Background
Today, a company’s competitiveness and potential for growth depends in part on the development of new skills, innovation and the digitalization of products, services and processes.Topics such as artificial intelligence, 5G, the cloud, cyber security and IoT (Internet of Things) have all become a part of the daily life of companies, from startups and SMEs to major multinational companies.
These tools help improve production processes and reduce environmental and social impact and bolster resilience.
The UN even dedicated one of its 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) to innovation, SDG9: “Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation.”
Innovation is thus one of the most used – and abused – words in the agendas of companies and institutions, often meaning they act without a clear strategic plan, which is fundamental in generating true change and significant value for the business and society as a whole.
Poste Italiane’s commitment
Innovation plays a key role in the Poste Italiane strategy, as it seeks to lead Italy through the age of digitalization. That’s why the Group is committed to offering state-of-the-art technological solutions while ensuring they are accessible to all its current and potential customers.Innovation and digitalization are two of the key strategic drivers used to promote a greater connection with the social fabric and public administration offices, as well as sustainable development within the company and on a national level.
Our main goals for digitalization and innovation include:
- Increasing digital transactions in the various financial, insurance and payment services by 115% by 2024 (compared to 2020);
- Increasing the degree of automated back office processes, with progressive introduction of of advanced Artificial Intelligence solutions to support 85% of our employees by 2026.
Areas of impact
Innovation and digitalization of products and services
Ever since the development of the SPID, the first widescale tool for promoting the digitalization of services and Public Administration offices, Poste Italiane has been committed to the pursuing continuous technological advancement to reduce its environmental impact and favor social inclusion.
For payment and bank account management, we take an omnichannel approach, overcoming the barriers between digital and physical transactions through an ecosystem of services that can be used both in person and through digital channels (web and app).
At the center of all this is the PostePay ecosystem, a leader in payment management in Italy, which plays a key role in the digital transition, due to its green cards and various apps that rank among the highest in both number of downloads and AppStore ratings.
We also handle payment operations, for which we have created the PagoPA system, which extends our Public Administration services to digital channels. Furthermore, we operate in the field of mobile services, thanks to agreements with Open Fiber and TIM to provide cutting-edge internet connection solutions and other services.
As for parcel handling, distribution and logistics, we have modernized our strategic hubs and digitalized all our properties, increasing their efficiency and decreasing their environmental impact in addition to innovations in acquisitions and collaborations with other operators.
Innovation and digitalization of processes
In taking an omnichannel strategy approach, it has become fundamental to pair online products and services with a widespread and cutting-edge local presence to guarantee equal access to everyone according to their needs and abilities. This hybrid model has been named “Platform Company,” one that aims to be a facilitator in the technological transformation of the country by simplifying processes and connecting citizens, companies and Public Administration offices through an accessible network.
We are thus committed to making our digital services more accessible to all non-digital native customers by paying constant attention to the interface and user experience and by offering tutorials and assistance services to help our customers interact with different products on digital channels.
In addition, we also continue to pursue an Open Innovation strategy to promote a continuous dialogue with the ecosystem of innovation both in Italy and abroad. “SME Insurtech – Call for Solutions” is one of those initiatives. It is the first international challenge for startups already on the market and is focused on the design and development of technologies and services in the insurance world.
Inauguration of UP Full Digital in Florence
On 8 November 2023, the Florence Post Office was opened as a pilot project of UP Full Digital. In particular, the activities involved the definition of criteria, the analysis and identification of the post office, a communication campaign and the launch of the UP itself in an experimental phase. The Florence Post Office is the first in Italy where citizens can make use of all Post Office services by booking access through the 'Search office and book' function, available on the poste.it website and on the Poste Italiane, BancoPosta and PostePay apps. In addition, the 'Booking Only' trial was launched, a new access model in post offices that aims to reduce waiting times and improve the efficiency of the service through booking via app or Poste's website. The objective of ensuring better efficiency in customer management is flanked by that of contributing to digital education, thanks to the figure of a reception operator who, already since August in the Florence office, has been informing and supporting customers on the use of the Apps and the Poste Italiane website and for any specific needs. Furthermore, the focus on the most fragile groups is confirmed, for whom priority service is always guaranteed. Finally, a further benefit of the 'Booking Only' project will be to significantly reduce the issuance of paper (physical tickets) in line with Poste Italiane's sustainability plan, which aims to reduce to zero the potential environmental impact generated by its activities.
