New and disruptive alternatives are increasing the bar on product and service quality standards for both consumers and businesses.

Shifts in the power balance between the consumer and the supplier are changing the trust equation from one of safety and security to one of maximum financial value.

The incumbents that fail to re-platform their organizations to respond will be the losers as we move closer to a market “built for the consumer.”

Globally organized and sophisticated entities are at the helm of cybercrime. Many of these organizations consider Australia’s FSIs as low-hanging fruit that will pave the way for larger US and European banks.

While top-tier financial institutions are better prepared to deal with cybercrime, second-tier businesses in Australia are the most vulnerable to attacks in foreign exchange, superannuation, trading platforms, and wealth management.

Real-time payments (NPP) will open up new avenues for cybercrime and present new hurdles for financial services institutions.

Traditional financial services businesses’ relationships with consumers, internal operations, and interactions with other institutions are all being challenged by FinTechs.

• Customer preferences are shifting.
• Introducing new technologies.
• Getting the most out of macroeconomic situations.
• The regulatory approach and goals are evolving.
  
  

FinTechs will continue to be a major creator of innovations and a cause of disruption by focusing on enormous profit pools and areas of customer friction.

Given the competition for talent coming from around the world, including our Asian neighbors, the Australian FinTech ecosystem is still developing and will require investment and government action.

There is no need for new regulatory bodies or a comprehensive rethinking of regulatory mandates. To promote financial services innovation while maintaining competitive neutrality and investor protection, Australian regulatory constraints may need to be tweaked.

The new rules will focus more on activities than on the sort of organization or enterprise. Consumers will benefit from innovations that allow them to access more individualized products, improve customer service, and manage risk, allowing regulators to better fulfill their responsibilities of ensuring consumer trust and confidence.

As Australian firms grapple with the challenges of digital commerce, this year will be a watershed moment. The main issue for corporate IT providers is to help their financial services clients respond to the fast pace of change by connecting people, digitizing operational processes, and engaging with customers.

Large institution designs have often been shaped by traditional economies of scale. The winning organizations will be those who manage the transition from their present business models to the ones that best commoditize value. Also, deliver agility, create simplicity, and develop customer trust as firms convert to their future state.

The key to success is managing the transformations’ pace. Each company must determine how long its current business model can be sustained and how quickly it can transition to its new form.