entire financial industry are undergoing a rapid process of change. There are many indications that we will no longer recognise the industry in just a few years. In our book, we have analysed the most important trends in the financial industry for the next few years and prepared them in such a way that financial professionals and all other publics can draw conclusions for their own actions.
In the current situation, it should first be noted that the financial sector is also massively affected by the Corona crisis. The global break-in of the economic output, the further explosion of credit volumes and the danger of a wave of insolvencies after the expiry of government protection shields are fuelling fears of increasing instability in the entire world financial system. Nevertheless, unlike other authors, we do not see the danger of a collapse in the near future. On the contrary, the world financial system has weathered the challenges so far surprisingly well as part of the critical infrastructure. This stability has also been favoured by often criticised government coercive measures such as the increase in the capital ratio under Basel III and payments by banks into specific guarantee funds. Very recent challenges, but also opportunities, arise for banks from the need to automate the processing of government aid programmes as well as receivables management in volatile scenarios.
In terms of their medium-term strategic orientation, there are three possibilities for banks and financial institutions. One possibility (1) is cost leadership through cost reduction. Although this strategy is very often applied, e.g. through ambitious digitalisation projects, it usually does not lead to the hoped-for goal. The strategy of differentiation (2), on the other hand, aims to further develop product features, distribution channels as well as service and support, to focus on specific customer wishes and to expand the range of offers for these customers. Niche strategies (3) aim to focus on a high-yield function of the bank, such as the specific customer segment of private customers or complete digitalisation, and to reduce other functions.
If one asks which external influences will have the greatest impact on the competitive position of individual banks and financial service providers in the medium term, it is the changing behaviour of customers, the threat from external competitors and the digitalisation of all processes.
In terms of customers, the financial institutions are now dealing with five generations whose demands differ greatly. The range begins with the baby boomers with comparatively generous pension insurance policies, who have been able to build up assets over many years, show a rather conservative investment behaviour, still value personal contact but are increasingly losing importance for the banks due to their age. At the other end is Generation Z. They only know the digitally networked world and expect all their devices and information sources to be networked. For them, immediate answers to their questions with visualisation and linking of individual data are a matter of course. In response to this diversity of customer expectations, banks must pursue an omnichannel strategy that addresses “digital first” but not “digital only” and gradually leads to convincing customer experience management.
In terms of external competitors, neither fintechs nor traditional companies with customer access and an affiliated bank are the real challenge. Fin-Techs are rather potential cooperation partners of the banks. There have been coexistences with classic companies for a long time. The real challenge comes from the large technology companies Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon (GAFA) and in the future also from their Chinese counterparts. Like no one else in the world, they have direct interfaces or access to billions of customers, an unbridled drive for expansion, almost unlimited resources and research capacities that can dwarf entire states. With these prerequisites, they can develop data-based individualised offers for customers with the highest convenience factor, from payment to financial services to the handling of payment processes. Above all, they are able to aggregate customers’ personal data and link financial services of all kinds with other services. These developments are supported by the legal requirements to open up the interfaces with sensitive customer data that were previously in the possession of the credit institutions. In this context, the trend is clearly moving towards the creation of platforms and even digital ecosystems. In such systems, state-of-the-art technologies such as artificial intelligence and (in the future) quantum computers for the simulation of market developments, virtual reality systems for customer contacts or blockchain for the absolutely secure handling of payment processes will also be used.
Major developmental thrusts are expected in private banking. On the one hand, there is the increasing use of online brokers and roboadvisors and the access of customers to comparison portals. The availability of personal intelligent digital assistants is expected, which in the future will be able to independently prepare investment decisions in compliance with individual specifications and process them with the bank. On the other hand, personal advice via digital channels will still play an important role.
Family offices are playing an increasing role in the financial system. Their number has doubled to over 10,000 worldwide in the last 15 years. Besides regulatory provisions, the main driver is the massive increase in ultra-high-net-worth individuals with assets of more than USD 30 million. A further expansion of family offices is expected, which, however, face massive challenges. These include increasing complexity due to increased client demands, more complex financial products and regulations. In addition, there are wishes of families that go beyond financial management (e.g. philanthropic services) and the influence of several generations on wealth management in view of increasing life expectancies.