Co esponding au ho : Dang T ung Kien
Copy igh © 2025 Au ho (s) e ain he copy igh o his a icle. This a icle is published unde he e ms o he C ea i e Commons A ibu ion License 4.0.
Se ice Quali y Imp o emen : A digi al ans o ma ion pe spec i e om selec ed
banks a ound he wo ld
Dang T ung Kien *
Facul y o Business Adminis a ion, Thai Nguyen Uni e si y o Economics and Business Adminis a ion, Vie nam.
Wo ld Jou nal o Ad anced Resea ch and Re iews, 2025, 26(02), 814-824
Publica ion his o y: Recei ed on 14 Ma ch 2025; e ised on 03 May 2025; accep ed on 05 May 2025
A icle DOI: h ps://doi.o g/10.30574/wja .2025.26.2.1675
Abs ac
In he ace o accele a ing echnological ad ancemen s and e ol ing cus ome expec a ions, banks wo ldwide a e unde
immense p essu e o ans o m hei ope a ions and imp o e se ice quali y. This s udy in es iga es he ole o digi al
ans o ma ion in enhancing se ice quali y h ough a compa a i e case analysis o wo banks: Hansea ic Bank in
Ge many and De Volksbank in he Ne he lands. Hansea ic Bank emphasizes echnology adop ion, cloud mig a ion, and
open banking in eg a ion, while De Volksbank ocuses on o ganiza ional es uc u ing and agile, cus ome -cen ic
ope a ional models. Using quali a i e analysis o ans o ma ion amewo ks such as A lassian-based digi al ecosys ems
and he O g Topologies model, he pape explo es how hese app oaches imp o e se ice deli e y, in e nal e iciency,
and esponsi eness o ma ke demands.
Fu he mo e, he esea ch con ex ualizes hese indings wi hin he Vie namese banking sec o , which has demons a ed
s ong digi al ambi ions h ough s a egic ini ia i es such as Decision No. 810/QĐ-NHNN o S a e Bank o Vie nam in
2021. The s udy highligh s how banks in Vie nam can bene i om a hyb id ans o ma ion model ha combines
echnological inno a ion wi h o ganiza ional agili y. The pape concludes by emphasizing he necessi y o os e ing a
digi al cul u e, in es ing in in as uc u e, and e hinking go e nance models o achie e sus ainable se ice quali y
imp o emen s in he digi al e a.
Keywo ds: Se ice quali y; Digi al ans o ma ion; Hansea ic Bank; De Volksbank; Open banking; Digi al cul u e
1. In oduc ion
In he apidly e ol ing global inancial landscape, he banking indus y is unde inc easing p essu e o inno a e and
ans o m. T adi ional banking models a e no longe su icien o mee he demands o a digi ally sa y cus ome base
ha expec s as , seamless, and pe sonalized se ices. A he same ime, banks a e acing in ensi ied compe i ion om
in ech companies, digi al-na i e ins i u ions, and o he non- adi ional inancial se ice p o ide s ha le e age
cu ing-edge echnologies o deli e high-quali y se ices a scale.
Digi al ans o ma ion is no longe a s a egic op ion bu a necessa y pa hway o banks o su i e and h i e in he
digi al economy. I encompasses he adop ion o cloud compu ing, a i icial in elligence (AI), big da a analy ics,
blockchain, and open banking pla o ms o eimagine ope a ions and enhance se ice quali y. As no ed by Gombe e
al. (2017), banks ha ail o adap a e likely o lose ele ance and ma ke sha e in an inc easingly cus ome -d i en
en i onmen .
This esea ch is pa icula ly imely and signi ican gi en he pos -pandemic accele a ion o digi al adop ion ac oss
indus ies. Fo banks, he COVID-19 c isis ac ed as a ca alys , accele a ing in es men s in digi al in as uc u e and
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p omp ing he edesign o se ice deli e y models. Acco ding o he S a e Bank o Vie nam (2021), o e 95% o
Vie namese banks ha e o mula ed digi al ans o ma ion s a egies, highligh ing a b oade egional and global shi
owa d digi al- i s banking.
Despi e he g owing impo ance o digi al ans o ma ion, he e emains a gap in unde s anding how di e en banks
app oach se ice quali y imp o emen h ough echnological inno a ion and o ganiza ional es uc u ing. Exis ing
s udies o en ocus na owly on echnology deploymen wi hou conside ing how digi al cul u e, ope a ing models, and
egula o y amewo ks in e ac o shape se ice ou comes.
By examining wo dis inc case s udies—Hansea ic Bank in Ge many and De Volksbank in he Ne he lands— his pape
seeks o con ibu e o a deepe unde s anding o how banks a ound he wo ld implemen digi al ans o ma ion o
enhance se ice quali y. These cases ep esen wo con as ing ye complemen a y app oaches: one ocusing on
echnological in eg a ion and cloud mig a ion, and he o he on o ganiza ional agili y and cus ome jou ney
eenginee ing.
Gi en he inc easing eliance on digi al pla o ms and he heigh ened expec a ions o banking cus ome s, his s udy is
essen ial o iden i ying ac ionable insigh s ha can in o m u u e s a egies o banks in bo h de eloped and eme ging
ma ke s, including Vie nam. I also p o ides aluable implica ions o policymake s, echnology p o ide s, and inancial
ins i u ions seeking o build esilien , cus ome -cen ic, and digi ally ma u e o ganiza ions.
2. Li e a u e e iew
2.1. Digi al T ans o ma ion in he Global Banking Sec o
Digi al ans o ma ion (DT) has become a pi o al s a egy o banks wo ldwide o enhance se ice quali y, ope a ional
e iciency, and cus ome sa is ac ion. Acco ding o Gombe e al. (2017), DT in banking encompasses he in eg a ion o
digi al echnologies in o all a eas o banking ope a ions, undamen ally changing how banks ope a e and deli e alue
o cus ome s. This ans o ma ion is d i en by he need o mee e ol ing cus ome expec a ions, coun e compe i ion
om in ech companies, and comply wi h egula o y equi emen s.
The adop ion o digi al echnologies enables banks o o e pe sonalized se ices, s eamline p ocesses, and imp o e
decision-making h ough da a analy ics. Howe e , success ul implemen a ion equi es a comp ehensi e s a egy ha
includes echnological upg ades, o ganiza ional es uc u ing, and cul u al change (Bha adwaj e al., 2013).
2.2. Digi al T ans o ma ion in Vie namese Banking
In Vie nam, he banking sec o has wi nessed signi ican digi al ans o ma ion in ecen yea s. The S a e Bank o
Vie nam's Decision 810/QĐ-NHNN (2021) ou lines a oadmap o digi al ans o ma ion in he banking indus y, aiming
o enhance cus ome expe ience and ope a ional e iciency. S udies indica e ha by 2021, 95% o Vie namese
comme cial banks had de eloped and implemen ed digi al ans o ma ion s a egies (Nguyen & Nguyen, 2025).
The ans o ma ion e o s ocus on h ee main a eas: digi alizing cus ome - acing channels, au oma ing in e nal
p ocesses, and de eloping digi al-only banking models (Ha & Nguyen, 2022). Fo ins ance, Techcombank has le e aged
cloud compu ing and a i icial in elligence o o e seamless digi al se ices, esul ing in imp o ed cus ome
engagemen and ope a ional pe o mance (Do e al., 2022).
Despi e hese ad ancemen s, challenges pe sis , including egula o y hu dles, cybe secu i y conce ns, and he need o
skilled human esou ces (Tuan, 2023). Add essing hese issues is c ucial o sus aining he momen um o digi al
ans o ma ion in he Vie namese banking sec o .
2.3. Impac o Digi al T ans o ma ion on Se ice Quali y
Digi al ans o ma ion signi ican ly in luences se ice quali y in banking by enhancing eliabili y, esponsi eness, and
cus ome sa is ac ion. The ES-QUAL model, de eloped by Pa asu aman e al. (2005), iden i ies key dimensions o e-
se ice quali y, including e iciency, sys em a ailabili y, ul illmen , and p i acy. Applying his model, s udies in Vie nam
ha e shown ha digi al banking se ices ha e imp o ed ansac ion speed, accessibili y, and use expe ience (Nguyen
e al., 2024).
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Mo eo e , he in eg a ion o digi al echnologies has enabled banks o o e pe sonalized se ices, leading o inc eased
cus ome loyal y and compe i i e ad an age (Mbama & Ezepue, 2018). Howe e , ensu ing da a secu i y and building
cus ome us emain c i ical ac o s in main aining high se ice quali y in digi al banking.
Nowadays, banks a e cons an ly imp o ing hei p oduc s and se ices o mee he inc easing demands o cus ome s.
Faced wi h ie ce compe i ion om inancial i als o e ing as and con enien digi al solu ions (e.g., paymen s, lending,
e c.), banks a e ha ing o adap hei se ices o ensu e s able and obus g ow h.
Based on e e ence ma e ials and ou own syn hesis, his pape aims o discuss wo banks ha ha e success ully
implemen ed echnology and digi al ans o ma ion h ough di e en app oaches: Hansea ic Bank (Ge many) and De
Volksbank (Ne he lands).
3. Case o Hansea ic bank
Recen ly, mos banks ha e shi ed om adi ional co e sys ems—p ima ily p oduc -cen e ed— o inno a i e solu ions
ha a e scalable, lexible, and cos -e ec i e. Keeping up wi h his end, Hansea ic Bank, a p i a e bank in Ge many, is
also seeking a da a-in eg a ed a chi ec u e o quickly b ing new se ices o necessa y changes o ma ke , while
op imizing end- o-end p ocesses.
Hansea ic Bank is a e ail bank headqua e ed in Hambu g, Ge many. Es ablished in 1969, i p ima ily ope a es in he
consume c edi sec o , o e ing inancial p oduc s and se ices o indi iduals and small businesses.
Hansea ic Bank ocuses on se e al business a eas, including:
• Consume C edi : P o iding c edi p oduc s such as c edi ca ds, pe sonal loans, and o he indi idual inancial
se ices.
• Di e si ied Financial Se ices: Hansea ic Bank o e s a wide ange o inancial se ices including in es men
p oduc s, insu ance, and o he inancial solu ions.
• Small Business Financing: Suppo ing he inancing needs o small businesses and p i a e en e p ises.
Hansea ic Bank has engaged in a ious digi al ans o ma ion p ojec s and s a egies o enhance cus ome expe ience
and ope a ional e iciency. This includes upg ading online se ices, op imizing in e nal p ocesses, and p omo ing a
digi al cul u e wi hin he o ganiza ion.
3.1. Pionee ing Digi al T ans o ma ion
The IT depa men a Hansea ic Bank began sea ching o a uni ied solu ion o enable op imal digi al collabo a ion
se e al yea s ago. Among he op ions conside ed we e p oduc s o e ed by A lassian, a so wa e company
headqua e ed in Sydney, Aus alia, known o de eloping ools o p ojec managemen , collabo a ion, and so wa e
de elopmen .
Since 2017, A lassian Con luence has se ed as Hansea ic’s in e nal wiki o documen in eg a ion and sha ing. A yea
la e , A lassian Ji a was in oduced, ini ially used by he IT eam o ask managemen . O e ime, he demand o Ji a
g ew ac oss o he depa men s, such as Ma ke ing, which used Kanban boa ds o highligh asks and gene a e epo s.
By 2021, all employees a Hansea ic Bank we e collabo a ing h ough Con luence, and oughly hal we e ac i ely using
Ji a.
Howe e , his se up also posed ce ain ope a ional isks. Fo ins ance, i Ji a o Con luence expe ienced down ime o
mal unc ions, wo k lows and se ices ac oss depa men s could come o a hal , esul ing in ime and inancial losses.
Hansea ic Bank ecognized his isk ea ly enough and, by 2020, began o mula ing an o ganiza ional s a egy o digi ize
business p ocesses using A lassian ools. A key ea u e o his s a egy was he “Mo e o he Cloud” ini ia i e.
3.2. “A lassian” Cloud
Wi h Hansea ic Bank’s cloud s a egy, he p ima y ocus is on conse ing esou ces and ope a ing in e nal
in as uc u e only when i is uly necessa y. Cloud-based p oduc s can be acqui ed a a ela i ely low cos h ough he
So wa e as a Se ice (SaaS) model—a so wa e deli e y me hod in which applica ions a e hos ed and p o ided as
se ices o e he in e ne . Ins ead o equi ing ins alla ion and main enance on use s’ local machines o se e s, SaaS
enables use s o access applica ions emo ely ia a web b owse . This app oach has also allowed Hansea ic o
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signi ican ly educe he cos s associa ed wi h pa ching and main aining Ji a and Con luence, which we e p e iously
hos ed on he bank’s in-house se e s.
Howe e , ansi ioning o a cloud-based model in a banking en i onmen —whe e all p ocesses and business da a a e
in ol ed— equi es o e coming echnical hu dles and acing legal compliance challenges. Acco ding o he
equi emen s o he Ge man Fede al Financial Supe iso y Au ho i y (BaFin) and he Eu opean Banking Au ho i y
(EBA), inancial ins i u ions like Hansea ic Bank mus supe ise hei cloud p oduc s and se ices wi h he same le el
o o e sigh as hey would wi h in e nal ope a ions. This is he only way o ensu e compliance and sa egua d sensi i e
da a ou side he o ganiza ion. In o he wo ds, he bank mus de e mine whe he i s da a is legally pe mi ed o be s o ed
in he cloud.
To ca y ou his ans o ma ion while keeping da a secu e—and main aining no mal ope a ions du ing he
mig a ion—Hansea ic Bank adop ed an open banking API based on WSO2 Open Banking echnology.
An Open Banking API can be unde s ood simply as an Applica ion P og amming In e ace used in he banking sec o o
sha e da a and unc ionali y among a ious inancial ins i u ions. I enables in e ac ion be ween banks and hi d pa ies
such as inancial apps, paymen se ices, and o he pla o ms. The main goal o Open Banking APIs is o c ea e an open
inancial ecosys em whe e cus ome s ha e he abili y and au ho i y o secu ely and e icien ly sha e hei inancial
in o ma ion ac oss se ices and p o ide s. These APIs help os e a mo e compe i i e banking en i onmen while
p o iding use s wi h g ea e lexibili y and con ol o e hei inancial da a.
4. Redesigning a lexible ope a ing s uc u e – a case s udy o de Volksbank
Also, a no able example o digi al ans o ma ion in banking ope a ions, De Volksbank, a bank based in he Ne he lands,
has adop ed a di e en app oach o implemen ing echnology and os e ing a digi al cul u e compa ed o Hansea ic
Bank. While Hansea ic ocuses on synch oniza ion, echnology adop ion, and ansi ioning i s ope a ional ecosys em
in o he IoT space, De Volksbank places g ea e emphasis on ans o ming he way indi idual depa men s ope a e.
Speci ically, i in eg a es IT in as uc u e di ec ly in o each eam, enabling hese squads o concen a e on speci ic asks
o cus ome segmen s. This app oach is guided by a philosophy o enhancing cus ome alue.
4.1. O g Topologies
The O g Topologies esea ch and o ganiza ional assessmen me hod was applied o cla i y he ans o ma ion app oach
o De Volksbank. This me hod ocuses on unde s anding how he o ganiza ion unc ions and in e ac s in e nally, aiming
o analyze he s uc u e and in e nal dynamics o he o ganiza ion. I helps leade s and esea che s gain deep insigh s
in o he key ac o s ha in luence o ganiza ional pe o mance and success.
This me hod ypically employs ools such as O g Topology™ Scans o collec da a on o ganiza ional s uc u e, wo k lows,
ela ionships, and o ganiza ional cul u e. These da a a e hen used o c ea e O ganiza ional Maps (O g Maps) and
conduc O g Topology analyses, which p o ide conc e e ecommenda ions o o ganiza ional imp o emen .
Acco ding o he O g Topologies amewo k, wo ex emes mus be conside ed when an en e p ise o o ganiza ion
seeks o es uc u e:
• De eloping eam capabili y, which emphasizes he comple eness o skills wi hin a depa men /uni /squad o
deli e alue (such as cus ome needs o wo k asks) quickly and e ec i ely.
• Expanding unde s anding o he p oblem space and scope o wo k, which enhances he o ganiza ion's abili y o
adop a cus ome -cen ic app oach.
Based on his app oach, he O g Topology™ model can be illus a ed as ollows.
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Sou ce: h ps://www.o g opologies.com/
Figu e 1 O g Topologies Model – A che ypes o Team S uc u es
Acco ding o O g Topology™, he key ocus a eas ypically include he ollowing se en ypes:
• Y1: Func ional eams wi h a speci ic ocus
• Y2: Componen de elopmen eams wi h na ow specializa ions
• A2: High-po en ial eams ha s ill ace challenges
• A3: Ma u e and au onomous eams
• B2: Dependen eams ied o business alue
• B3: In e dependen eams collabo a ing on business alue
• C3: Fully in eg a ed p oduc de elopmen eams
The o ganiza ional o ms lis ed abo e can be simply in e p e ed as ollows:
• Y1: Func ional eams wi h a speci ic ocus
• Y2: Componen de elopmen eams wi h na ow specializa ions
Y1 and Y2 ep esen easily ecognizable and commonly ound o ganiza ional designs, whe e wo k is di ided in o
sepa a e unc ional depa men s. Howe e , Y1 and Y2 g oups a e no uly conside ed comple e eams due o hei lack
o clea di ec ion and limi ed scope o wo k, which emains a he lowes le el— ask execu ion.
Such g oups a e unable o ully mee cus ome needs because hey ypically ope a e in a epe i i e, s anda dized
manne based on unc ional oles, ecei ing and handing o asks like an assembly line.
In o he wo ds, hese g oups a e no genuine eams, as hey ely hea ily on ex e nal expe s o b eak down
equi emen s in o asks, o e see execu ion, and la e ein eg a e he esul s. This ype o s uc u e p e en s eams om
being sel -managing and signi ican ly limi s hei lexibili y.
• A2: High-po en ial eams ha s ill ace challenges
• A3: Ma u e and au onomous eams
A a highe le el, G oup A, ep esen ed by A2 and A3, is conside ed o be agile eams, which many o ganiza ions s i e
owa d. These eams de elop along he ho izon al axis (X-axis), wi h a ocus on enhancing echnical capabili ies, a
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di ec ion seen as bo h alid and impo an o imp o ing wo k pe o mance. Howe e , G oup A eams s ill do no ully
ealize hei po en ial, and he e o e exhibi limi ed adap abili y, inno a ion, and esilience. To achie e ue agili y,
de elopmen mus also occu along he e ical axis (Y-axis), o ensu e he highes le el o lexibili y.
• B2: Dependen eams ied o business alue
• B3: In e dependen eams collabo a ing on business alue
G oup B aims o op imize he adap abili y o eams in lea ning and execu ion. A he ma u e s age o his o ganiza ional
o m, adi ional ba ie s a he eam le el a e nea ly elimina ed. The e a e no walls be ween "expe s" and eam
membe s—specialis s and s a wo k side by side. This leads o he o ma ion o a “ eam o eams” s uc u e, in which
mul iple eams ope a e as one and c ea e a collabo a i e ecosys em.
• C3: Fully in eg a ed p oduc de elopmen
A he C3 le el, his ep esen s an o ganiza ional o m whe e no ba ie s emain in he alue s eam. All eams ope a e
as a single uni ied eam, join ly owning he same p oduc and ision. This can be seen mo e as an aspi a ional di ec ion
a he han an easily achie able end s a e.
4.2. Ope a ing Model T ans o ma ion a De Volksbank
De Volksbank is he ou h-la ges bank in he Ne he lands, ounded wo cen u ies ago om a g oup o egional sa ings
banks. Today, he bank p ima ily se es indi idual consume s, sel -employed en ep eneu s, and small and medium-
sized en e p ises (SMEs), wi h co e ope a ions in paymen s, sa ings, and mo gages.
In 2021, De Volksbank launched a new ou -yea s a egic agenda aimed a d i ing g ow h by s eng hening cus ome
ela ionships and enhancing social impac . To ealize his s a egy, he bank ini ia ed a ans o ma ion p ocess o
implemen a lexible and uni ied way o wo king h ough independen cus ome jou ney eams wi h end- o-end
accoun abili y. The goal o his new app oach is o place he cus ome a he cen e and enable eams o ope a e mo e
e ec i ely, quickly, and e icien ly in deli e ing alue.
The ans o ma ion impac ed he en i e bank. In Ma ch 2022, app oxima ely 3,000 employees unde wen changes in
hei oles, eams, and/o ways o wo king. The bank’s ope a ing s uc u e was eo ganized in o a ious Hubs, each
aligned wi h a eas ha di ec ly in luence he bank’s p o i /loss a ios. Each Hub was designed as an in eg a ed uni ,
combining business unc ions, IT, and o he ele an ope a ions, wi h he aim o se ing a speci ic cus ome segmen in
a ocused manne .
The ans o ma ion a De Volksbank can be b oken down in o key phases:
• P e- ans o ma ion phase
• Pilo phase (2021)
• Full implemen a ion phase (2023)
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4.2.1. P e- ans o ma ion Phase – 2021
Sou ce: Roland Flemm (2023)
Figu e 2 Le els o Team Au onomy Ac oss T ans o ma ion Phases P e- ans o ma ion Phase – 2021
In his phase, he bank’s co e di ision—Business Banking—was di ided in o h ee smalle uni s: he Ope a ions
Depa men , he Sales Suppo Depa men , and he Cus ome Engagemen Depa men . P oduc de elopmen
and ope a ional imp o emen s ac oss hese depa men s we e managed by a sepa a e R&D g oup, which i sel was spli
in o wo smalle eams, each wi h dis inc me hods and challenges:
• Team 1 – P ocess Imp o emen G oup (De s Y0)
This eam was p ima ily esponsible o imp o ing he ope a ional p ocesses o he h ee main unc ional uni s wi hin
Business Banking. Howe e , wo king independen ly on asks ha had no been p io i ized by he ope a ional eams,
he De s g oup lacked he necessa y skills o implemen changes ela ed o so wa e and con igu a ion wi hin he bank’s
sys ems. Thei ole was limi ed o iden i ying changes, delega ing asks o IT eams, and acking p og ess. They did no
assess he cus ome alue o he imp o emen s hey pu sued.
Due o his s uc u e, he eam ope a ed wi h e y low e ec i eness, anking a he Y0 le el ( he lowes on he O g
Topologies map). The eam aced a la ge backlog and long wai ing imes, which signi ican ly delayed he ollou o majo
ini ia i es—o en aking mon hs o e en yea s o implemen . Addi ionally, he ocus on IT- ela ed wo k equi ed
p olonged nego ia ion wi h mul iple s akeholde s, u he slowing p og ess.
• Team 2 – New Business Loan P oduc De elopmen G oup (De Team A1)
Team 2 collabo a ed wi h an ex e nal so wa e company o de ine cus ome -cen ic ea u es o he de elopmen o a
new business loan p oduc . They b oke down cus ome equi emen s in o speci ic asks and unc ioned as analys s o
he ex e nal de elope s. Acco ding o he O g Topologies amewo k, his eam ope a ed a he A1 le el.
Unlike Team 1, Team 2 was no dependen on he bank’s in e nal IT depa men , bu ins ead elied en i ely on an
ex e nal endo , wi h some dependencies on in e nal business uni s. Al hough ex e nal dependencies exis ed, he eam
demons a ed signi ican ly highe e iciency and as e execu ion compa ed o Team 1.
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4.2.2. Phase 2: Pilo Phase – 2021
Be o e olling ou he new o ganiza ional model ac oss he en i e bank, a newly sel -de eloped model called "dVM" (de
Volksbank samenwe kingsModel) was pilo ed wi hin he Business Banking di ision. No ably, his ans o ma ion
ini ia i e was d i en by he Business side o he bank, no by he IT depa men —an uncommon app oach in he
inancial indus y, whe e digi al and echnological ans o ma ion e o s a e ypically led by echnology eams.
Unde his model, indi iduals wo king in he R&D g oup we e di ided in o ou eams, each ocused on he cus ome
jou ney o a speci ic a ge segmen . Each new eam consis ed o one R&D eam along wi h one o mo e se ice eams.
• The R&D eam concen a ed on p oduc de elopmen ,
• while he Se ice eam ocused on daily ope a ions and cus ome suppo .
A igh eedback loop was es ablished be ween he wo, whe e ope a ional eams ac ed as key s akeholde s, p o iding
aluable insigh s and eedback om cus ome s. Each R&D eam had i s own P oduc Owne (PO) who p io i ized wo k
based on cus ome alue.
Sou ce: Roland Flemm (2023)
Figu e 3 Le els o Team Au onomy Ac oss T ans o ma ion Phases Phase 2: Pilo Phase – 2021
Each R&D eam was composed o c oss- unc ional business pe sonnel. These eams we e capable o handling he ull
ange o business issues ( ea u es) wi hin hei domain; howe e , hey lacked echnical expe ise. This posi ioned hem
a he A1 le el (analy ical eams o “ easoning uni s”) on he O g Topologies map. Thei ask lis s ended o ocus on
cus ome needs a he han se ice-based asks.
This ope a ing model p o ided eam membe s wi h se e al signi ican ad an ages:
• They wo ked ull- ime wi hin a s able eam.
• Tasks we e ca ied ou based on clea c i e ia o iden i ying and deli e ing cus ome - ele an ea u es.
• The wo k c ea ed high alue, as p io i ies we e de e mined by cus ome alue.
Howe e , a majo challenge o hese R&D eams was hei lack o IT capabili ies, as mos o he changes hey wo ked
on equi ed modi ica ions o IT sys ems. While some eams could implemen non-coding changes, in gene al, hei
echnical limi a ions we e seen as a c i ical cons ain .
Wo ld Jou nal o Ad anced Resea ch and Re iews, 2025, 26(02), 814-824
822
This echnical gap, combined wi h end- o-end esponsibili y, o en led o p essu e and us a ion. Teams s uggled wi h
long cycles o implemen he changes hey had en isioned. This si ua ion g adually imp o ed as hei echnical
compe encies we e expanded o e ime.
4.2.3. Full Implemen a ion Phase – 2023
Sou ce: Roland Flemm (2023)
Figu e 4 Le els o Team Au onomy Ac oss T ans o ma ion Phases Full Implemen a ion Phase – 2023
Mos o he dependencies on IT we e success ully esol ed. Two ou o ou R&D eams in he Business Banking di ision
had de eloped he necessa y echnical capabili ies o ope a e au onomously. The solu ion in ol ed in eg a ing
de elope s ( echnical s a ) di ec ly in o he eams. P oduc Owne s (POs)— hose p ima ily esponsible o managing
and de eloping p oduc s—we e empowe ed o decide which ea u es deli e ed he mos alue, a he han ha ing
hese decisions dic a ed by ex e nal s akeholde s such as a chi ec u e eams h ough de elope s.
Wi hin each Value Hub, eams coo dina ed using OBEYA—an in e ac i e space designed by he bank o sha e
in o ma ion, make decisions, and p omo e collabo a ion. A simila app oach was applied o acili a e coo dina ion
ac oss di e en hubs. Acco ding o he Head o he Business Banking Hub, he implemen a ion o he dVM model has
been e y success ul in c ea ing s ong au onomous eams. The alignmen o all eams wi hin he hub using OBEYA was
also epo ed o be highly e ec i e.
All ou R&D eams wi hin he Business Banking di ision achie ed au onomy by de eloping hei echnical capabili ies.
Some eams eached A3 le el ( ully au onomous, end- o-end eams wo king ac oss he en i e cus ome jou ney), while
mos ope a ed a A2 le el (incomple e eams wo king on pa s o he cus ome jou ney, no ully end- o-end). This
ep esen ed a signi ican imp o emen compa ed o he p e- ans o ma ion s a e (Y0 le el).
Howe e , challenges emained in add essing c oss-hub ini ia i es. Senio managemen ended o e e o adi ional
models when handling issues be ween hubs, a he han us ing he hubs o sel -o ganize. On he one hand, his was
due o lack o expe ience using OBEYA and he pe sis ence o siloed hinking wi hin indi idual hubs. Hub leade ship
eams needed o become mo e awa e o he equen in e dependencies be ween hubs (and eams), as such pa e ns
signal oppo uni ies o o ganiza ional design imp o emen s.
