From its experience, BBVA has proven that the alliance between banking and ‘fintech’ favors digital solutions. “As a bank, we have a very close relationship with the ‘fintech’ ecosystem, which generates positive results always aimed at our customers. With the alliance between banking and ‘fintech’, we gain agility and they gain experience to continue scaling their solutions to corporations similar to ours” explains Susana Reátegui, manager of Digital Solutions at BBVA Continental.
Methodology ‘fast track’ in Peru
Precisely, to continue fostering collaboration with the world of ‘fintech’, BBVA Continental has implemented the ‘fast track’ methodology, an open innovation program that makes the way to connect with the ‘startups’ more agile, faster and more orderly.
The idea of the ‘fast track’ was developed in Spain by the Open Innovation team of BBVA to streamline the collaboration process with the ‘startups’ designing a structure with defined deadlines to achieve the objectives set at a higher speed.
Fintech BBVA works with ‘startups fintech’ in Latin America to create the digital solutions of the future BBVA is developing an open innovation program in the region, known as ‘fast track’, which makes it possible to streamline and make more efficient the processes that the Group develops together with the ‘startups’ to implement new digital products and services for the benefit of customers.
“This methodology has been driven globally and previously was successfully applied in Mexico, Spain and Colombia. We have just launched this process in Peru along with four local startups, which is a milestone of collaboration between the ‘fintech’ ecosystem and the different bank teams” says Reátegui.
Streamlining and streamlining the processes that BBVA develops together with the ‘startups’ is key to implementing new digital products and services for the benefit of customers. In addition, it allows to test solutions that are focused on reducing operating costs.
In permanent change
“Being prepared for change has become a fundamental aspect for the survival of many companies and organizations. However, change is sometimes synonymous with risk and, when you risk it, there is always the possibility of failure. For that reason, we have incorporated pilots or POCs (‘proof of concept’), which allow us to know at an early stage and at low cost if a solution is scalable or not” says the manager of Digital Solutions of BBVA Continental.
The presence of Open Innovation of BBVA in Peru is increasingly intense and has become an active means of communication with the entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystem that uses the same language.
The synergy between the ‘fintechs’ and the banking will consolidate the growth of the ecosystem in Peru and will make more digital opportunities available to customers
“At the bank, we seek to inspire the areas through reference events, tailor-made events, expeditions to innovation hubs, reports and any other method, ad hoc or standard, that will broaden the vision of the bank’s areas of interest. to internal improvements and possible future businesses and, in turn, to create connections with companies to solve needs of the areas that add value to the business, but above all to our customers” adds Claudia Ganoza, BBVA’s Open Innovation representative.
Taking advantage of the technology that is becoming available in the world is essential for the survival of companies. “It’s just a matter of having our eyes wide open, taking risks, trying quickly and making decisions that lead us to offer more and more benefits for our clients, allowing us to get to know them more and better” says Reátegui.
“We are all protagonists living closely the evolution of banking. In our case, for being part of the financial sector, but in others because we are users and we live changes every day. Generating a synergy of mutual learning between the local ‘fintechs’ and us is very important to consolidate the growth of the ecosystem in Peru and make more digital opportunities available to customers” concludes the manager of BBVA Continental Digital Solutions, for whom experience will show that the alliance between banking and ‘fintech’ drives digital solutions.
Also published on Medium.