How big data changes the scope of modern banking

Unlocking the potential of big data in modern banking: a comprehensive guide.

The digital transformation of the banking industry is not just a buzzword; it’s a reality backed by compelling statistics and facts. According to Markets and Markets, the global big data market size is expected to grow from $138.9 billion in 2020 to $229.4 billion by 2025, at a CAGR of 10.6% during the forecasted period. This growth is fueled by a sharp increase in data volume, particularly in the banking sector.

A trend report by CB Insights further emphasizes the role of digital transformation in banking, highlighting how leaders in the financial services industry are leveraging big data to redefine customer experiences and operational efficiencies. Meanwhile, G2’s digital banking statistics indicate that mobile banking usage has seen a significant uptick, with 89% of respondents using mobile banking in some capacity, which rises to 97% among millennials, generating even more data for analytics.

The numbers above indicate the rapid digitization of banking. At this point, the process involves financial institutions rethinking how they operate information. This is the moment when big data in banking comes into the picture. Keeping all these insights in mind, let’s take a closer look at how big data changes the scope of the modern banking industry.

The evolution of big data in banking

The banking industry has significantly transformed from traditional brick-and-mortar establishments to modern data-driven financial institutions. This shift has been propelled by the advent of big data technologies that enable banks to analyze vast amounts of data for better decision-making. This section delves into the evolution of big data in banking, examining how it has become an integral part of modern financial institutions and how it impacts various dimensions like Volume, Velocity, Variety, and Veracity.

The Four Vs of big data in financial institutions

Big data in banking is often characterized by the Four Vs: Volume, Velocity, Variety, and Veracity. These dimensions highlight the challenges and opportunities that big data presents:

• Volume. The sheer amount of data generated by banking transactions, customer interactions, and other activities.
• Velocity. The speed at which new data is generated and processed to meet real-time analytics needs.
• Variety. The different types of data, from structured data like transaction logs to unstructured data like customer reviews.
• Veracity. The trustworthiness of big data is crucial for accurate analytics and decision-making.

These Four Vs have become the cornerstone for banks in leveraging big data analytics, thereby revolutionizing various aspects of banking, such as personalized customer service, fraud detection, and risk management.

What are some examples of big data analytics in banking?

Big data analytics is not just a theoretical concept, but a practical tool already making waves in the banking sector. This section provides a few real-world examples of how big data analytics is applied in various banking aspects, from customer profiling to fraud detection and beyond.

Customer profiling

Big data plays a crucial role in customer profiling within banking institutions. Banks can offer individualized plans and financial solutions by analyzing a customer’s banking history and personal and transactional information, and monitoring customer spending patterns over time. This enhances the customer experience and enables banks to differentiate their services, increasing customer retention. Additionally, banks can target specific products to customers based on demographic data.

Fraud detection

Big data and statistical computing empower banks to detect potential fraud before it even occurs. Specialized algorithms track and analyze spending and behavioral patterns, allowing banks to identify individuals who may be at risk of committing fraud. Retail banks, investment banks, and other financial organizations often have dedicated Risk Management departments that can prevent fraud and that heavily rely on big data analysis and Business Intelligence (BI) tools.

Decisions on lending

Lending decisions have traditionally been based on credit ratings, which often provide an incomplete picture of a bank’s customer database’s financial health. Big data offers a more comprehensive view by using credit scores, but also considering additional factors like spending habits and the nature and volume of transactions. This enables banks to make more informed and nuanced lending decisions.

Compliance with regulations

Big data analytics and BI tools significantly streamline the process of regulatory compliance. These tools can manage and track compliance, from tax obligations to record-keeping with central banks. Compared to legacy systems, which are labor-intensive and time-consuming, the modern data architecture and BI tools simplify compliance by consolidating information in an easily accessible format, thereby reducing the risk of errors and fraud.

Cybersecurity

Banks are leveraging big data analytics and Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to bolster their cybersecurity measures in the face of increasing cyber threats, to include internal risks. These tools can track customer behavior and internal activities, helping to identify potential security risks. Moreover, banks can collaborate with governmental agencies, sharing insights from their BI  and big data analytics tools to mitigate risks related to financial terrorism.

The examples outlined in this section underscore the transformative power of big data analytics in the banking industry. Whether it’s enhancing customer experiences, improving risk management, or streamlining compliance, big data is an invaluable asset for modern financial institutions.

10 ways big data changes the scope of banking

The banking sector is a cornerstone of global economies and generates enormous amounts of data every second. Once considered static and functional online (only for financial institutions and for auditing), this data has gained new life through big data technologies. The advent of big data in banking has revolutionized the industry, offering many benefits that we’d like to explore in the following subsections.

1. Personalized customer experience

Big data technologies enable banks to understand their customers on a granular level. Banks can offer personalized banking solutions by analyzing various customer data points like investment habits, shopping behaviors, and financial backgrounds. This not only enhances customer satisfaction, but also helps in predicting and preventing customer churn.

2. Customer segmentation

With Machine Learning (ML) and AI, big data analysis allows for effective customer segmentation. Banks can accommodate big data analytics and categorize their customers based on multiple parameters, such as credit card expenditures or net worth. This enables targeted marketing campaigns that resonate more closely with the individual customer needs.

3. Effective analysis of customer feedback

Big data tools can sift through customer profiles and feedback in order to identify questions, comments, and concerns. This enables banks to respond promptly to streamlined customer feedback, fostering a sense of value and trust in banking financial institutions among customers, which in turn enhances customer loyalty.

4. Fraud detection and prevention

One of the most pressing issues in banking is fraud detection and prevention. Big data analytics can monitor customer spending patterns and identify unusual behavior, thereby preventing unauthorized transactions. Additionally, it can identify unusual behavior and the fraudulent behaviors of identity fraud, as well as enhance the overall security of the banking industry

5. Business process optimization and automation

Big data technologies can automate up to 30% of all work within banks, leading to significant cost savings and reduced risk of human error. For example, JP Morgan Chase employs AI and ML programs to optimize processes like algorithmic trading and commercial-loan agreement interpretation.

6. Improved cybersecurity and risk management

AI and big data technologies are instrumental in identifying fraud and preventing internal risks. Banks like JP Morgan Chase and CitiBank are investing in data science companies that specialize in real-time ML and predictive modeling to enhance cybersecurity measures.

7. Enhanced employee performance and management

Big data solutions offer real-time performance metrics, providing better visibility into day-to-day operations and enabling proactive problem-solving. Companies like BNP Paribas use data analytics software to monitor metrics like customer acquisition and retention, and performance metrics such as employee efficiency.

8. Informed lending decisions

Since big data analytics offer a more comprehensive view of a bank’s customer database’s financial health, banks are able to make more nuanced lending decisions. Companies like Kreditech even use unconventional models that combine big data with sources like social media to assess the creditworthiness of potential loaners.

9. Advanced client support

AI-powered virtual assistants like Bank of America’s Erica are examples of big data implementation in banking. These virtual assistants can resolve client queries, remind them about important dates, and even help improve spending habits.

10. Advanced analysis of stock prices

Big data technologies enable in-depth analysis of potential investment targets, as it considers factors like social reputation, environmental impact, and human capital. Deutsche Bank, for example, uses its a-DIG tool to analyze these intangibles in order to make informed investment decisions.

These ten benefits underscore the transformative power of big data in banking, offering unprecedented opportunities for customer engagement, operational efficiency, and risk management.

Key challenges and concerns with big data in banking

While big data offers many benefits to the banking sector, it also presents its own uncertainties and concerns. Understanding these issues is crucial for effectively implementing and managing big data technologies in banking.

1. Data security and privacy

The more extensive the data, the higher the risk of cybersecurity threats. Protecting sensitive customer information remains a significant concern, especially when banks collect and apply users’ data. The financial service industry must invest heavily in robust cybersecurity measures to mitigate these risks.

2. Data quality and integrity

Poor data quality can lead to incorrect analysis, which in turn can result in flawed decision-making. Ensuring the data’s quality, management, and integrity is a constant challenge. Analyzing big data often requires rigorous validation and cleaning processes.

3. Regulatory compliance

Banks must adhere to various data storage, usage, and sharing regulations. Compliance becomes increasingly complex with the growing volume of data being processed, and non-compliance can result in severe penalties.

4. High implementation costs

Implementing big data technologies requires substantial hardware, software, and skilled personnel investment. Smaller financial institutions may find these costs prohibitive, thereby creating a competitive disadvantage.

5. Data silos

Data stored in isolated silos within an organization can hinder practical data analysis. Breaking down these silos is essential for a holistic data view, but can be challenging due to departmental barriers or incompatible data formats.

6. Scalability issues

As banks grow, so does the volume of data they handle. The big data solutions must be scalable to accommodate this growth, which can be a technical difficulty requiring ongoing investment.

7. Skill gap

The specialized skills required for big data analytics are in high demand, but they also require more supply. The demand for skilled professionals can slow the implementation process and affect the quality of insights derived from the existing data.

8. Ethical concerns

Using big data analytics to profile banks’ target customers raises ethical questions about discrimination and fairness. Banks need to be cautious to ensure that their use of data does not result in unfair or biased outcomes.

9. Customer trust

Customers are increasingly concerned about how their data is used. Transparency in data usage policies is essential to maintain customer trust, but achieving this transparency can be very challenging.

Understanding and addressing the above noted issues is essential for banks if they are to leverage the benefits of big data fully. It requires a balanced approach that considers both the technological aspects and the ethical, regulatory, and human factors.

The future of big data in banking

The future of big data in the banking sector appears promising, with numerous opportunities for innovation and improvement. As technology continues to evolve, how banks can leverage big data analytics expands, offering a brighter landscape for financial institutions and their customers.

• AI-driven decision-making. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) algorithms will increasingly work with big data to make more accurate and timely decisions. From credit risk assessments to investment strategies to optimizing data quality management to risk management processes, AI will play a pivotal role in automating complex processes, thereby increasing efficiency and reducing errors.
• Tailored customer experience. Thanks to big data analytics, the future will see a more personalized and interactive customer experience. Banks can predict customer needs and offer tailored products and services, enhancing customer satisfaction and loyalty.
• Blockchain and data security. Blockchain technology is expected to revolutionize how data is stored and accessed, providing an additional layer of security. This will be particularly beneficial for ensuring the integrity and confidentiality of financial transactions.
• Real-time analytics. As technology advances, the capability for real-time analytics will improve, allowing banks to make instantaneous decisions. This will be crucial for areas like fraud detection, where immediate action is required.
• Open banking. The concept of open banking, which allows third-party developers to create applications and services around a financial institution, is gaining traction. Big data will be at the core of this ecosystem, enabling more seamless and integrated services for customers.
• Sustainability and social responsibility. Big data will also play a role in helping banks become more socially responsible. Analytics can help financial institutions understand their investments’ environmental and social impact, leading to more sustainable business practices.
• Regulatory Technology (RegTech). Big data will facilitate advancements in RegTech, making it easier for banks to comply with ever-changing regulations. Automated compliance checks and reporting will reduce the administrative burden and minimize risks.
• Financial inclusion. Big data has the potential to bring about financial inclusion by helping banks understand the needs of underserved communities. Tailored financial products can be developed to cater to these identified requirements, thereby promoting economic equality.
• Global expansion. With the help of big data analytics, banks will find it easier to expand into new markets. Data-driven insights can help financial institutions understand local and market trends, dynamics, and customer behaviors, thereby reducing the risks associated with global expansion.
• Human-centric design. As banks collect more data, there will be a shift toward human-centric design in services and products. Understanding human behaviors, behavioral patterns, service preferences, and needs through data will lead to more intuitive and user-friendly online banking experiences.

The future of big data in banking has its challenges, but the prospects for transformative change are high. Financial institutions that can effectively harness the power of big data will be better positioned to meet the evolving needs of their customers and succeed in an increasingly competitive landscape.

Conclusion

The transformative power of big data in the banking industry is undeniable. From revolutionizing customer experiences to enhancing operational efficiencies and risk management, big data sets new benchmarks for what’s possible in modern banking. However, the journey has its dilemmas and quagmires. Issues like data security and risk management, regulatory compliance, and ethical considerations require a balanced approach that considers not just the technological aspects but also the human, ethical, and regulatory factors.

Want to know the actual depths of big data in banking? Contact Avenga and our experts will gladly help you navigate the complexities and opportunities that big data offers in the banking sector.