Case study

ČSOB Smart

Smarter banking and a bank account always at your fingertips

Client:

Československá obchodní banka

Project:

Development of ČSOB Smart application

About the client

CSOB (Československá obchodní banka) and ČSOB POSTAL SAVINGS BANK

CSOB is one of the largest banking institutions on the Czech market. Serving individuals, small and medium-sized companies, as well as corporate, international and institutional clients, they provide a wide range of financial products and services. In the Czech Republic, ČSOB also operates under the brand ČSOB Poštovní spořitelna (CSOB Postal Savings Bank).

Previous ČSOB app

Current ČSOB app

What the client wanted

Client’s request

In 2017, when we entered the project, the bank actually had two apps: in addition to ČSOB’s ‘main’ app, there was one for their Postal Savings Bank, which was basically the same but with another color scheme. Each was developed by a different software company and, over time, both lagged behind modern developments and ceased to meet the requirements of their users. It was also necessary to bring both the iOS and Android versions in line with the current trends in operating systems, which are, of course, constantly changing and updating.

„To make the app as modern and user-friendly as possible.“

The mission

The bank chose us

Our task was to create a cutting-edge smart banking app, and to make it as modern and user-friendly as possible. This, naturally, with an overall visual refresh: modern and sleek, presented in a clean and crisp package.

What challenges awaited us

Careful preparation

It was a lot to take on. We had to acquire a considerable amount of industry know-how, ensure that everything worked smoothly without hitches, and learn the ČSOB ecosystem. We were intensively involved in the design of the User Experience (UX); we tried to use and transfer experience from other projects and industries. The entire visual appearance of the app also came out of our workshop.

„We appreciate that, with the client, we have moved from the original model of client-supplier cooperation to a stronger form of partnership based on mutual trust and professional know-how.“ observed Vojtěch Michek, project manager at eMan.

Making it go smoothly

Agile management

The agile approach was a novelty, where it is not two teams working in parallel, but essentially a single team made up of people from both companies. The bank came up with ideas for new elements and features for the app, and we provided feedback to ensure the whole development cycle ran quickly and smoothly. Together, we then set priorities according to agile management principles, which were crucial to the smooth running of the project and its success with our client’s customers.

„...the entire development cycle proceeded smoothly and quickly.“

Teamwork was the key

Improvement on the fly

„What's great is the architecture that allows us to scale the team. A large number of people were working on the project from the beginning – dozens of us – and because of the technology we used, people didn't hold each other up. So we were very flexible – we could swap out parts of the app to work on, improve, at any step, in a short time. We didn't have to scrap any features and develop anything from scratch. Step by step, we fit the improved app into the new look – each individual part was switched into the newer version, which then worked seamlessly in parallel with other, older ones,“ explained Štefan Tóth, Android Teamleader at eMan. Another relatively unique thing among such projects is a dedicated technical team that only takes care of the technological side, not marketing or sales.

„Step by step, we dress up the app in a new coat.“

App as a jigsaw puzzle

„The app is well balanced in terms of the simplicity-robustness ratio. We manage to keep it consistent across the different parts. The programmers were thus able to orient themselves rather quickly and find their way around, even in a section they had not dealt with before,“ posited Luboš Hořínek, iOS Team Leader at eMan.

Some apps innovate in leaps and bounds, and updated versions are released once or twice a year. ČSOB Smart innovates continuously, which is possible thanks to the above-mentioned possibility of changing individual ‘jigsaw pieces’ on the fly.

„When we were working on the design, we first focused on the concept of a scalable app that is adaptable for any future development. We therefore designed a user interface that included not only current functions, but also future ones that could not be implemented yet. In the final design, we had an app that met the current needs of the users while, at the same time, most of the planned features already had a place ready to fit into the overall concept," revealed Ondřej Straka, Design Leader at eMan.

A look under the hood

iOS VS. Android

We wrote the Android version in the modern Kotlin language. For the iOS platform we used Swift, with the app optimized for iPads. The original app was written for each device separately, now one version is sufficient for all. In April 2021, the app underwent a major facelift and functional upgrade, with a change of design and controls.

What can it do?

The app builds on the basic features of everyday banking, such as direct debit authorization, QR and SEPA payments, instant payments, and full-text search. On top of that, there are a few not-so-common features that make the app really smart. Here are a few of the most interesting ones:

Virtual assistant Kate

Kate has assisted in more than 140 situations in five hundred areas, is integrated into dozens of banking systems, can work with huge amounts of data and is always learning. It's not a chatbot, it's an AI-based virtual assistant. It speaks Czech, understands spoken language and can work with the bank's agenda as a human would. It can fill out a payment order or split a payment using a QR code, change the limit on a card or set up travel insurance, set up an automatic credit card payment or arrange and mediate a loan.

Savings envelopes

The Envelopes function enables you to create a budget in any number of categories (envelopes) and not exceed it. In addition to ensuring that the user always has the funds on hand to pay in a given category, the function teaches financial planning and saving with a specific goal in mind.

Small change

This is the name of a feature that enables the customer to invest and save really small amounts, i.e. a few crowns with every purchase. Each card payment is rounded up to the next-higher twenty crowns, and this “small change” is set aside. Once three hundred crowns have been accumulated in this way, it is automatically sent to the ČSOB Wealth investment fund. Literally every crown is parlayed. In addition, you can set the app to have the Small Change function save two, three or five times the amount when making a purchase.

For a good cause

Helping Czech non-profit organizations is now even easier, thanks to NaDobrouVěc (For a Good Cause). It is designed for anyone who wants to help in the long term, while having maximum control over donations. Contributions are in CZK, and they are regular. With each card payment, the function sends a percentage of the paid amount to the account of the selected non-profit organization. It's similar to the Small Change feature, except that the money isn't sent to an investment fund, but to a charity – a good cause.

Onboarding

What is the fastest way to onboard ČSOB? With the Smart mobile app. You can open a current account in a few minutes. The fastest way is to arrange via Bank ID. You just need to know the login details of your current bank. Or you can use two documents and an account with another bank. Just take a photo of your ID and driver's license or passport into the app and the bank will verify your identity. Then you choose a username and password, agree to the terms and conditions, and send a crown payment from another account for further identity verification.

Click to Pay

Copying a number from a credit card is a thing of the past thanks to Click to Pay. Payment buttons are in e-shops and everywhere else where you pay. Similar to Apple Pay and Google Pay, all you have to do is upload your payment card to Click to Pay, the payment button from Mastercard and Visa, in the ČSOB Smart app.

Virtual assistant Kate

„We very much value our cooperation with eMan, and we are glad that our relationship has evolved to a partnership level. They not only accomplish projects, their experts themselves come up with ideas and improvements, suggest new features, and provide valuable feedback on our ideas and processes. Thanks to the well-functioning interplay between the two parties, in September 2022, we passed the one million mark of customers using our Smart app,“

Tomáš Stegura

Head of Digital at ČSOB

The result

A modern app and bank account at your fingertips

ČČSOB Smart is now a mobile app that stands up to today’s competition. It provides clients with convenient and fast access to their accounts. Thanks to smart features, the user can simply enter a payment, view their balance, find the nearest ATM, or even arrange travel insurance. For those who want to try the app without registering, a DEMO version is available.