With a continuously evolving market, innovation and digital transformation represent the ability to compete and the key for promoting change for Poste Italiane, optimising corporate processes and developing new products and services able to meet the expectations and changing needs of the Customer.
Furthermore, digitalisation allows a reduction in environmental impact and favours social inclusion, thanks to new methods of accessing information, products and services. In this context rapid technological development leads to the need to be equipped with more and more advanced Cyber Security protection systems for protecting personal data, tangible and intangible assets and intellectual property.
Commitment to digital innovation is concretely translated in the Industrial Plan “Deliver 2022”, presented to the financial community on 27 February 2018, which explains the new corporate organisation renewed in the operational sector “Payments, Mobile and Digital”, in order to best react to the new challenge it shall face when the new European directive PSD2 comes into force.
In light of the main trends in technological change involving the market in which Poste Italiane operates, the Company initiated a digital transformation process characterised by the following key elements:
The innovative processes developed by Poste Italiane in order to pursue the aforesaid objectives, are not only focused on the methods by which the Group offers products and services to its clients (product/service innovation) but also on the internal changes to the organisation which exploit new technological opportunities for achieving efficiency and cost reduction (process innovation). In particular:
So as to guarantee consistency between continued evolution in demand and its offer, Poste Italiane constantly monitors the adequacy of the key elements in the technological innovation process by means of constantly measuring market needs the Company uses the following instruments:
This transformation process has led, to date, to the realisation and innovation in services – for example, the realisation of three Apps, Postepay, BancoPosta and Ufficio Postale, the new website poste.it, the new Digital Collection service for managing undelivered recorded deliveries, – at the touchpoints in Post Offices and in processes by means of their dematerialisation.
The enabling factors of the digital transformation process are:
In particular, Poste Italiane has brought about various initiatives to promote and favour a positive cultural knowledge
share which can be divided into:
The Business Control Centre (BCC) is the area in the Poste Italiane Headquarters in which corporate business processes are controlled according to an integrated service supply model. The Centre is assigned with four fundamental tasks:
The Business Control Centre is an actual factory in which new control rooms operate, equipped with avant-garde applications and instruments allowing the correct operation of the logistic-postal network to be supervised, the issue of services and integrity of digital communications to the customers’ benefit.
The Business Control Centre is therefore a new frontier in services for the world of businesses and Public Administrations: a workshop of ideas in which the best technological, logistic and infrastructural resources of Poste Italiane are focused and where tailor made solutions are designed and realised for companies
The Centre must also be considered as a business accelerator: an ideal place for developing one’s own activity, actively participating in the digitalisation of the economy while using the most cutting edge services. The Business Control Centre represents a fundamental partner for all companies looking to the future with a view to efficiency and success, offering the opportunity to learn the processes making product digitalisation possible and presenting itself as a meeting point between customers and Poste Italiane in order to promote, improve and create services.
The complexity of the services and databases managed by Poste Italiane gives rise to the need to ensure theimplementation of solutions able to guarantee that systems, data and infrastructures are recovered following serious emergencies or catastrophic events. Indeed, in order to offer a consolidated infrastructure with high standards of governance and safety, in 2017 the Company confirmed its commitment, investing 3.6 million Euros. Furthermore, training exercises increased (5 in 2017 compared to 4 in 2016) which involved 180 people not only belonging to the world of Poste Italiane.
Furthermore, digitalisation allows a reduction in environmental impact and favours social inclusion, thanks to new methods of accessing information, products and services. In this context rapid technological development leads to the need to be equipped with more and more advanced Cyber Security protection systems for protecting personal data, tangible and intangible assets and intellectual property.
Commitment to digital innovation is concretely translated in the Industrial Plan “Deliver 2022”, presented to the financial community on 27 February 2018, which explains the new corporate organisation renewed in the operational sector “Payments, Mobile and Digital”, in order to best react to the new challenge it shall face when the new European directive PSD2 comes into force.
Innovation as a strategic driver
In light of the main trends in technological change involving the market in which Poste Italiane operates, the Company initiated a digital transformation process characterised by the following key elements:
- valorise and relaunch one of the fundamental assets, the Post Office network;
- develop multichannel access methods;
- interpret and anticipate customer requirements;
- put itself forward as a key interlocutor in the relationship with the Public Administration;
- become an inclusive driver for the nation in the development of the digital economy.
The innovative processes developed by Poste Italiane in order to pursue the aforesaid objectives, are not only focused on the methods by which the Group offers products and services to its clients (product/service innovation) but also on the internal changes to the organisation which exploit new technological opportunities for achieving efficiency and cost reduction (process innovation). In particular:
- product/service innovations. These are processes having the final objective of offering clients new channels for accessing Poste Italiane services (for example website and App), for improving User Experience and reducing waiting times required for issuing the service;
- process innovations. These concern all those processes aimed at optimising Poste Italiane’s internal processes having positive effects not only in terms of cost, but also the quality of the offered service and environmental impacts (for example dematerialisation projects regarding contracts and transactions).
So as to guarantee consistency between continued evolution in demand and its offer, Poste Italiane constantly monitors the adequacy of the key elements in the technological innovation process by means of constantly measuring market needs the Company uses the following instruments:
- scenario analyses, to monitor technological trends in progress and intercept emerging phenomena and necessities in the financial, insurance and logistic/postal sectors;
- customer experience analyses (customer satisfaction surveys, NPS – Net Promoter Score, CES – Customer Effort Score), in order to obtain indications on how to optimise the digital channels from elements perceived less positively (corporate website and App);
- customer Centred Design process, in order to realise a simple experience for users at the various touchpoints (from the layout of the Post Offices to Apps and the web), which places the Customer at the centre of the design activity, involving them, from the start, in the analysis of requirements, concept assessment and usability of realised prototypes.
This transformation process has led, to date, to the realisation and innovation in services – for example, the realisation of three Apps, Postepay, BancoPosta and Ufficio Postale, the new website poste.it, the new Digital Collection service for managing undelivered recorded deliveries, – at the touchpoints in Post Offices and in processes by means of their dematerialisation.
The enabling factors of the digital transformation process are:
- the definition of an implementation plan having continuous and progressive issues;
- the adoption of an innovative methodological approach. The latter envisages:
- actively listening to users (user centred design) in all phases of the service creation and greater flexibility in comparison to traditional approaches;
- the creation of interfunctional teams which guarantee end to end realisation of initiatives in observance of the requirements of “rapid” execution (from marketing to design to IT);
- continuous monitoring of the behaviour of users in relation to the services provided and the performance of such services, for the purpose of identifying other opportunities for development of the services and the method of use with a view to improving customer experience.
- Orientation towards cultural change. Such change takes place by means of:
- progressive and exponential involvement of the digital talent community to encourage stimuli for innovation within the fields of interest of the core business (for example hackathon/service design jam);
- an observatory dedicated to identifying innovative solutions, also with realised start-ups in order to “accelerate” the execution of the different digital initiatives;
- an integrated set of training initiatives to favour the circulation of digital culture within and outside of the Company (coding, workshop, lectures);
- the creation of dedicated common spaces (Digital One Room and Digital Factory) and the adoption of specific collaborative instruments to facilitate debate and creativity in the teams and the process of contamination among different competencies, both internal and with external partners, encouraging increased know-how and change management.
In particular, Poste Italiane has brought about various initiatives to promote and favour a positive cultural knowledge
share which can be divided into:
| Outside sharing | Internal sharing |
|---|---|
| Young digital talent, invited to listen to needs and necessities with the intention to collecting stimuli of innovation for new ideas and services acting as an accelerator for Poste Italiane. From the viewpoint of “open innovation” the Company is engaged with organising events dedicated to “Co-creation: Hackathon10 at the Poste Italiane Talent Garden site – an area of research and innovation in one of the Company’s historical sites; proper “marathons” aimed at creating and realising digital projects and software in which young digital and specialist talent (web project manager, developers web designers and marketers) compete, divided into groups; Service jam for collecting ideas and innovation from users to be included in services and products of imminent release. |
The purpose of internal sharing is to favour the circulation of digital culture in Poste Italiane. It advances on a recruitment path aimed at bringing new ideas, mindsets and competencies within the company. The Company also implemented digital training courses in order to develop specific competencies related to new “digital professions” in collaboration with Poste Italiane’s Corporate University and thanks to meetings organised with “sector experts” to develop teams of new professionalisms (for example UX designer). Poste Italiane counts on the direct involvement of national resources to favour the pervasiveness of the sharing process, by means of on field interviews. |
The Business Control Center
The Business Control Centre (BCC) is the area in the Poste Italiane Headquarters in which corporate business processes are controlled according to an integrated service supply model. The Centre is assigned with four fundamental tasks:
- checking the services issued by Poste Italiane in real time;
- protecting customer safety inside Post Offices and that of the employees in all the workplaces;
- combating fraud and cybercrime;
- experimenting the new services offered by the Company.
The Business Control Centre is an actual factory in which new control rooms operate, equipped with avant-garde applications and instruments allowing the correct operation of the logistic-postal network to be supervised, the issue of services and integrity of digital communications to the customers’ benefit.
The Business Control Centre is therefore a new frontier in services for the world of businesses and Public Administrations: a workshop of ideas in which the best technological, logistic and infrastructural resources of Poste Italiane are focused and where tailor made solutions are designed and realised for companies
The Centre must also be considered as a business accelerator: an ideal place for developing one’s own activity, actively participating in the digitalisation of the economy while using the most cutting edge services. The Business Control Centre represents a fundamental partner for all companies looking to the future with a view to efficiency and success, offering the opportunity to learn the processes making product digitalisation possible and presenting itself as a meeting point between customers and Poste Italiane in order to promote, improve and create services.
The complexity of the services and databases managed by Poste Italiane gives rise to the need to ensure theimplementation of solutions able to guarantee that systems, data and infrastructures are recovered following serious emergencies or catastrophic events. Indeed, in order to offer a consolidated infrastructure with high standards of governance and safety, in 2017 the Company confirmed its commitment, investing 3.6 million Euros. Furthermore, training exercises increased (5 in 2017 compared to 4 in 2016) which involved 180 people not only belonging to the world of Poste Italiane.
Digital Transformation Process
In relation to the transformation in progress, Poste Italiane has implemented a long series of specific projects aimed at digitalising products/services and processes.
The former represent projects aimed at expanding the customers' channels of access to Poste Italiane services and, in particular, online channels. Indeed, such projects include the new Group App and the new Digital Public Identity System (SPID), which shall become one of the preferential channels of access to Public Administration services to a constantly increasing extent.
The former represent projects aimed at expanding the customers' channels of access to Poste Italiane services and, in particular, online channels. Indeed, such projects include the new Group App and the new Digital Public Identity System (SPID), which shall become one of the preferential channels of access to Public Administration services to a constantly increasing extent.
Three new Apps have been released within the digital transformation process in a “mobile first” context, (Postepay App, BancoPosta App and Ufficio Postale App) which, together with the PosteID App and PosteMobile App, complete the Group’s App scenario for consumer customers. These simplified applications are freely available on the main marketplaces and allow many traditional Poste services to be accessed. The Apps offer innovative services such as searching for the most convenient Post Office, booking a place at the counter, tracking shipments and booking a collection. The number of downloads registered during 2017 reached 15 million.
After a specific agreement was signed in 2016 with the Agenzia per l'Italia Digitale (AgID) [Agency for Digital Italy], Poste Italiane began its work as an “Identity Provider”, extending the scope of use of its PosteID service to the Digital Public Identity System (SPID), the system for accessing online services created to simplify relations between individuals, enterprises and the Public Administration, thus allowing access to online Public Administration services through unique credentials. The PosteID service allows the holder to create a digital profile for accessing all online services, Poste Italiane Apps and the services of the Public Administration and private suppliers belonging to SPID. The PosteID Digital Identity (SPID enabled) can be applied for online by all adult Italian citizens who have been recognised de visu at Poste Italiane Post Offices – following the purchase of a BancoPosta financial product or holding the National Services Card (CNS), the Electronic Identity Card (CIE) or digital signature – subject to online registration directly at the Post Office or at home with a postman/woman equipped with a handheld device, for citizens not having their identification recognised online. This project contributes to the use of digital services and is proof of Poste Italiane’s commitment to guiding the nation towards greater digital literacy.
As well as these projects, Poste Italiane has implemented others offering a range of online services (such as the possibility to pay bills or collect undelivered recorded deliveries online) which improve and simplify the use of services by customers.
As well as these projects, Poste Italiane has implemented others offering a range of online services (such as the possibility to pay bills or collect undelivered recorded deliveries online) which improve and simplify the use of services by customers.
A customer can ask for an Ordinary Named Book or the Smart Book in dematerialised form as an alternative to the paper based version. The dematerialised book can be in the name of a physical or legal person, envisaging products and additional services already present for the paper version and using all channels according to the same functions as envisaged for paper books.
This is the new tool, which offers customers a complete and intuitive instrument for identifying their welfare situation and building their “retirement income”, further personalising the expected result and allowing the obtained results to be assessed net of taxation currently in force. It also provides a contribution in terms of education and awareness regarding supplementary pension through several points of advice given during navigation and the aid of a glossary.
This is a single area accessible from www.poste.it, in which users can easily pay bills, utilities and charges to enterprises and the Public Administration and receive receipts directly via email and accessing an archive of their payments with the possibility to set up convenient reminders so that due dates are not overlooked. In 2017 16% of postal bills were paid electronically.
This is a new service allowing individuals to electronically collect an undelivered recorded delivery securely by means of using their digital identity (PosteID). Digital collection is active 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and allows the customer to save time and costs respect to the physical recovery of the dispatched item at the counter for undelivered post.
An experimentation of an innovative service uniting human proximity and technology in order to bring customers over 65 closer to the digital world and facilitate their communication with relatives and friends. About 100 customers over 65 years of age (with their relatives) attended the launch of the project, realised in collaboration with IBM and Apple, residing in the Tuscan municipalities of Empoli, Carmignano, Cerreto Guidi, Castelfiorentino and Volterra. In particular, the project envisages that postmen/women deliver a tablet to participants and also train over 65 participants on how to use the iPad. The tablet is loaded with dedicated Apps and allows this age group of the population to remember daily commitments, display the main cultural initiatives in their surrounding area and remotely connect with relatives and friends who also have a dedicated tablet. Furthermore, the postman/woman periodically makes house visits to the over 65s to give them a brief questionnaire on their general conditions and then sends the answers to the relative. The main objectives of this project thereby consist in reducing social isolation of senior citizens, thanks to the familiarity with electronic instruments and strengthening proximity towards a target that is both relevant for the nation and the Group, considering that 28% of the population Poste Italiane is over 65.
Through its “online postman/woman” Poste Italiane decided to offer its services electronically and directly at home. The postman/woman – using a handheld device, POS and portable printer for all daily delivery activities – provides customers with standard delivery services (receipt of mail and parcels) or on demand services (such as topping up Postepay cards or paying bills) directly by the Customer.
The PuntoPoste network is the new proximity network, complimentary to that of the Post Offices which, with extreme flexibility, allows purchases made online to be collected or returned at lockers and commercial establishments, as well as sending prestamped and prepaid parcels. The network is formed of lockers, automatic kiosks with touchscreen terminals, barcode reader and mini printers, as well as collection points and commercial activities offering parcel collection and dispatch services. The first eight lockers were activated in early 2018 and over the year, the network shall be progressively extended: about 350 lockers shall be activated, distributed through the national territory and the collection points shall be gradually activated from the cities of Rome and Milan. The lockers shall be present in the self service areas of some Post Offices and in highly visited locations such as supermarkets, shopping centres and petrol stations, active up to a 24/7 basis. It is possible to use the lockers and collection points both for collecting online purchases made on e-commerce sites having joined the service and for returning all those to be sent by means of Poste Italiane. The launch of the “PuntoPoste” network represents an important step for Poste Italiane and for developing business linked to e-commerce, which entailed the delivery of almost 60 million parcels ordered online in 2017, of which 1 parcel out of 3 passed through the Poste Italiane sorting systems.
Within the services offered by Poste Italiane on behalf of the Public Administration, the Company has envisaged a “Public Administration Worksite” governing a series of digital solutions. An example of this is POSTE CID which includes a set of services, amongst which: the combination of issuing the Electronic Identity Card though a Post Office counter so as to slim down the issue process; a bundle proposition, namely a combined mode regarding SPID (Digital Public Identification System) services; electronic collection of undelivered recorded deliveries.
A series of software interventions was realised in 2017 so as to optimise counter operations and improve the service carried out for the Customer. In particular, such initiatives concerned: the simplification of data flows related to the exchange of “undelivered” dispatches between Post Office and the delivery structure; optimisation of counter operations in Post Offices related to multiple acceptance of recorded deliveries (maximum 15 pieces), as if it was a single operation; return to the sender of non-conform international parcels, in the case of failed regularisation of the customs documents.
Apart from the aforementioned projects, it is worth remembering:
- the new platform in the home banking area of the Poste.it/consumer website;
- the VoIP technology installed at 7,100 Post Offices, making a telephone conversation possible through Internet connection;
- the BancoPostaImpresa Online BPIOL Remote Banking service dedicated to professional, entrepreneurial and non-profit activities and to the Public Administration.