With the grand opening of its new “Digital Experience Center”, Raiffeisenbank Straubing eG takes an active step toward shaping the digital future in banking with NCR Corporation (NYSE: NCR), a global leader in omni-channel solutions.
By taking a broader approach to digitization, the bank aims to actively address the challenges digital disruption brings to banking by creating added value for its customers.
The “Digital Experience Center” is based on NCR’s Innovation Experience Room, which is unique in the market and was developed as an entirely new tool to enable financial institutions to build and strengthen the digital competencies of customers and staff. The flexible and versatile room is equipped with a variety of state-of-the art technologies that can range from virtual reality headsets, 3D printers, drones, and robots, to examples of big data or Internet of Things applications and nanotechnologies. Immersing in a playful way in this ‘workshop’ can help leverage technological mega trends and inspire new ideas for products and services among the bank and its corporate customers. NCR has already created similar Innovation Experience Rooms with two other banks in Germany.
Ralf Kluth, Innovation Evangelist at NCR, explained: “Our ‘innovation workshop’ can be used by banks in several different ways, but in essence, it all comes down to familiarizing the consumers, customers or employees with the use of the new technologies through fun, playful interaction. We want to turn fear into curiosity and reluctance into a thirst for innovation that spurs new business ideas.”
The Digital Experience Center of Raiffeisenbank Straubing eG is primarily run by four employees that were selected as promotors of digitization in a series of workshops.
“Only those who have no faith in the future cling to the past”, says Rainer Haas, chairman of Raiffeisenbank Straubing eG. “Our goal, as the management board of the bank, is to provide young innovators in our bank with the right instruments to shape change and give them the necessary freedom to actually make it happen.”
With this initiative, the bank plans to engage local communities by opening the center for schools, public organizations and regional businesses.
“Many banks have responded to digital disruption of their business by closing down branch offices,“ says Diego Navarrete, Vice President Financial Services Division at NCR Europe. “Our Innovation Experience Rooms offer an alternative approach, by helping them to proactively address and shape the digital future of their business.”