Keeping Rabobank at the forefront of digitalization and innovation
Mayhad Gilani, Product Owner Rabobank Corporate Connect
‘Hey Rabobank, what’s the balance on my account?” Rabobank was the first and only Dutch financial institution to develop banking services for Google Assistant. And we’re working on even more amazing features right now.’
The latest tools and technology
‘I work with two teams of developers to ensure the bank stays ahead of the game in terms of digitalization and innovation. At Rabobank, we have state-of-the-art user testing facilities at hand, plus the latest tools for cloud computing. The whole department runs Agile to encourage brainstorming. There’s tons of room for contributing your own ideas and innovations, and we have access to all layers of management. I must say that they have been incredibly supportive. Because we work with microservices and components, it’s very easy for junior developers to join the team mob and get started right away.’
Talk to the Rabobank
‘It became pretty clear that we’re groundbreakers in the summer of 2018. We were the first Dutch bank to launch two features for Google Assistant. The ‘Rabo Assistant’ lets customers activate a budget feature on their account. They receive an alert if they spend too much. Customers can also find out their bank balance simply by saying ‘talk to the Rabobank’ in Google Assistant.’
Amazing features
‘And that’s just the beginning, because more amazing features are in the works. Right now, we’re carrying out user tests with customers belonging to Rabobank and other banks, and we gather feedback from colleagues in analytics and data. At the same time, we’re developing services for Google Home. That involves working closely with departments focused on security and customer data protection.’
Business Banking
‘With our Business Banking team we develop dashboards for our corporate and small business clients. We are constantly testing new ideas and hypothesis to see what works
best. Our developers think up solutions and work in really small iterations. This helps us to move fast and make our services better. That’s what drives us.’
Adaptive to change
‘Our developers don’t over analyse every step along the way. We test on a daily basis, even multiple times per day. We expect you ask for help when you need it. We do a lot of fact based decision-making instead of relying on historic presumptions. The key formula to work in our teams is you have to be adaptive to change.’
DevOps and Agile
‘I’ve been at Rabobank for 18 months now. Before that, I was based in Edinburgh, working in innovation and digitalization for companies including Tesco Bank, Adobe Systems, and Monitise. A recruiter headhunted me, but I wasn’t sure at first. I didn’t know Utrecht, and besides, what could Rabobank offer me? But I went ahead with a Skype interview and a visit to headquarters, and began to see the incredible opportunities here. The open culture, DevOps and Agile methods, the exceptional people and stunning building all helped to persuade me. I was finally sold when I witnessed the sunset from the 21st floor. No, I have no regrets about trading Edinburgh for Utrecht.’