Corporate Banking

Beyond the relationship model

What's your 2025 outlook?

Product Provider

Product
Provider

Providing high-volume and low-margin products 
Platform Player

Platform
Player

Utilising platforms to leverage market opportunity 
Relationship Builder

Relationship
Builder

Establishing wider-banking relationships with clients 
  

Beyond the relationship model


The way in which business and commercial banks position themselves is changing. In recent years, banking has undergone a digital and technological transformation – a shift that has increased access to banking services for all and driven the effectiveness and efficiency of banking processes. 

The opportunities are clear. But how can corporate and business banks evolve to seize these opportunities?

Read the report ❭❭❭
  

Why is business and banking already changing?

When asked corporate banks to rate corporate clients' top priorities today, and then in 2025 across trade finance, lending and cash management. Account and relationship management drops in importance relative to other perceived service priorities: 


Today's priority rating

2025 priority rating

1
Online banking portals
2
Range of products and services
3
Account/relationship management
4
Value add services
5
Real-time access and exection
1
Online banking portals
2
Range of products and services
3
Account/relationship management
4
Value add services
5
Real-time access and exection

*Click on today's priorities to see the updated 2025 priorities

The need to deliver faster, more agile and more tailored corporate finance solutions across industries and sectors is driving corporate banks to embark on a digital transformation journey to change how they position themselves to meet new customer needs.

  

Cash management reimagined

" It’s clear these priorities are being driven by the demand among businesses of all sizes for payment and cashflow activity that is instant, safe and secure.


If, for example, you are a small business trading in containers in Africa, you want to be able to do business in all parts of the continent – but you need peace of mind that all activity is being done in line with local regulations, you want payments processed quickly, and you want instant access to all relevant documentation and agreements, in the formats you desire."

Tim TylerSenior Industry Principal,
Finastra

Cash management bank transformation priorities for 2025:


Regulatory
Compliance


Account
Validation


Risk
Management

  

Roadmap to the new relationship model

The shift from a lending perspective is clear. Banks around the world are moving their focus from operating as traditional ‘relationship builders’ to being platform players.

This move doesn’t completely remove the role of the relationship manager. In fact, it enhances their ability to deliver fast, accurate and flexible solutions – by putting more accurate and relevant data at their fingertips, accelerating and improving decision making.

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Our research reveals that 75% of banks are either already engaged with or planning to engage a FinTech partner to help them access the required expertise & capabilities to stay relevant and meet clients’ future expectations

Trade finance:

Departure from the traditional relationship model

The need to deliver faster, more agile and more tailored trade finance solutions across industries and sectors, is driving corporate banks to embark on a digital transformation journey to change how they position themselves to meet new customer needs.

Traditional relationship models are being reimagined through digital transformation – creating a shift away from traditional relationship management to an increased focus on being digitally powered platform players.

66%

Americas

90%

Europe & Middle East

53%

Africa

96%

Asia Pacific