In this edition, we have surveyed 349 banks in 44 countries on six continents, obtained nearly 4,500 customer answers and analysed with our consultants 1,005 functionalities over an end-to-end customer journey composed of six steps and 17 underlying sections. Based on this assessment, a ranking of Global Digital Champions has been prepared. 

At the global level, our report underscores the evolving landscape of digital banking, highlighting the importance of hyper personalisation, streamlined experiences and simplicity in service design, concentrating more on service quality instead of quantity. AI is playing a key role in customer excellence and operational efficiencies by automating tasks such as fraud detection and optimising digital channels and touchpoints based on behaviours. This leads to faster decisions, improved efficiency, and better customer satisfaction. 

Our report conclusions for Belgium arising from this year’s study are as follows: 

• Belgian banks have historically been leading in the digitalisation of distribution channels, though today they are lagging behind global competitors. In line with customer needs and speed of adoption, Belgian banks are prioritising customer experience quality in digital channels, rather than maximally pushing all interactions to digital channels. Compared to other global banks, customer interactions are below average in four out of the six key customer journey steps we analysed.  
• AI is also entering the Belgian banking landscape, most notably in the first instance through the emergence of AI-powered chatbots aimed at enhancing customer engagement. At this point in time, however, their adoption remains limited. Globally, we see that personalised banners and pop-up windows aimed at educating and warning clients as well as cross-selling relevant products and services are being more and more effectively used by banks and clients. 
• Belgian banks face challenges in reaching global leadership either with their apps or other channels (public website, internet banking). One example is the lack of a robust ecosystem: leading banks like Revolut and N26 offer cross-border banking and instant currency exchanges, features that resonate with international users. Another gap is personalisation as leading international banks leverage advanced AI to provide tailored financial advice and predictive budgeting tools, areas where Belgian banks can expand.  

All in all, and in the current economic context, a well-defined and robust omnichannel strategy is crucial to identify the right moments, channels, touchpoints, and messages based on customer needs and expectations, as well as the right products and services the banks want to promote. This strategy should also consider underlying IT and cost constraints to balance customer satisfaction with operational efficiencies.