Month: January 2018

The Implementation Of Kpi In Retail Banking

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Looking at the typical bank, it would be so easy to assume that managing or operating a bank would be somewhat of a breeze. However, this is not so, especially when it comes to retail banking. There are so many factors at play here that concrete and accurate analysis can be very difficult for any bank manager or proprietor. Fortunately, this endeavor can easily be achieved with the help of KPI in retail banking.

What exactly is a KPI? This is actually an acronym that stands for Key Performance Indicator. This is a quantifiable factor that is used to measure the current performance or status of a business or enterprise, matching this against the goals and objectives that were once set way back during the foundation of the enterprise itself. In laymens terms, KPIs are measures used to determine how far along a business or enterprise is in its path towards achieving goals and objectives. Such is the purpose of the KPI, and this is very much needed when it comes to retail banking as well.

So, what are the KPIs that should be used in the industry of retail banking? These are actually the factors that are related to the overall performance of the retail bank. This is a very broad definition of the type of KPI that you can use in retail banking. To be more specific, here are some of the following metrics that you can use.

One of the metrics that you can use is the total cash deposits that the bank holds in a month. This should be included since this can measure how effective the retail bank is in attracting their customers and clients to make as many deposits as possible. After all, a retail bank earns its profit from the deposits that their clients make, right? Thus, this should be a metric to be included. In relation to this metric, the average annual deposits should also be used as a metric.

Another metric that you can use is the average number of depositors for each branch of the retail bank. Retail banks do branch out over time, especially when business is going well. Thus, it is important to determine the average number of depositors in each given branch. This still pertains to the ability of the bank to attract depositors.

The ratio of active depositors to dormant depositors should also be included as a metric here. We all know that not all accounts in a bank are active. Having a large number of dormant accounts is something that banks want to avoid because this would only mean bad business for them. Thus, this should be included as a metric as well.

The rate of borrowing risk should also be calculated. Banks are primary lending institutions, and when it comes to lending, banks should very well gauge the risk that comes with granting loans. For this, the bank should exert efforts in determining the possibility that the borrower would end up not being able to pay his loan once it matures. There is also that risk that the borrower might default.

These are just some of the KPI in retail banking that you should consider including. With these KPIs, the retail banks operations can run more smoothly.

Fino-mitra Leading The Way In Mobile Banking

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Transactions through mobile:

FINO-MITRA:

FINO-MITRA (Mobile Based Information and Transactions), a comprehensive set of end-to-end offerings for enabling microfinance initiatives leveraging mobile as a platform for better mobile banking services to customers.

Services:

* Covers the entire range of services starting from operational tasks such as enrollment to complex transactions such as mobile commerce.

* Caters to the needs of the agents/ middlemen as well as the end users.

* Agents are offered Mobile Based Enrolment as well as Mobile Based POT.

* End users are offered Mobile Banking, Mobile e-wallet, M-commerce thus completing the solution ecosystem for enabling financial inclusion using mobile as a platform.

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Mobile Banking Strategy and Approaches:

The mobile banking strategy has 2 approaches

* Mobile banking for agent.

* Mobile banking for customers.

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Sustainability of Mobile Banking among the pyramid customers:

Initiatives to be seen to create a sustainable model are:

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* Robust Partnership:

o Using mobile phone as a channel for financial inclusion is definitely the way ahead due to the vast reach of the telcos irrespective of varied geographical locations and diversities

o A Telco-Business Correspondent alliance will go a long way in developing banking and financial solutions for the unbanked customer

o The private sector and government too needs to come ahead and support the Business Correspondents in their initiatives

o Once the market is tapped and the model of financial inclusion becomes scalable, all the stakeholders would benefit in the form of new revenue channels

* Innovative models:

o Since conventional modes of communication like a text sms do not work for base of the pyramid customers, newer modes of communication like voice alerts and IVR need to be looked at

o Since the customer already knows how to receive a call, receiving a voice alert on his mobile phone will be easier for him

o Further sending a voice alert in a regional language will be a value addition and help in building the trust of the customer

o IVR, being a self help channel, the customer can inquire/transact using his mobile phone/landline/PCO at his convenience

o The customer can choose to communicate in his preferred language while using the IVR solution

* Simple and Cost Effective Solution:

o Developing solutions for the base of the pyramid customers is no rocket science.

o The above information can be leveraged in developing a simple user experience for the end customer using mobile phone as a channel. Partnerships with educational institutions/research organizations can further enable organizations to strengthen their understanding of base of the pyramid customers

o Further it is important to understand that base of the pyramid customers do not have the ability to pay for expensive solutions, given the fact that they lead a hand to mouth existence. However they have a good savings habit, even thought the savings amount may be a meagre Rs.5/- to Rs10/-

* Training and Financial Literacy:

o Once it is known what works for the bottom of the pyramid customers a business correspondent can use its existing agent network to train the customer on the use of mobile technologies

o Financial literacy in terms of giving information about banking products and saving and investing can be carried out using voice technology and IVR, in addition to agent as a medium

Also, note that there always exists a financial need for the financially excluded customer, however difficult to match a banking product to address that need. This brings out the fact that more and more products tailor-made for financially excluded customer need to be in place. (For eg: No Frills savings account).

Differences In Management Consulting And Investment Banking

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The decision was relatively straight forward for me. The negatives of investment banking – long hours, repetitive work, lack of non-finance exit options – mattered more to me than the money.
I considered sales & trading (in fact, I spent a summer at CSFB in NY), and was tempted to continue in that line of work after graduation.
Instead of defining the characteristics of each industry (there are plenty of resources out there for that, including my Management Consulted blog), I will address a short list of differences between the two career paths.
Let me caveat by saying THESE ARE NOT YOUR ONLY OPTIONS. People get carried away into thinking thats all there is.
#1 SALARY
This is the primary superficial distinction. Thats not to imply that salaries aren’t important. Banking salaries average 50-100% higher than consulting salaries, with the gap increasing as your seniority increases. Consulting attempts to compensates with small perks – from better travel allowances to more generous retirement packages.
Consultants always like to say this:
I know investment bankers make more money. But from a cashflow perspective, its exactly the same!
This means that consultants and bankers make similar base salaries, but at the end of the year, bankers are awarded a significant bonus which can be more than half of their total annual compensation.
Cashflow or not, the extra money is substantial and a defining driver of why many people do investment banking over business consulting. This is also a difficult issue for consulting firms with respect to employee retention. In my years as a McKinsey management consultant, easily half the people who left the firm went into the financial world (from hedge funds to PE), and salary was undoubtedly a major factor in the decision.
My advice is – after considering the 5 factors Ive listed here, you still think the pay difference (for analysts, averaging between $30-60K per year) would mean a significant difference in your professional job satisfaction, choose investment banking over consulting.
#2 LIFESTYLE ISSUES
The big differences here are:
-Hours. Bankers work brutal hours, no surprise. They can average 14-16 hours/day but it can get FAR WORSE.
My roommates in New York (both investment bankers at Goldman Sachs) would sometimes go several weeks before wed even exchange a word. Which meant not only were they getting in after I went to sleep (around 2am), but going back to the office before I woke up (around 7am).
Your second year as an investment banker gets easier – often in the 10-12 hours/day range but with occasional tough periods.
Management consultants average 12 hours/day, with the typical variations depending on client, team goals, etc
-Travel. Bankers do a little travel for roadshows, due diligence, etc but spend 90% of their time in one office until youre partner-level (you can expect more travel in private equity and asset management). Depending on firm – management consultants travel a lot. At the Big 3 (Bain, Boston Consulting Group, McKinsey), you can expect travel 50-75% of the time
-Relationship with firm employees and coworkers. This is an important but oft overlooked issue. Consulting firms have a very collegial atmosphere, where the focus is on getting work done and ensuring your professional success. This attitude permeates all interactions. Managers never yell, coworkers are supportive whenever possible, and companies are organized to provide consultants support with training, expertise, etc. Finally, networking is critical at consulting firms, and social events are focused on helping business consultants build contacts and relationships throughout the company.
Investment banks, on the other hand, have a more competitive and tense work environment. You can expect more stressful relationships with your bosses, youll probably be yelled at occasionally for mistakes, and coworkers are much less willing to help out colleagues (your success means theres more competition for the biggest bonuses).
In addition, youll have limited exposure across the company to other groups, departments, etc – less ability to network across the company.
Part 2 of this series on consulting versus banking continues tomorrow!