Here’s an example of how to read faces and predict what’s going on in the background.

Recently I received an email from “my bank” asking me to log on to MyBankBillPay.com (and not usual MyBank.com) to search for billers (utilities, credit cards etc) and pay my bills.

I also regularly have to pay “My Other Bank’s” credit card bill through BillDesk.com because their secure web account at MyOtherBank.com simply does not understand that bill pay could mean paying my own credit card bill! And the link to BillDesk is nowhere to be seen when I am logged on. Its a real hassle, believe me. (Yes I know I can book mark it)

What made these banks promote separate web sites instead of adding this facility to the secure areas that I already log on to. Why would they increase chaos for me and for themselves?

Here’s the brainstorming:

1. It was just too expensive to add this feature to their current web site? IT may be charging an arm and a leg to do this while MyBank could have got this new site developed by the vendor for close to nothing (apparently).

2. The Core Banking System that seems to power my credit card company’s banking site doesn’t have this capability yet?

3. Alignment between businesses (products, locations, etc) who wish to use this facility took too much time or just reached stalemate

4. The project manager just got tired of the red tape and made a business case for a “fast follower” phase 2 where this facility will be integrated into the system

Meanwhile I just pay and then pray that my payment will reflect successfully. Because using a loosely integrated third party facility like this points to several issues with downstream data and business intelligence integration.

For example:

1. If I call either bank with a question on my payment made through these facilities, there will be chaos in their call center.

2. Atleast a dozen people will be fighting fires everyday because data synchronization between these multiple systems will fail everyday and records will not match

3. Marketing folks will want to create their own marketing DB because the IT reports will take too long to be generated.

The point I am trying to belabour on (!) is that there is more to eBusiness than meets the eye. Its not just your web site or an eCommerce capability. Its about integrating various functions and making business boundaries appear seamless to consumers like me. Who cares if you have 5 business lines or just 2? I just want to see what needs of mine will you meet. Do I buy a credit card today based on what bank account I hold? That’s a simple example of how a bank doesn’t know who I am.

Its not a question of not having data. Its not even a question of not knowing how to use it. Its also not a question of not having systems and processes to use the data.

Instead its about the (in)ability to work with peers who are separated by a big red organization boundary or hidden behind 25 layers of hierarchy and procedures. Not that we don’t want to; We just can’t. And then we just settle and work on day to day problems hoping that the biggies will awaken someday and bring us togther. Or maybe create a department with this exact charter!

Amen to that. And here’s to meetings customer needs, not running businesses.