The establishment of the Design Lab, which is expected to be operational by next year, is another step towards the digital transformation journey.
UBL has collaborated with IBM in order to establish the Digital Design Lab in Pakistan to incorporate the revolutionary Design Thinking methodology.
“Design Thinking adds the ‘wow’ factor which increases the appeal of products and services for the customer,” says Muhammad Hamayun Sajjad, Head of Innovation, UBL.
UBL’s Aim To Include Innovation And Creativity
After receiving results from the Innovation centre that indicated the need for the customers to have financial services available to them on their mobile, UBL aimed at improving its customer service while providing its customers relevant products and services.
The birth of the idea of Digital Design Lab came about, as explained by Sajjad, “it is the micro-moment behaviour – immediately turning to a device to know, go, do and buy – that has developed higher consumer expectations and we realised that creating delightful micro-moments for our consumers through digital would completely transform their banking experience, giving us a definite competitive edge.”
In order to achieve its aim, UBL partnered with IBM to pursue its initiative to create customer-centric digital solutions.
Once the Digital Lab is functional, Sajjad is optimistic that the organization’s customers will have an overall enhanced and highly personalized experience.
Muhammad Hamayun Sajjad, Head of Innovation, UBL, said:
We take great pride in making contributions to the idea of a Digital Pakistan by changing mindsets, creating new jobs and innovating work cultures.
The Glitches On The Way To Greatness
According to Sajjad, the greatest challenge in achieving UBL’s digital goal is perhaps the lack of a skilled workforce that is equipped with the competencies to implement the Design Thinking process.
However, given the fact that many well-known universities such as Habib University, the IBA and LUMS have already added Design Thinking degrees and courses to their curriculum, Sajjad hopes that UBL may very soon have access to trained and qualified Design Thinking Artists to work at the lab.
So far people have been informed regarding the Digital Design Lab through blog posts and internet.
However, keeping in mind that everyone does not have access to the internet, Sajjad has decided to use other strategies as well in order to promote the new Digital Design Lab.
It is planned that the new lab will be informed about through event sponsorships, road-shows and activations in universities.
Going forward, UBL plans on developing partnerships with financial services organisations, Fintechs, the academia and the State Bank to transform Pakistan’s digital landscape through Design Thinking-based financial solutions.
Via Aurora
