What do companies really need from mobile?

While many small- and mid-size businesses already use online banking, and while mobile banking is on the rise, business customers have unique digital banking needs, according to Fiserv.

Research commissioned from Raddon Financial Group—Riding the Digital Wave for Business Banking, Propelled by Mobile—found that 35% of small businesses use a smartphone and 25% use a tablet for business banking, and industry forecasts suggest these numbers will rise.

Digital grows relationships

Businesses represent a strong growth opportunity for financial institutions, and use of digital banking solutions can deepen these relationships. Financial institutions can best serve business customers by offering digital banking capabilities that take the unique needs of businesses into account, including:

• Tight security and control—Businesses often have exact requirements for security features and expect proactive monitoring. Access control based on role is critical as business accounts might be accessed by multiple employees for different reasons.

• Streamlined processes—Efficient functionality enables businesses to consolidate and speed tasks and avoid time-consuming branch visits.

• Tailored functionality—Businesses need capabilities such as wire-transfer approval and positive-pay decisioning, and benefit from the ability to deposit checks and initiate payments.

• Streamlined onboarding—Onboarding, user administration, and credential management are vital for businesses with accounts that are accessed by multiple employees, and integrated online and mobile banking credentialing facilitates changes to information or access.

• Reimagined user interface—Businesses require tools that facilitate decision making, such as data in the form of easy-to-read graphs or charts. They also want to readily identify items that need their attention and be able to efficiently manage and resolve exceptions.

"With more businesses using digital banking services, there is a focus on providing specialized mobile banking capabilities which cater to the needs of this attractive market segment," says Teri Carstensen, division president, Bank Solutions, Fiserv. "Financial institutions that optimize their digital banking solutions for business users are best positioned to strengthen relationships with their customers and capitalize on growth opportunities."