FNB has released a unified look for its digital banking platforms including online banking and the FNB banking app for smartphones and tablets. FNB also delivered a number of other initiatives including business directory, online banking enterprise on the smartphone app (OBE on phone) as well as coupons and vouchers. This was made possible by leveraging its innovative technology platform to create a unified omni-channel experience.
“We are constantly striving to provide our customers with the best digital banking experience, whether they use a mobile device or PC, as part of the omni- and opti-channel customer journey,” says Sahil Mungar, head of marketing at FNB Digital Banking. “The new look across all our channels is modern, fresh and aesthetically pleasing; it has been enhanced to be intuitive, while providing users with easier accessibility to product information and functionality when banking.”
Customers will see and feel the similarities between Online Banking and the FNB Banking App for Smartphones and Tablets as seamless. “We live in an opti-channel world where we use multiple devices interchangeably for banking, browsing and social needs,” says Mungar.
“The unified experience simplifies banking across devices, and we’ve emulated an app store inspired set of design principles, because it is what we have all become comfortable with. Even with our refined look, we will never ask our customers to share their banking details, username, password, PINs and OTPs via email, over the phone or at our branches. We always recommend logging in by typing our web address into your browser before entering any banking credentials.”
In creating an API-based platform, FNB is able to leverage technology from other internal areas and expose these via its digital banking channels. Extending this further, it is able to integrate to external partners to expose a new level of services and features including discounted coupons and vouchers for major retailers.
Mungar explains: “We realized that we have the ability to create a set of rules for anyone to play the game. Our internal and external partners can form a team, create something innovative, and have this exposed to customers via our channels. This will continue to evolve and we’ve only taken the first steps toward fully exploiting geo awareness, and big data technology in a contextual way.”
FNB developed business directory as an innovative way for consumers to connect with businesses that offer services and products that they need. In taking this mobile now, FNB allows one to find businesses that are geographically nearby to fulfill their needs. In the future this would extend to instant scheduling, booking and community driven reviews, effectively creating a community driven marketplace
FNB Business customers can instantly market their business to over 1-million FNB customers on the FNB app and online banking. With social media built into the solution, these businesses could grow virally with the power of social media.
Online banking enterprise has its roots from as far back as 1997. Since then, it has evolved to include a range of instant solutions including payroll, invoicing, accounting and cashflow solutions, merchant services, e-wallet pro, collections, segregated user capabilities, along with dual or single level authorisations. In 2013 it was extended to the FNB banking app for tablets.
“We realize that our customers mobile, travelling, in meetings and not tied to their desks. It was the next logical step in our journey to use the unified banking platform to extend online banking enterprise on to the FNB app for smartphones to enable businesses,” says Botes.
