Case Study: In-Depth Interview with a Corporate Client on the Needs in Electronic Banking
Introduction
Research and feedback from users and clients are indispensable to the development of any product. This is especially true for major product changes and projects, such as the new electronic banking solution for corporate clients, where understanding user needs and preferences is crucial. In these projects, key users typically include company directors, accountants, financial managers, and other decision-makers across a range of organizations—from small businesses to multinational corporations. The diverse needs of these users place significant demands not only on the research process itself but also on its preparation, including the recruitment of suitable respondents.
This case study focuses on the preparation, execution, and key findings of an in-depth interview. The insights gained contributed to a deeper understanding of the needs of corporate clients and users of Česká spořitelna's George Business electronic banking platform.
Who Is Česká spořitelna and What Is George Business?
Česká spořitelna, part of the Erste Group, is the largest bank in the Czech Republic, serving over 4.5 million clients. The bank emphasizes innovation and digital transformation. Its latest product, George Business, is designed to offer companies modern financial management tools, simplify day-to-day banking operations, and provide an intuitive user experience.
Research Processes and Recruitment
In developing George Business, Česká spořitelna conducts more than 20 extensive studies each year on a variety of topics, involving specialized UX researchers and designers. In addition, many smaller ad hoc studies are carried out within product teams.
Before preparing an interview, it is crucial to ensure that information is gathered from the right respondents. Identifying and recruiting suitable participants is particularly challenging in the B2B sector because companies' needs vary according to their size, number of employees, and industry. They also differ based on the user's role—for example, a company owner will have different requirements for online banking compared to an accountant. This complexity must be taken into account both when developing the application and during the research itself.
The availability of specific respondents is often very limited. Key roles, such as the CFO of a multinational corporation, are not only rare but also typically very busy. Reaching out to these individuals and securing their participation requires exceptional effort and flexibility. Recruitment often begins with an analysis of internal data that helps identify clients with the desired characteristics. Although we usually conduct qualitative research in-house, we often collaborate with specialized agencies for recruitment assistance.
An essential part of the preparation is a well-crafted brief that defines the goals, needs, and the type of clients we are looking for. Based on this brief, the recruitment process is initiated. In some cases, traditional approaches may not be sufficient, and in such situations, sales representatives can assist with recruitment.
In this instance, we did not use an agency; instead, we leveraged our sales network based on our specific product needs and a recommendation from the director of our regional corporate center. This approach allowed us to secure an ideal respondent whose company operates in several European countries. The interview was held in a café near the respondent's office to minimize disruption to his work schedule. My colleague and I led the conversation, focusing on his client needs, expectations, and the current challenges his company faces.
Interview Preparation
To prepare for the interview, we used the Miro platform to collaboratively summarize our assumptions and hypotheses regarding the client need for a "unified banking platform across countries" that needed exploration. Our key assumptions before drafting the interview questions were:
Cost Efficiency: Unified banking is more cost-effective than managing multiple disparate solutions, both in terms of cost and employee time.
Centralized Management: Clients operating in different countries prefer a centralized financial management system and do not want to handle daily banking through multiple banks, which is time-consuming.
Simplified Processing: It is easier to process loans and other products if the client is already established within the Erste Group in another country.
Consistent Processes: There is an expectation that the platform will offer a unified KYC (Know Your Customer) process, a single onboarding experience, a standardized security method, and easy access to new products, especially for day-to-day banking.
Uniform User Experience: A consistent user experience across markets is essential.
Once we documented our assumptions, we prepared the interview questions accordingly.
Interview Structure
The interview was planned with the following structure:
1. Introduction and Background
Could you briefly introduce yourself and describe what your company does?
Tell us about your company's activities. How large is your company, and in how many markets do you operate?
How do you manage your business across different countries?
Goal: Establish rapport and gather basic information about the client and their organization.
2. Current Banking Relationships
Which banking products do you currently use? With how many banks do you collaborate across different countries?
What is your organizational structure for accounting and financial management? How many people in your company regularly communicate with your bank?
What level of decision-making authority do the individuals handling banking matters have?
Which financial transactions or operations have the greatest impact on your banking relationships? (For example, regular cross-border payments)
Goal: Map out the existing banking products and processes that the client uses.
3. Challenges and Pain Points
What problems do you typically encounter when working with banks?
Which issues consume most of your time or have the greatest impact on your business?
Which banking processes do you find unnecessarily complicated or time-consuming?
What frustrates you the most about working with banks? Can you describe any specific cases?
Goal: Identify the key challenges and pain points the client experiences.
4. Expectations from the Bank
What are your expectations from a bank like Erste? How could the bank better support you, for example, through a digital platform?
What would an ideal banking relationship look like to you?
What is most important to you when choosing a banking partner?
Is there anything missing from your current banking services?
Goal: Understand the client's expectations and priorities.
5. Need for a Unified Solution
Why is it important for you to have a unified banking solution across all countries? What do you envision such a solution to be?
Do you use any other financial tools or platforms outside your bank? If so, how would you like to see them integrated with your banking services?
Goal: Explore the need for consolidation and integration of services.
6. Future Needs and Innovations
What new services or tools would make your work easier?
How do your financial management needs change throughout the year?
What situations in the past have prompted you to consider switching banks?
Goal: Identify latent needs and potential areas for innovation.
7. Conclusion and Wrap-Up
Is there anything else you'd like to mention or that we haven't asked about?
Goal: Obtain final feedback and provide the client an opportunity to add any additional insights.
Interview Process and Outcomes
During the interview, my colleague and I aimed to create a relaxed atmosphere, with one of us acting as the moderator and the other as the note-taker. However, the conversation did not follow the script exactly—the respondent spoke spontaneously and in detail, often answering questions before we had a chance to ask them. He even voluntarily demonstrated typical interactions with banks on his phone, providing us with unique insights into his daily use of banking applications. Despite these deviations, we maintained a smooth flow of discussion and gently steered the conversation toward our key areas of interest.
Key Insights Included:
Unified Interface:
A need for a consistent interface across markets that accommodates local specificities.
Intuitive UX & Automation:
The critical importance of an intuitive user experience combined with automation.
Mobile Application Priority:
Recognition of the mobile app as the primary tool for decision-making and daily operations.
In general, the respondent is seeking a unified and intuitive solution for managing finances and accounting across multiple countries and banks—one that maximizes automation (e.g., ERP integration, PSD2 connectivity, multibanking). He emphasized the importance of a clear and user-friendly interface, effective mobile authentication, customizable user permissions (such as view-only or approval rights), and minimizing manual processes. Additionally, he values a fair pricing policy with low fees for banking services and transactions, ultimately desiring a system where he "doesn't have to worry about the bank," thereby saving time and reducing costs.
Comparison of Assumptions with Key Findings
• Assumption: Unified banking is more cost-effective than managing multiple disparate solutions.
Finding: The respondent prefers a unified interface across markets due to increased efficiency, reduced manual tasks, and a fair pricing policy—supporting the financial benefits of a unified solution.
• Assumption: Clients operating in different countries prefer centralized financial management and do not want to manage daily banking through multiple banks.
Finding: The respondent emphasized the need for a unified solution that considers local specifics and allows for centralized financial management, confirming this assumption.
• Assumption: Processing loans and other products is easier if the client is already established within the Erste Group in another country.
Finding: This point was not explicitly mentioned during the interview and therefore cannot be confirmed or refuted.
• Assumption: There is an expectation of a unified KYC process, a consistent onboarding experience, and easy access to new products.
Finding: The respondent stressed the need for automation and a clear user interface, which does not necessarily include a unified KYC and onboarding process. Thus, this assumption remains unconfirmed.
• Assumption: A consistent user experience across markets is important.
Finding: An intuitive user experience was one of the respondent's primary requirements, confirming this assumption.
Potential Next Steps
1. Expand the Respondent Pool:
Engage a larger number of respondents from various segments of the target group (e.g., small businesses, medium-sized companies, and multinational corporations) to obtain more representative insights and verify the initial hypotheses.
2. Validate Key Themes:
Identify and validate the key themes from the interview through surveys or additional interviews.
3. Thematic Analysis:
Conduct a detailed analysis of the interview recordings to uncover recurring themes.
4. Prototyping and User Testing:
Develop prototypes based on the key findings and test them with users to refine the solution.
Conclusion and Reflection
Although the respondent provided extremely valuable insights into his business and his interactions with banks, it is important to note that these represent the experiences and needs of a single individual. Consequently, these findings cannot be generalized to the entire target group or considered an exhaustive list of needs. Nevertheless, the information is highly significant—especially since none of the people involved in developing George Business are direct representatives of this target group. Empathy and a deep understanding of user needs are critical for creating a successful product. This interview not only helped us better understand the real challenges and requirements of another segment of our clients but also increased our confidence that we are developing solutions that are both user-friendly and effective in addressing our clients' problems.
Author: Tomáš Kamenec