Customer speaking: Vincent Goelen from J.Van Breda & C°

With a business model in which customization and personal service are indispensable, Bank J.Van Breda & C° faces a complex communication challenge. The bank is therefore committed to a strategy in which digital customer interaction and personal contact reinforce each other. Vincent Goelen, Lead Developer at Bank J.Van Breda & C° explains how.

Paperless existence

Vincent: 'In 2008 we started developing a new back office system with modern technologies. This also included the plan to digitize our documents. This brings us to around 2009 Dialog Group came true.

Our goal was to become a paperless bank. Is it completely paperless now? No, we still send letters to this day, albeit on a limited basis. Sometimes you can't avoid that.'

Work manually

'Before 2008, every document originated from a manual flow. Pre-printed forms were completed manually by the account manager. The documents were then processed in our back office systems. This was labor intensive and was now 10 years ago. We can now send documents personalized and automatically or have them signed with the already known data entered. Once signed, everything is automatically processed in our core banking system. All these automated processes have contributed to the bank's efficiency. Both in the front office and in the back office.'

Personal contact as added value

'We are a bank for entrepreneurs and the liberal professions, so we are a real niche bank. A niche bank that wants to create added value for customers by supporting them in making the right financial choices. We are not a classic retail (product) bank, but a specialized advisory bank. Personal contact with the customer is important.'

'We see digital interaction as a lever that makes the process more efficient. The more we digitize, the more we can focus on personal contact as added value for our customers. We want digital customer interaction and personal contact to reinforce each other. They don't have to be separate channels. They must be fully coordinated with each other.'

The role of IT

'Our IT department consists of approximately 100 colleagues. The department works on all the functionalities you can think of at a bank. Payment transactions, accounts, investments, credits, online banking, technical infrastructure, etc.

The 12-person team I lead focuses, among other things, on the various sales processes and communication with existing customers and prospects. To achieve this, we work together with the stakeholders involved, which is almost the entire organization. We always try to be a cooperative partner and ensure that we make what is necessary.'

Communication between departments

'Communication is important everywhere, but that is certainly the case in my team. We have many different stakeholders, such as the product departments, marketing, sales and legal services. Our role is to ensure that all systems fit together smoothly, so that the customer experience is uniform. Good customer communication starts with good internal communication.'

About Bank J.Van Breda & C°

The Bank J.Van Breda & C° helps entrepreneurs and professionals, both private and professional, to make the right financial choices.

* annual report 2020

Create support

In recent months we have set up working groups around optichannel communication. This also included the directors. In this way, all layers of the organization are involved in the choices we make and there is a link between the long-term strategic choices that have been made and the short-term operational needs. This creates real support.'

Digitalization trends

'When I look at the financial sector, I see that there is a lot of focus on digitization. The platforms on which customers can arrange their banking affairs are becoming increasingly extensive. It is increasingly seen as a platform on which you can purchase various services: buying train tickets or a push notification for football results. As a small niche bank, we can never win that battle. That is why we opt for a niche approach in our digital strategy. We want to be the bank where personal and digital are best aligned and where personal contact and digital interaction reinforce each other.'

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