks to innovate their strategies and business models, according to evolved customer needs, in order to thrive in the long-term. In this world of digital transformation, innovation is not only driven by the centrality of technology and data, but also by the integration of the tech and ‘touch’ component, characterized by human features and small data, in a multichannel and omnichannel context.

Intesa Sanpaolo, with a truly human-to-human approach, has pioneered this transformative journey by launching ‘Filiale Digitale’, an innovative high-value service model. The leading Italian banking group responded to the increasing trend of closing (physical) branches by integrating digital branches, in line with current customers’ propensity for omnichannel. In developing this model, Intesa carefully balanced the use of technologies and artificial intelligence with the necessity to keep a human touch. Intesa is the only player in this industry to have implemented this business model transition, representing a paradigm for an H2H approach in fostering innovation through the seamless integration of the efficiency provided by automation and the expertise and courtesy that only human capital can ensure.

Target audience