Financial Services

Retail Banking of today scarcely resembles what existed in previous generations. As the regulatory and technological landscape has changed, so too has client behavior. Customers increasingly rely on mobile banking and innovative challenger banks are on the rise. To remain competitive, the right solutions need to be identified and properly implemented. At Roland Berger, we understand what this means for your markets and can help you adapt your sales and service models and product portfolio to reflect this new era of Retail Banking.

Traditional business models in Consumer Finance are challenged by changes in how people buy, including social networks, the sharing economy and big data to P2P, omnichannel customer behavior, and demotorization, among many more. Mobile banking, internet players, and market consolidation will also bring about major changes to traditional ways of working. However, the market remains an exciting opportunity. We provide guidance to areas that can strategically transform business – from building new data skills and re-inventing partnership models, to rethinking end-customer journeys – to remain ahead of market trends.

The global payments industry is undergoing a radical transformation. Changing customer behavior, new technological developments, increasing regulation and standardization in different regions of the world are key drivers of this change. As consumers and companies require a payments functionality on a daily basis in their interaction with banks, we are witnessing an intense fight among both traditional and non-traditional payments companies for the client interface. In addition, instant payments, tokenization, biometrics and blockchain are just a few of the new technological developments that will impact the industry significantly in the coming years. In times of these both rapid and complex developments, even well-established players must fight hard to remain relevant.

At Roland Berger, we are at the heart of this transformation. We leverage our global network of dedicated payment experts to navigate our clients through these complex challenges and jointly develop strategies to capitalize on the vast payments revenue pool. We advise relevant players along the entire value chain – from banks, processing companies, and schemes to merchants. With a proven track record in the industry and our highly successful hands-on approach, we are excited to shape the future of the payments industry together with you.

A demanding environment requires that we reflect on strategic, organizational and operational needs. In Corporate Banking, this means assimilating to the new reality driven by low interest rates, increasing competition and the challenge to remain relevant for clients. Only by taking ambitious decisions for new paths, banks can redefine their role and their relationship with clients once again. We are here to support you in identifying the right path for you and assist you in adapting your organization, customer coverage models, and product portfolio to meet the needs of this complex transition. We help you redefining what and who is relevant.

Record years, increasing profits and historically low risks – Commercial Real Estate Finance is "on top of the game" by any measure. But the next downturn is around the corner – sooner or later. Executives must use the chance to make their banks "seaworthy" by improving both efficiency and their risk forecasting abilities, both driven by strong digital and data capabilities. Our role is to bring in both our unique data analytics proposition as well as our proprietary digitization solutions for Commercial Real Estate Finance – let's brave the storm!

In the past, companies producing industrial goods built informal relationships with providers of financing or leasing options. With great demand and having relatively few options, customers were willing to accept these arrangements. But we are facing a new reality. Customers increasingly expect "one-stop shop" solutions, accounting rules are changing and – with the sharing economy and "asset light" becoming more commonplace – less and less assets need traditional financing. Leasing and captive finance providers need to reinvent themselves and their services for clients to remain relevant, as OEMs are starting to build their own offerings. By providing tailor-made and pragmatic solutions, we help you find the path forward.

Asset management is entering a more and more challenging environment. The growth in low-margin passive products is still ongoing while increasing transparency and competition from FinTech keep investment needs at a high level. This margin pressure increases the need for economies of scale and results in consolidation pressure. An end-to-end digitalized value chain might help you to sustainably reduce your cost base while offering superior value to your clients. We are happy to support you on this journey.

Wealth managers are confronted with a continuously changing environment, driven by new and intensified regulation, changing client needs and by technologies that change their business and operating models. Platforms models, robo-advisory and mobile trading are gaining importance – also in wealth management. We are here to support you in adapting the best strategy to serve your clients. Let's take on this challenge together.

Capital markets have seen an unprecedented change over the last decades. from the financialization of the economy, to digitization, high-frequency and algorithmic trading to new regulatory frameworks. Players in this market, ranging from stock exchanges to investment banks, need to be able to compete in this highly dynamic environment with an agile mindset and organization, a laser-sharp focus on digitization and a clear talent management strategy to give themselves the cutting edge. We believe that this race, while it has been going on for a while, is far from over. Let us help you succeed in it.

Development banks play an important role to combat the absence or failure of market mechanisms, advance specific public policy goals or support wider social and economic development in their countries. Although this model has a successful track record, megatrends such as digitalization, globalization, climate change and migration give rise to new priorities and change the market environment development banks operate in. Therefore, they must adapt too. Times are changing – and so are the challenges that development banks have to face. We are excited to help you overcome them.

Today's central banks find themselves in a fast-changing environment, with all the attendant consequences for their business. They are trying to picture how the world might look tomorrow. Expectations on them are high – from both the markets and the political world. Furthermore, against the backdrop of rapidly changing demands, roles and governance, the qualities and skillsets they require have evolved, raising the question of what the key expectations on them are. One thing is for sure – central banks must immediately start to create the conditions to manage the present while at the same time laying the foundations to own the future. We are here to help them in this endeavor.