Business

What financial services firms need to know about digital transformation

Published

1 year ago

July 11, 2022

By Winnie Palmer, EMEA Head of Marketing, Seismic

The financial services (FS) industry has undergone a tremendous amount of change over the last two decades. Technology has accelerated product and service innovation, yet the spread that traditional lenders and money managers can command has been going down – putting a considerable amount of pressure on revenues.

What’s more, clients are increasingly demanding highly personalised experiences at a similar standard to what they are used to from digital-first firms like Amazon and Netflix, while new channels such as social media are becoming increasingly important.

FS firms have responded to these market shifts with increased investments into digital products and systems, accelerating their digital transformation journey. Ironically, this is causing a new challenge in organisations’ ability to deliver meaningful client experiences as the amount of digital content explodes. It is simply harder than ever for clients to sieve through the vast amount of competing information. That said, clients are indeed looking for content on digital channels of their choice, with two out of three buyers now preferring remote interactions and digital self-service at all stages of the buying cycle. This begs the question how can FS firms ensure that their content will cut through the clutter and resonate with each client’s individual needs?

The good news is that technology continues to offer greater capabilities for FS firms. For example, the ability to analyse patterns, personalise recommendations and disseminate intelligence is greater than ever before. The most successful FS firms are using these technologies to increase their operational efficiency and advisors’ effectiveness to deliver superior client experiences. So, when we consider the future of the FS industry, how must firms adapt as competition increases and client expectations continue to evolve?

Building for success

Establishing a culture of continuous learning and development is critical to the long-term success of any digital transformation project. This can help FS firms truly differentiate themselves and their advisors from the competition, enabling their client-facing teams to replicate the organisation’s star players and enhance their level of performance.

Firms should focus on making coaching and training readily available through cwhenever and wherever they are needed. By delivering timely, data-informed recommendations and insights, these platforms can enable financial advisors and money managers to improve their learning speed and knowledge retention. This in-the-moment coaching provides them with the ammo they need to craft and deliver content that truly delights and engages clients.

For example, training programmes delivered through interactive lessons embedded with practice sessions and playbooks that are based on what’s proven to have driven impact in past client scenarios – all tailored to the specific advisor – can help FS teams deliver more engaging and impactful experiences. Leveraging granular performance data, digital platforms can provide insights and recommendations to guide advisers on what to say, do, and show clients at certain stages of the sales cycle. As well as ensuring more effective interactions, this dynamic approach to skill development means advisors can spend more time engaging with clients as they continuously learn and develop.

This is all key to building long-term relationships in today’s FS market. By establishing a culture that focuses on continuous learning powered by intelligent and data-informed training and coaching platforms delivered at the moment of need, FS firms can be confident that their advisors are equipped with the most relevant skills and knowledge – no matter where they are in their career.

Driving operational efficiency at scale

Modernising and optimising data processes through automation is another vital cog in the digital transformation machine. The strict regulatory nature of the FS sector means that compliance risks are a key concern. Leveraging technology can enable FS firms to systematically ensure governance and compliance both company-wide and at an individual level – all while reducing costs and increasing their advisors’ productivity.

Centralising these data processes supports FS teams when working with a wide range of assets such as quarterly reports, fact sheets and meeting reviews. Advisors can quickly modify any information based on materials dynamically served from a single source of truth whenever it’s needed without impacting compliance in order to accelerate the approvals process. Integrating these systems across sales, content training and CRM tools will further improve the user experience, ultimately helping financial advisors be more productive and focused on revenue-driving activities.

These technology platforms can also provide key data insights using AI capabilities to help identify behaviours, patterns, and new revenue opportunities from large data sets that would be impossible to analyse manually, thereby driving further impact, faster.

For example, FS firms can leverage these insights to improve the effectiveness of each piece of content they share with clients. Using the data collected from previous interactions, sellers can gain visibility into what has worked, what needs improving, and where clients have engaged with content the most. Armed with these engagement insights from specific scenarios, firms will have a better understanding of the most impactful content, along with when and how it should be delivered. Also, by linking content investment directly to sales performance, organisations can be more intelligent in identifying cost saving opportunities while maximising effectiveness.

Superior client experiences

As financial advisors engage more with the younger generation of tech savvy clients, they need to be able to communicate and interact with these clients in the way they desire, delivering more personal experiences and dynamic interactions. In today’s competitive FS marketplace, this is key to meeting the expectations and needs of the modern client.

This is where content engagement data has a vital role to play. Knowledge of exactly how, when and where customers are interacting with pieces of content allows FS professionals to provide a more agile and responsive experience. It lets them tailor each interaction – whether through e-mail, digital sales rooms, social media, or in-person meetings – to the individual.

The key data insights and recommendations that powerful cloud-based platforms provide allow advisors to build meaningful relationships, even in digital and remote environments. Being able to build trust with clients by demonstrating that they understand their unique needs and situation will help advisors engage more effectively and put them ahead of the competition.

Establishing these trusted relationships with younger generations will be invaluable over the years to come as they inherit wealth from their parents and build their own. In what has become a digital marketplace, FS firms must help their teams engage prospective clients with the right content, at the right time, in the right channels – all in a compliant manner. This can only be achieved by tapping into data insights and technologies that enable hyper-personalisation consistently at scale.

This three-pronged approach that focuses on continuous learning, enhanced operations and powerful client experiences must be at the core of any FS firms’ digital transformation strategy. This is what will enable truly holistic transformations, unlocking new revenue generating opportunities and giving firms the tools to succeed in today’s complex and competitive FS environment.

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Business

How can law firms embrace automation and revolutionise their payments?

Published

20 hours ago

September 28, 2023

editorial

Attributed to: Ed Boal, Head of Legal at Shieldpay

Once again, AI is dominating international headlines. This time, it’s due to a closed-door meeting this month between tech leaders and US senators to discuss the technology’s regulation.

AI and automation isn’t just for the likes of Big Tech. We’re seeing predictive and automated technologies transform almost every sector and the legal industry is no exception. In fact, recent research from HBR Consulting found that 60% of law departments had implemented a legal data analytics tool last year and more than 1 in 4 indicated they were using AI for at least a single use case.

However, adoption isn’t without its challenges. Reticence remains among some and there’s also the danger of ‘transformation fatigue’ slowing real progress. If law firms want to reap the many benefits of automation – including revolutionising their payment processes – these challenges need to be carefully considered and thoughtfully addressed.

An area of great opportunity

Often seen as conservative, the legal industry has been gradually warming up to the idea of automation and technology.

While some pioneering firms have been quick to embrace automation tools, others remain cautious about disrupting their established workflows. As we navigate this landscape, it’s clear that certain areas of legal services are ripe for innovation.

One area is contract management. The process of drafting, reviewing, and managing contracts has traditionally been time-consuming and prone to human errors. Automation can alleviate these pain points by streamlining the entire lifecycle of contracts, from creation to renewal, thereby enhancing efficiency and reducing risks.

Another promising domain is legal research. Thanks to advancements in natural language processing and machine learning, legal professionals can now leverage AI-powered research tools that analyse vast volumes of legal data to provide accurate insights and case precedents swiftly.

But, while progress is undoubtedly being made, the legal sector still lags other sectors when it comes to innovation.

What’s getting in the way of progress?

This isn’t always down to a resistance to change. Often, it’s a result of firms spreading their resources too thinly across numerous technology initiatives.

Ed Boal

Attempting to tackle everything at once can result in ‘transformation fatigue’, where the benefits of individual innovations get diluted – leading to frustration and slower progress.

Before legal firms embark on digital transformation projects, a critical first step is introspection. Recognising and acknowledging areas where legacy processes and manual tasks still hold sway is paramount to optimising the impact of automation.

For many firms, archaic practices continue to consume valuable time and resources, diverting attention from higher value, billable tasks. One often-overlooked area is payments.

Legal firms play a critical role in complex transactions, from M&A and real estate deals to litigation and arbitration payments. The associated admin and processes represent a drain of firms’ time and resources. Spanning everything from collating stakeholder payment details and verifying payee identity to ensuring compliance with Know Your Customer (KYC) and Anti Money Laundering (AML) regulation, this adds unnecessary stress for lawyers – who would rather dedicate their time and expertise to their clients’ legal needs.

The repercussions of such time-consuming financial processes reverberate throughout the entire organisation. Administrative burden weighs heavily on the team, affecting productivity and ultimately, the bottom line: recent research from Shieldpay, surveying the UK’s Top 100 law firms, found that almost 1 in 3 (32%) say KYC collection and verification checks take 4-9 working days.

At the same time, firms are exposed to significant financial risk which can make handling client funds a costly endeavour. Not only are they penalised with fines if found to be in breach of stringent client account rules but firms are also subject to hefty premiums for Professional Indemnity (PI) insurance. No wonder 73% of all legal professionals and 90% of junior law professionals are concerned about the risks and time costs associated with holding client funds.

Revolutionising payment transactions

In short, manual payment processes are more than just an inconvenience for modern law firms. They can damage relationships with clients – who have come to expect a fast, painless and automated payout experience in a digital world – and impede revenue generation by tying up top talent in an endless cycle of paperwork and (unbillable) admin.

So how can firms take the pain out of legal payments?

Fortunately, new payment technologies have emerged as a formidable ally. Third-party payment providers offering solutions for law firms, such as escrow and paying agent services for specific transactional deals, or more embedded payment solutions such as managed accounts (TPMAs) – i.e. outsourced client account functions – offer secure and instant transactions, while prioritising transparency and automation.

TPMAs operate as an escrow payment service in which the third-party – a licensed external payments partner – receives and disburses funds on behalf of a firm and their client(s).

With advanced encryption ensuring data security, working with a regulated payment partner means legal professionals and their clients can engage in financial transactions with peace of mind – while law firms benefit from improved operational efficiency.

And the advantages don’t stop there. Enhanced transparency builds a sense of confidence and trust, while the elimination of manual data entry and repetitive tasks allows legal professionals to devote more time to legal services and fostering stronger relationships with their clients.

AI and automation has much to offer the legal sector. But its adoption must be carefully planned in order to avoid transformation fatigue that risks stalling progress altogether. With typically shallower pockets than Big Tech giants, it’s important for law firms to focus their efforts on specific areas that could benefit from automation, rather than rush to overhaul their entire way of working, all at once. This controlled phase-out is the key to avoiding adoption frustration, seeing a real impact on profits and productivity and setting firms up for real, lasting change.

Business

In-platform solutions are only a short-term enhancement, but bespoke AI is the future

Published

2 days ago

September 27, 2023

editorial

By Damien Bennett, Global Director, Principal Consultant, Incubeta

If you haven’t heard anyone talking about artificial intelligence (AI) yet, then where have you been? Conversations about AI and its advantages to society have been a key talking point over recent months, with advances being made in the generative AI race and ChatGPT opening a whole plethora of possibilities. Many have highlighted the advantages of AI, but notably it’s ability to create human-like content.

But these discussions have only scratched the surface of what AI is capable of doing. It is for far more than just essay writing, adding Eminem to your rave and photoshopping dogs into pictures.

In marketing, we have been using AI for years, for everything from analyzing customer behaviors to predicting market changes. It’s enabled us to segment customers, forecast sales and provide personalized recommendations, having a huge impact on how our industry works.

It is even, for the more savvy marketers of the world, becoming a key tool in maximizing budget efficiency – which is apt, considering over 70% of CMOs believe they lack sufficient budget to fully execute their 2023 strategy.

Now, as AI becomes more intelligent, the number of efficiencies it can unlock continues to rise. Not only can it help brands get the most out of their available resources and identify any areas of waste, but it can also help highlight new opportunities for growth and maximize the impact of your budget allocation.

The trick, however, is to veer away from the norm of using in-platform solutions with a one-size-fits-all approach and create your own, bespoke solutions that are tailored to your business needs.

Pitfalls of in-platform solutions

In-platform solutions aren’t by any means a bad thing. In fact, built-in AI tools have become increasingly popular, owing to their ease of integration, user-friendly interfaces and minimal set up requirements. They come pre-packaged with the platform, offering the user the ability to leverage AI technologies without the need for in-depth technical expertise or the upfront cost of building a solution from scratch.

However, the streamlined and accessible nature of in-platform AI solutions comes at the expense of complexity and customization. They are designed to serve a broad user base, but for the most part are built using narrow AI solutions with predefined features and workflows.

This makes them great for assisting with common AI tasks, but they lack the flexibility to tailor functionality towards unique business requirements or innovative use cases, limiting the potential efficiencies and cost savings that can be unlocked. Additionally, if a business’ competitors are using the same platform, they are probably using the same AI solution, meaning any strategic advantage gained from these will be reduced.

Bespoke AI solutions, on the other hand, may carry a higher initial investment – but can offer a significantly more attractive ROI over a short amount of time.

Why customized and adapted AI is the key

The difference between bespoke AI and in-platform solutions is similar to that between home cooked food and a microwave meal. Yes, it is more time consuming to prepare, and yes it likely carries more of an upfront cost, but the end result is going to be far more appealing and will carry more long-term value (financially… not nutritionally).

That’s because bespoke solutions, by nature, will have been tailored to address your brands specific needs and challenges. These custom-built tools allow for much greater efficiencies by streamlining workflows across different channels, automating more complex tasks, and providing deeper, more relevant insights.

The increased level of optimization can significantly improve productivity and reduce operational costs over time, offering a higher ROI. The increased flexibility of bespoke AI also allows brands to implement innovative use cases that can significantly differentiate them from their competitors.

The data analyzed can be specifically chosen to match business requirements, as can the outputs of the AI tool, providing a significant advantage when understanding and acting on the insights provided.

Additionally, these tools are, by nature, more scalable. They can be updated, upgraded and expanded as needs change, ensuring they continue delivering value as the business grows. They can also be designed to integrate with any existing IT infrastructure, from CRM systems and databases to marketing platforms and sales tools – leading to more efficient and effective decision-making.

Managing finances with AI

It’s no secret that AI in marketing automation has, and will continue to, revolutionize the way marketing is done. It has a bright, if slightly terrifying, future and can help CMOs to unlock new efficiencies, maximize the impact of their budgets and increase their ROI. And as this technology becomes more advanced, its impact will only increase.

But we already know that…and so does everyone else.

So, in order for businesses to make themselves stand out from the crowd , they must look to fully adopt the power of AI. Creating a customized and unique AI solution could be the way to set yourself apart from your competitors. A bespoke AI tool can provide brands and businesses with features unique to them and their business needs. As a result, companies will benefit from more useful data and better results to make more data-driven decisions for their business. Ultimately, this will help brands to maintain a competitive edge over their competitors, deliver ROI and most importantly optimize their budgets.