‘Digital platforms are important tools for enhancing customer experience’ – BOV Chief Digital Officer

Bank of Valletta plc (BOV) Chief Digital Officer Theodoros Papadopoulos has emphasised the role digital platforms play in improving customer experience.

His comments come as BOV recently introduced digital signature technology in a bid to simplify its processes, upgrade its customer experience, and also enhance digital transformation. Once fully rolled out to all services and processes across its operations, the technology will see the bank further its objective of going paperless.

BOV stated that digital signatures will replace the need for customers, suppliers, and employees to physically sign documentation, whilst at the same time retaining the same means of authenticity. This transformation started off with selected customer-related services and internal processes, and will gradually be expanded to also include instances where documentation needs to be signed off by the bank and its customers or suppliers. Digital signatures will be valid for authorising financial transactions, applying for new products or services, as well as signing employment contracts and procurement agreements.

Mr Papadopoulos said that BOV is “working tirelessly” to make significant advancement in the digital sphere, and the introduction of digital signatures is “yet another step forward” in the digital journey the bank has embarked on.

“Digital platforms are important tools for enhancing the customer experience,” he remarked.

“Gathering feedback from customers through the bank’s Voice of The Customer programme is essential for us to continue improving and innovating, and we shall soon be announcing further developments on our digital platforms,” he added.

In the first phase of the digital signatures project, wealth management and private banking customers have started signing off documents digitally when executing stockbroking instructions and other documentation. Customers applying for new internet and mobile banking services through the customer service centre’s virtual branch are also receiving the relative documentation electronically.

The bank noted that the next steps will see customers who will be applying for personal and corporate debit cards signing digitally on their application agreements. New employees joining BOV are “already doing away with signing physical documents”, whilst suppliers doing business with the bank are also already using digital signatures when signing procurement contracts.