Mandating a dedicated communication app for a financial services organization can present several challenges. While it might have the appeal of complete visibility and control, there are many adoption issues that might impede employee-customer communication. When it comes to controlling employee communication. Here are some of the key challenges to consider:
- Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) Policy:
Many employees prefer to use their own devices for work purposes, which can make it challenging for an organization to implement a dedicated communication app that is compatible with all types of devices. It’s important to ensure that the app can work seamlessly across all devices to avoid any technical difficulties. Not only is installing a dedicated app counter to their natural behavior, some firms require employees to use a second device altogether. Both these hurt employee adoption and make it burdensome.
- Time Frame to Launch:
Developing, launching and training on a dedicated communication app can be a time-consuming process. Organizations need to allocate sufficient time and resources to develop, test, and deploy the app. Even if organizations take ‘off-shelf’ applications, employees are not accustomed to using them and require onboarding and training. So while you might find an off-shelf application, verifying employees have the right devices, settings and use cases will take an extended period of time.
- Employee Adoption Curve:
Implementing a new communication tool can be met with resistance from employees who are used to their existing communication methods. It’s important to provide training and support to help employees adopt the new tool and understand its benefits. This can take time and effort to achieve full adoption. Moreover, given that employees already have established behaviors for communication apps, trying to force employees into a new application requires discipline and time.
- Requirements for Continual App Upgrade:
The technology landscape is constantly evolving, and it’s important for organizations to stay up-to-date with the latest technology advancements to maintain the security and functionality of their dedicated communication app. Regular upgrades can be time-consuming and costly, but they are essential to ensure that the app remains effective and secure. These updates pertain to new operating system abilities and security issues, but also to each individual communication channel challenge. New WhatsApp version? New WeChat? All those need to be accounted for in order to maintain a smooth communication environment for employees and customers.
- Security and Compliance Requirements:
Financial services organizations are subject to strict security and compliance regulations. It’s important to ensure that the dedicated communication app meets all regulatory requirements and provides secure and encrypted communication to protect sensitive information. Of course off-shelf solutions must comply with certain standards, but app development cycles are often longer and more difficult to assess. Introducing a fixed 3rd party application can be a robust solution, but it might also require ongoing compliance and security undertakings.
- Integration with Existing Systems:
A dedicated communication app may need to integrate with existing systems and processes in the organization to ensure seamless communication between employees and clients. Integration can be complex and may require additional resources and expertise. Applications need to communicate with surveillance systems, DLP, CRMs and other systems. Building out these capabilities for dedicated applications requires significant upkeep.
Overall, adopting a dedicated communication app for financial services can bring many benefits, but it’s important to carefully consider the challenges and potential obstacles to ensure successful adoption and usage by employees.
There are many businesses that have found more elegant solutions to managing employee-customer communication. The challenge is to create a secure and compliant channel that is natural for employees to use. Best practices are to layer a compliant communication platform on top of existing native applications to provide the ease of use and control necessary.