Extend data-driven banking to the branch experience

Discover how banks are using data to transform branches into personalized, omnichannel experiences, enhancing customer satisfaction and employee efficiency.

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Ramya Patel, Data & Intelligence Leader, Americas


28 Jan 2025

Extend data-driven banking to the branch experience

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Are we witnessing a major trend reversal? From major institutions to smaller players, and after years of pulling back from in-person banking, banks are planning to open new branches.

The paradigm, however, has changed. This new trend is all about rethinking the branch concept – using data to transform in-person banking into an omnichannel experience that benefits customers and employees alike.

At the recent Future Branches 2024 event, I heard thought leaders drive home the relevance of in-person banking for today’s customers. As one speaker noted, “People like to see and visit their money.” In other words, they don’t want a visit to the bank to feel like an impersonal waste of time. They feel more at home in an atmosphere similar to the lobby of an upscale hotel, with tellers who come to you, personalized recommendations, and insightful conversations with people who understand your financial goals.

Conversations about next-gen tools for tellers, modern branch design, and the latest drive-thru ATM innovations inevitably came back to two related topics: Data and GenAI. Branch execs looked at ways to use their wealth of customer data and AI to deliver more meaningful in-branch customer experiences, and expressed concerns about how line-of-business silos and legacy constraints might limit the flow of the quality data needed to fuel exceptional in-branch experiences.

Given these insights, I’d now like to take this a step further to see how unified data might transform the branch experience for all of us.

Overcoming data challenges to enable branch innovation
Consider the role of data in visionary branch experiences. Banks want to empower employees with GenAI during in-person interactions. But this requires compliant data integration from various sources in real-time or near real-time. In-branch personalization – similar to how customers experience services like Amazon Prime – relies on data to tailor relevant offers. Predicting and preventing churn through in-person engagement, efficient new product training for employees, and increased in-branch automation all hinge on data flow from legacy systems to modern point solutions.

So where does the path to data-driven banking start? The answer lies in integration and unification. It begins by gaining an understanding of your current data landscape by analyzing and mapping your required data sources. Then, determine an architecture that matches your integration needs. A data strategy that maximizes the use of the public cloud will likely deliver the highest returns and most flexibility over the long term. From there, advance toward your target architecture through data normalization and modernization at the pace that makes sense for your goals.

Inside the data-driven branch
When you step into the bank branch of the near future, data will touch virtually every aspect of the experience, with GenAI and other modern technologies using data to improve the visit. First, an AI-powered check-in station will route you to a teller or banker who can help. A teller will then greet you personally, already knowing the reason you’re there. And thanks to automation, they’ll be able to complete your transaction faster. So if you’ve got significant assets in a no-interest account for example, they’ll know right away to recommend saving options personalized to your situation. Meanwhile, AI will operate in the background, protecting you and other customers by flagging suspicious activity.

But the technology goes beyond transactions. If you’re having a bad day, sentiment analysis will detect your mood and will let the teller know that an empathetic message – not a product offer – is the best approach for this visit. And if you use a drive-thru service or ATM, the omnichannel experience will reach you there, too. As you complete your transaction, an invitation might appear to step inside the branch – such as to meet with David the customer service rep, who’ll be waiting to discuss product bundles that could lower the rate on your car loan.

A behind-the-desk perspective
The data-driven branch will be equally transformative for employees – and their careers. Tellers will have GenAI co-pilots to help them accelerate routine transactions. With access to automatically generated scripts and dynamically personalized offers, they’ll be able to devote more time to connecting customers to the right products. Meanwhile, the ability to target employees with the right training at the right time will help them master product details and meet sales goals, while leaders will be able to leverage data to identify and promote high performers.

For branch managers, data insights will enable smarter operational decisions. This might include identifying which locations need simple improvements like expanded waiting areas, as opposed to complete redesigns. For cross-sell and upsell opportunities, personalized product recommendations, sentiment analysis, and AI-powered scripts will all have an important role to play. On the HR front, managers will be empowered to help employees advance their careers by providing training and AI-powered coaching. They’ll also be better positioned to attract and retain high performers by having easy access to retention and promotion metrics.

Make it Amazing
At Amdocs, we help banks and other financial service providers modernize from the core to the customer. Our approach unifies data across touchpoints to deliver the personalized, secure, and seamless banking experiences that will define the future of banking.

Ready to transform your branch experience? Talk to the Amdocs team about preparing your data foundation for the future of banking.

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