A novel branch banking model to refine branch transaction experience.
CLIENT & DURATION
Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation (OCBC Bank)
Jun 2022 – Aug 2024
ROLE
Manager, Experience Design
OCBC Bank
UX Design, User Research, Service Design, User Testing
CONTEXT
OCBC Bank, a leading Singaporean financial institution, relied on decades-old manual forms for customer transactions. This project aimed to drive digital transformation in its branches, starting with its teller portal.
IMPACT
Savings of 2 million SGD through error reduction and process optimisation, minimising security and fraud threats with the introduction of system-oriented authentication.
Customers express dissatisfaction with teller inaccuracies in transactions.
Rectifying staff errors results in significant annual costs for the branch.
Manually verifying transactions exposes bank to security risks and fraud.
Uncover pain points via research insights and analytics
Identify branch workflows, extract opportunities to meet user needs and business objectives
Solution for problems and create basic wireframes for concept testing assessment.
Work with design agency to come up with hi-fidelity prototypes
User-testing with customer and staff to understand break points. Reiterate and retest.
I conducted interviews with tellers and customers to learn about their problems. Criteria for interviewees were established to ensure breadth and accurate depiction of the branch experience.
Interview participants
The customer group consisted of those who visit OCBC Bank branches at least once a month for Teller Counter cash transactions and hold multiple bank accounts with OCBC.
The teller group comprised individuals with varying levels of experience, including those who had worked at both young and mature residential estates, across personal and premier banking, and had dealt with both consumer and corporate customers.
Interview objectives
To understand the daily routine of tellers
To recognise common challenges faced by tellers and customers
To comprehend the nature and limitations of teller training
To identify typical customer profiles and transaction types at branches
After performing user interviews, contextual inquiry, and data analysis, I was able to group the insights into these key categories:
High cognitive load
Tellers rely on manual processes to complete tasks, which can lead to inaccuracies
has to memorise unique 6-digit codes to start a transaction
has to input customer handwritten responses into the system, but illegible handwriting poses a challenge.
Lack of support
Inadequate training leave tellers ill-prepared for operational challenges
Training before on-the-job duties only covers basic transactions while actual operations are much more complex
Staff reliance
Though many transactions can be completed online or at ATMs, customers prefer to visit the branch
Customers feel more reassured and safe when staff are involved in the process, even if it means long wait times.
It was clear from the research that different branch patrons would have different levels of assistance needed. I categorized them into three user personas and what they would need in order to look into how the branch can satisfy their particular demands and objectives.
The Confident Navigator: Provide opportunities for customers to take the lead
The Assurance Seeker: Give assurance through staff guidance and affirmation
The Habitual Dependent/ The Fully Reliant: Make room for staff to take control
Fig: Pictures from the research conducted to come up with the user personas
After analysing research insights, customer journeys, and personas, I started brainstorming with service designers, identifying opportunities and potential solutions. I then invited my stakeholders to provide feedback based on their workflow expertise and from a business viewpoint.
Reframing insights
The eventual proposed concept is a duo-screen interactive model focusing on:
Enhancing transparency and trust: Building on previous findings that side-by-side engagement fosters transparency and trust, the new concept introduces a dedicated counter for each teller-customer interaction
Encouraging customer ownership: The new concept shifts the burden from staff to a more collaborative process, actively involving customers in completing their transactions and giving them a sense of responsibility and ownership.
Fig: In the new model, the customer will engage upfront with the teller side by side, whereas in the old style, the teller sat far behind a counter.
Fig: Pictures from the designing and testing of counter designs
I conducted multiple concept testings using low-fidelity screen and counter mockups with customers and tellers to understand receptiveness and feasibility of the new interactive model.
The concept was well-received, and the results highlighted important considerations:
Safety is of utmost priority: Customers value the implementation of security measures such as face verification and 2 factor authentication. The added layer of security provides them a sense of assurance.
Customers cannot do without tellers: Customers rely on tellers to perform transactions on their behalf due to a lack of confidence or concerns about potential errors.
Simplifying user interface is key: Customers find the platform intuitive but struggle with complex interaction patterns like scrolling and are less likely to engage with lengthy or intricate content.
Fig: Pictures from the concept testing sessions to understand receptiveness towards a new interactive model, and ensure it is viable
A new branch banking model where customers initiate transactions with teller guidance, supported by new digital workflows that streamline the extensive range of transactions and products traditionally handled with pen and paper.
Tackling key challenges
As the design was being finalized, I identified key challenges that needed to be addressed to ensure the revamp's success. The solution was carefully crafted with these considerations in mind.
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Fig: Customer and teller screen design placed side by side for comparison
I conducted card sorting with both young and seasoned branch staff to arrange over 40 transactions into an intuitive menu, removing transaction codes. A search feature is also introduced.
Fig: New menu and search function
Fig: Card sorting exercise with tellers
With on-screen prompts. tellers can execute transactions regardless of their level of knowledge or experience.
Fig: On-screen prompts are provided at each step of the transaction
I synchronised with the Automated Teller Machines (ATM) design team so that customers would learn a similar design language for ease of learning and usage.
Fig: On-screen prompts are provided at each step of the transaction
The new concept requires unlearning current procedures. Training solutions were created to familiarize tellers with the interface and workflows, including on-the-job training during pilot testing before the full rollout.
Fig: Teller e-learning training modules
Fig: Pictures of on-the-job training during pilot testing
I tested the product at various phases of the project.
• Low-fidelity prototypes were tested with the stakeholders weekly to get feedback on the functionality, content, and interactivity of the product.
• High-fidelity prototypes were tested with tellers and customers for complicated flows to identify if there are any critical breakpoints and misalignments in understanding. the steps that need to be taken so that it is easy for customers to follow and for staff to know what to expect and the steps to take without having to undergo arduous months of training and memorizing of the different steps needed to complete different transactions
• High-fidelity prototypes were tested with tellers and customers profile of customers visiting branches today, the elderly as well as the less abled, as well as the staff working in branches.
Fig: Pictures of usability testing with staff and customers
Initial implementation in July 2024 at two pilot branches. Simultaneously, the team is developing phase 2, which will encompass the complete range of branch transactions.
Ongoing customer and teller usability testing to detect crucial breakpoints in the customer journey and opportunities for improvements that may be prioritised for future implementation.
Estimated savings for the branch exceeding 2 million, encompassing upgrading outdated backend systems, annual budgets for error rectification, and the reduction of paper receipts through the adoption of digital e-receipts.
Digital transformation is complex, and it takes time.
My role often center around perfecting pixels, yet it's vital to recognise the broader scope of digitalisation. It includes varied parties, from operations to service teams, across the entire journey. Understanding and empathising with their challenges are crucial for effective collaboration.
Prioritise impact
In any project, perfection is unattainable, and compromises are inevitable due to constraints like deadlines, stakeholder demands, and regulatory requirements. In resource-strapped situations, the key is to prioritise impactful outcomes and focus on delivering the most significant value to customers