In collaboration with its technology partner Appway, Banque Cantonale de Genève (BCGE) has digitized the processing of several key banking services. The bank’s new services platform, avantageservice.ch, allows customers to open a savings account, apply for a pension plan, and obtain a property financing proposal in a matter of minutes.
Existing and prospective BCGE customers residing in Switzerland can now apply for a mortgage in five simple steps. The user selects their property project (purchase of a property or the transfer of an existing mortgage loan) before submitting their personal and financial details. They then specify the loan type and amount requested. Automated eligibility checks are performed while the user reviews the data submitted and confirms their application via electronic signature. If found eligible, the customer receives BCGE’s financing proposal immediately online.
Likewise, customers can open a savings account and a pension plan within minutes through a fully digitized, end-to-end process.
“With avantageservice.ch, we’re offering our customers the ease and convenience of digital interfaces that they know from online retailers and other digital innovators,” says Jean-Marc Joris, Head of Organization and IT at BCGE.
“Our intention, however, isn’t to replace traditional channels such as our branch offices. Instead, we want to offer our customers a true channel choice and enable them to tailor their interactions with us. We want to offer them the simplicity of digital interfaces as well as the depth of human interaction and personal advice when they need it. Essentially, we’re becoming more of a ‘bionic bank,’ as defined by Boston Consulting Group.”
Avantageservice.ch users can get assistance by calling BCGE’s customer service team. They can also pause and continue the application process by visiting a BCGE branch office; a client advisor will pick up where the customer left off and offer personal advice.
Straightforward processing and seamless channel switches are supported by Appway’s software. It ensures that all data entered on avantageservice.ch is automatically processed in BCGE’s systems and shared among all relevant applications in the bank’s front, middle, and back office. Avantageservice.ch also includes key components of Appway’s onboarding for the retail solution. Appway’s solution for BCGE has been delivered in conjunction with Swisscom.
BCGE: ‘made in Geneva’ banking solutions
A universal bank since 1816, the BCGE provides high-quality banking services for private, business and institutional clients in Geneva and its surrounding area. The BCGE offers the following bank services: everyday banking facilities, private banking, asset management, investment funds, pension planning, mortgages and lending to the private and public sectors. It runs a trading room and offers financial engineering, business valuation and transmission, private equity and trade finance services. The BCGE Group has 21 branches in Geneva and operates a number of its services in Lausanne, Zurich, Lyon, Annecy, Paris, Dubai and Hong Kong. It employs 740 people (full-time equivalents, as at 30 June 2017). The BCGE is quoted on the SIX Swiss Exchange, the Swiss stock exchange (authorised share no. 35 049 471).