Within the banking industry different sub-units often have conflicting goals which can lead to inefficiencies.
It never ceases to amaze me that in the world of banking two different worlds can seemingly co-exist side by side, each oblivious of the other. There are many examples of this, such as “sound risk management” versus “business imperatives”. This particular issue lies, in my view, at the heart of the current financial crisis.
However, we are probably too preoccupied with financial crisis issues at the moment, so I don’t want to dwell on this here. I would rather muse on another paradoxical situation which I often, as a consultant, find so very frustrating. This is the “world of technology” versus the “world of business”.
By its nature modern banking is technology driven. Data processing systems have made the huge volumes of transactions that occur each day as well as the supply of the mountainous volumes of data dealing with and supporting these transactions possible. Yet the transactions in question are all driven by business imperatives, always at the behest of the customer.
While generally bankers at the “business” end can see the interdependence between technology and banking, the same is not true for “bankers” at the “technology” end. Neither is it really true for infrastructure providers, be they domestic or international, such as payment system operators, ACHs, payment processors, messaging service providers and the like.
There is another, almost self destructive aspect to this inability of one side to understand the other. This is the inability of each element (technology and business) to either understand or to apply the skills of the other to create a harmonious whole that melds the technology with the business’ requirements and other needs.
By not doing things or by not doing them right how many opportunities are missed? I shudder to think.
Mobile Manners
The mobile phone has become ubiquitous. It is the one hi-tech device that has become the universal calling card for humankind. Yet despite the privilege and the benefits that this instrument bestows it has turned many folk into rude bores bereft of any manners in their slavish obedience to this twenty-first century icon.
Is the Financial Crisis Really Over?
To really fix the financial and banking system governments and regulators need to get to the core of the problems that led to the 2007-9 financial crisis. The evidence so far indicates that the current approach has failed and that throwing money at banks is not a part of the solution. Unless the authorities can get the “fix” right we are facing ongoing crisis as banks revert to their old ways with little regard for anyone but themselves.
Mobile Payments & Remittances – Dangers Ahead
The use of the mobile phone for the transfer of workers’ remittances and for small payments holds much promise, especially in Africa. However two problematic issues threaten the mobile revolution. These are the attitude of the banks to their prospective clients and the attitude of bank regulators to non-bank participants.
