Os principais desafios de um banco regional de varejo físico na implantação de um modelo de relacionamento digital: estudo de caso: Banrisul

Abstract

The digital transformation has been changing society and organizations exponentially. Consumer habits, lifestyle, desires, values and cultural traits generate impactful changes in all markets, naturally accompanied by many opportunities. The global pandemic COVID-19, initiated during the course of this research, has been an accelerator of this whole process. The financial market is an example of a sector in effervescence, also influenced by regulatory changes, new products and government initiatives. Banking concentration in a few large banks has been challenged by new players, fintechs and startups, pressuring competitiveness and demanding innovation. Banrisul, the Bank of the State of Rio Grande do Sul, is inserted in this context. A mixed-capital company with unique characteristics, being one of the last remaining state banks, but with an outstanding participation in regional market share, it reconciles private interests, profitability and efficiency, and public, with an important social and local development role. The objective of the research was to analyze Banrisul's main challenges in implementing a digital relationship model for its individual customers. Agência Digital started its activities in 2019, and in May 2020 it had 11,004 clients, but with great growth potential. As specific objectives, in an external dimension the movements of the competition were analyzed regarding innovation and digital transformation, both among the large traditional Brazilian banks, as well as the fintechs and digital banks. In the internal dimension, the main obstacles were identified to scale the digital relationship model and expand this customer base, elaborating a summary of suggestions resulting from the research. As for the method, it is an applied research of an exploratory qualitative nature. A case study with Banrisul as the central analysis unit and Banco do Brasil as a comparative reference unit. The data collection technique consisted of semi-structured interviews with the team at the Banrisul Digital Agency, both with the executive and management teams, and with executives from related Banrisul Units. At Banco do Brasil, executives with expertise or knowledge of digital businesses were interviewed. The diagnosis presents important obstacles and needs for improvement, but it shows good initiatives and changes in construction that will positively impact the performance of the Banrisul Digital Agency, enabling its gain in scale and consolidation, with representation in the bank's customer base. It was found that several points of difficulty present in Banrisul were obstacles faced and overcome in the past by Banco do Brasil, in its journey of creating its digital offices. Such crossing, added to the bibliographic research and the literature review, allowed a summary of managerial suggestions with applicability in the organization.