Digital Transformation of Skarbiec TFI: How we designed a system that is close to the customer
Skarbiec TFI
A platform enabling clients to manage their investments intuitively
Skarbiec TFI SA, one of Poland’s most experienced investment fund companies, manages assets totaling approximately PLN 5 billion. Serving over 80,000 individual clients and 1,500 institutions, the company aspires to lead the industry’s digital transformation.
Recognizing the growing importance of digital channels for customer acquisition, Skarbiec has committed to implementing a cutting-edge system to enhance both acquisition and customer service.
Client
Skarbiec TFI
"We seek to modernize the distribution model for Investment Fund Company products, transitioning from traditional methods to advanced technological solutions in line with broader market trends in the financial industry".
Digital customer in focus
The Skarbiec TFI team partnered with e-point to develop a platform designed for intuitive self-service, enabling customers to independently and efficiently manage their investments. The project aimed to enhance customer engagement and boost sales conversion rates.
Skarbiec’s digital initiative also aimed to counter the growing market presence of platforms offering alternative investment options.
Departure from traditional models in favor of modern solutions
Most Polish investment fund companies rely on a “systems of record” architecture, emphasizing product-focused features such as transaction processing and operational compliance to meet regulatory and compliance standards. While effective for regulatory adherence, this model falls short of meeting modern user expectations shaped by intuitive banking applications and e-commerce platforms. To attract new customers and thrive in a competitive market, companies must adopt more client-centric systems that prioritize user experience and engagement.
Confronted with these challenges, Skarbiec TFI recognized the need to adopt a customer-focused system model emphasizing digital experience – a "system of engagement"* – to enhance every stage of the customer journey, from initial interest in the offer to active portfolio management.
*Geoffrey Moore, "The Future of Enterprise IT"
Identifying the needs
To ensure a successful transformation, the project began with the UX Foundation stage, focusing on thoroughly understanding the challenges and objectives. This involved a detailed analysis of Skarbiec TFI’s business needs and the expectations of customers seeking to invest their financial surpluses.
Our analysis involved the following:
Identifying problems in the existing solution — Analyzing the current system to pinpoint specific challenges encountered by customers.
Identifying business needs — Examining the core functionalities of the previous system that were most frequently utilized, while identifying limitations that hindered business growth.
Benchmarking — Reviewing popular investment platforms and systems of other Investment Fund Companies to find good models; allowing ourselves to be inspired by popular e-commerce systems, online banking, etc.
Analyzing the legal constraints (resulting from a heavily regulated market) on using different types of solutions to optimize the user experience.
"Beginning a project with a thorough UX analysis and design is the most effective way to clearly define the requirements and ensure a smooth transition into the implementation phase. This structured approach reduces the risk of misunderstandings and greatly expedites the realization of business objectives".
Łukasz Franczuk
Design Expert
e-point SA
Customer journey – uncovering barriers and emotions
During the UX Foundation stage, we crafted the customer journey for those investing in investment funds, leveraging comprehensive knowledge and data insights.
Our focus was on identifying key moments in the customer journey that significantly influence the user experience. This included pinpointing potential barriers, such as a lengthy and cumbersome account creation process, confusing purchase workflows, and unclear or poorly presented offers.
We placed particular emphasis on moments associated with negative user emotions, such as frustration, uncertainty, or confusion, which may arise when interacting with the self-service platform offered by the Investment Fund Company. This approach enabled us to design solutions that facilitate navigating even complex processes, ultimately enhancing user satisfaction.
Proof of Concept: Testing the key user journeys
In just a few weeks, we created a Proof of Concept (PoC) featuring a new UX design and graphical interfaces for Skarbiec’s three core customer journeys. This enabled us to promptly validate our assumptions about the redesigned interface through Friends & Family research, ensuring they were clear for users.
Digital Transformation of Skarbiec TFI
How we designed a system that is close to the customer
UX Sprints: Effective iterative work
Once the project direction was approved, we moved to 3-week UX Sprints, concentrating on critical areas and user journeys. These included designing the dashboard, streamlining the account creation process, optimizing identity verification, and enhancing the workflow for purchasing investment products, among other key features.
Role of system architects
The Systems Architect played a pivotal role in the design process, ensuring that the proposed solutions were feasible and aligned with the technological capabilities and constraints of the back-end (B/E) system, which handles purchase, redemption, and unit conversion orders.
Further testing and optimization
After developing the system, we conducted testing under the direction of the UX/UI Team to gather additional feedback and refine the solution to ensure optimal performance before implementation.
Investment platform with a full feature set
With meticulous UX design, we have developed a set of features to enhance the user experience and engagement:
Simplified account creation – We simplified the registration process by requiring full identity verification only during the first purchase, significantly improving conversion rates.
Secure identity verification with my.id – We introduced regulation-compliant user identification, boosting trust in the platform.
Investment data visualization – We enabled analysis of historical performance with interactive charts, helping users make more informed decisions.
Easy-to-understand language and intuitive processes – We used simple messages to make it easy to navigate the platform.
Catalog of investment products – Full offer available in a single place.
Personalized dashboard – Customized to the users’ needs to increase their engagement.
Digital Transformation of Skarbiec TFI
How we designed a system that is close to the customer
Digital Transformation of Skarbiec TFI
How we designed a system that is close to the customer
The UX stage was crucial to the project’s technological success by:
Helping us precisely define customer needs
By clarifying business requirements and functions from the user’s perspective, we were able to develop optimal solutions that closely align with the expectations of Skarbiec TFI’s customers.
Providing the basis for a stable application architecture
The findings from the UX analysis informed the development of an application architecture that ensures technological consistency and simplifies the integration of new features.
Enabling the verification of assumptions with users
The Proof of Concept stage allowed us to test key processes and interfaces, ensuring that the solutions aligned with user needs and that the platform remained intuitive.
Allowing us to accurately price the project
The insights gathered during the UX stage enabled us to define the exact scope of work and costs, accelerating the decision-making process and enhancing transparency throughout the project.
Leave us a message