In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a sleek image and a product that can seamlessly service masses of people who are diverse by nature, is essential to any financial services institution operating from the region. On top of this, fully regulated digital propositions continue to grow in popularity, especially within the payments and lending space; many residents need to have a global banking solution that allows transactions to be conducted across currencies and borders.

The Emirates Development Bank (EDB), one of the largest banking groups in the Middle East (based on assets), knew that to stay competitive within a region that is rapidly growing in technological and branding capabilities, they required assistance from Skillwork. (Timeframe - earlier this year, last year?) EDB partnered with the Skillwork team to successfully launch a comprehensive rebrand and significantly improve their digital offerings to deliver a stellar service to their customers.

A little more about the task at hand: 

Use Case: EDB’s diverse client base required an easy-to-use digital portal where they could apply and manage their loans digitally and on-the-go.

Challenges for EDB: The bank was in need of a new user experience for their public facing website and their digital services portal – a web portal where customers can apply and manage their loans.

The Solution

Understanding the business: EDB were keen to test and iterate fast with a startup-first mindset despite the corporate backdrop of the business itself. To execute a comprehensive, yet, agile approach, required Skillwork to set up workshops that allowed the team to analyse EDB’s operations, and pinpoint opportunities for digitisation. It was key to also get buy-in from all stakeholders on the brand identity. On top of all of this, operating within a highly regulated space required a keen eye on details, foresight on potential blockers and precision on the execution stage. Ensuring all communication channels were streamlined and open between EDB and Skillwork allowed for ease of collaboration to make it work.

Fast execution: Early workshops were conducted to foster alignment, define requirements, and prioritise seamless communication and resource accessibility.

These workshops not only facilitated a profound understanding of EDB's business strategy but also provided valuable insights for addressing challenges and tailoring solutions. Moreover, Skillwork played a pivotal role in EDB’s rebranding efforts, where collaborative sessions allowed for the integration of EDB's vision and values into the brand identity. 

Our technical approach: Emphasis on a swift go-to-market strategy while adhering to stringent regulations was key. Skillwork leveraged user stories to segment tasks into manageable sprints, enabling early platform testing within the first month of development. This agile approach facilitated real-time adjustments to the project scope, ensuring alignment with local Emirati regulatory standards and accommodating stakeholder feedback.

Outcome: After the smoke tests, Skillwork redeveloped EDB’s public facing site and digital services portal giving the company a whole new look and modernised technology stack.

Ongoing support: As development progressed, Skillwork’s robust testing framework swiftly identified and resolved issues, while resources were strategically allocated to implement new features and enhancements based on user feedback and data analytics. The team’s commitment to EDB's success extends beyond development, as Skillwork continues to support and iterate upon the platform with additional features to further enhance the user experience and meet evolving needs.