What Will the Branch of the Future Look Like?
Recently, Bank Systems & Technology profiled Virginia-based StellarOne Bank its efforts toward creating the branch of the future by pursuing efficiency, convenience and sleekness. Here, we'll take a look inside at some of the work the bank has done. (All photos courtesy of Larry Patton, director of facilities, StellarOne Bank)
1. Customer Comes First
The new branches feature a wall that has a tube system similar to what customers see in the drive-through part of bank branches currently. Customers can conduct basic transactions through the tubes, which are fed to a back office and retrieved and processed by employees situated there.
2. Bigger Doesn't Mean Better
StellarOne's new branches are significantly smaller than their traditional counterparts. The bank opened its initial "branch of the future" in a 660-square foot building, and later gutted and redesigned two existing branches that were about 1,700 square feet.
3. Not Your Father's Teller
Instead of traditional teller lines, the branches feature "pods," which are manned by employees who can do more than traditional tellers -- more akin to specialists.
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4. All in A Day's Work
Workers at these new branches rotate between back office, manning the pods and other functions during a normal work day, so as not to get burnt out on any one task.
Bryan Yurcan is associate editor for Bank Systems and Technology. He has worked in various editorial capacities for newspapers and magazines for the past 8 years. After beginning his career as a municipal and courts reporter for daily newspapers in upstate New York, Bryan has ... View Full Bio
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