BNP Paribas Group has built up leading positions, in particular in Europe, with solid client franchises and powerful platforms, which are strategically aligned to better serve clients and partners over the long term. It relies on leading platforms, notably in Europe for inflow businesses (cash management, trade finance and factoring), capital market businesses, specialized businesses such as full-service leasing with Arval, and in sustainable investment management. These fully integrated platforms provide the ability to serve clients in a comprehensive and unique ways.
Jean-Laurent Bonnafé, CEO, said: “We have digitalized the bank in depth to improve the customer experience and the efficiency of our activities. We have built powerful platforms to serve our clients and partners.”
BNP Paribas achieved a robust performance, on the back of its integrated and diversified model, based on IT platforms and client franchises leaders in Europe and well-positioned internationally. The Group has implemented a transformation plan in all its businesses, aiming to establish a new customer and employee experience, to accelerate digitalization, and to improve operational efficiency. The successful 2017-2020 plan resulted in a decrease of the cost-income ratio by more than 2 points between 2017 and 2021 and recurring cost savings of almost 3.1 billion euros (vs. an initial objective of 2.7 billion euros). Industrialization of processes combined with strong digitalization of customer interactions, (digital interactions tripled at domestic markets between 2017 and 2021), a gradual deployment of smart sourcing with now more than 18,000 employees in shared service centres, intense use of artificial intelligence, with more than half of use cases dedicated to operating efficiency in 2021, have been key levers contributing structurally to the Group’s operational efficiency and enhancing CX & EX. Technology and industrialization will continue to serve as the foundation of the Group’s model.
6 levers will contribute to delivering positive jaws effects throughout the period of the plan. These are: (i) intensive use of artificial intelligence, data and robotics; (ii) a strong deployment of a secured use of cloud technologies; (iii) a broad APIzation of the IT system; (iv) use of smart sourcing and the roll-out of pooled service centres; (v) an amplification of the make/buy/share strategy; and (vi) accelerated convergence of European technological platforms. An annual budget of 400 million euros, unchanged vs. 2020 and 2021, will be maintained to fund costs related to the reinforcement of the Group’s IT system as well as restructuration and adaptation costs. These costs will be offset by capital gains.
The BNP Paribas Group operates in 65 countries with nearly 190,000 employees, including 145,000 in Europe.