Our uncompromising focus on customer needs. The Cembra app, launched in April 2022, was the first project on which we implemented our new customer focused mindset. We’re taking an agile approach to the app’s development so that we can respond flexibly to customer needs.

As end-to-end digitalisation gains pace, the demands on mobile apps have increased enormously. When developing the new Cembra app, one thing was clear: it had to be dynamic, intuitive and customisable, and consistently focus on the needs of our customers. Our customers, for instance, want to be able to carry out tasks directly in that app and for them to be processed immediately. This simplifies the customer experience and means they don’t need to go through customer service. This saves time and increases efficiency on both sides.

Innovative functions

One of the most important innovations of the Cembra app is a new login process with authentication and a range of dynamic func tions. Our customers can easily access their transactions, view card details, block and unblock cards and request their PIN.

Continuous development

The Cembra app is the first step in the expansion of our digital solutions. In this process, we’re guided by customer needs and the latest market trends. Customer feedback is continuously evaluated and actively taken on board when prioritising and developing future functions.

An agile and flexible response to change

To ensure we can respond quickly to trends and changing customer needs, we’ve taken an agile approach to developing the app. Our cross-functional teams work on several small packages in parallel so that we can develop the app rapidly and in a trend-oriented manner. New offers and functions are discussed and prioritised by our teams. The cultural component of this method is equally important: both the teams as a whole and their individual members are empowered to make decisions independently. This promotes personal responsibility and increases motivation.

A future-oriented way of working

This agile way of working is new at Cembra and is now being used in other areas. The positive experiences from the app development process have shown that this kind of approach can support and accelerate cultural change. Our agile working model focuses on the customer, promotes cross-disciplinary teamwork, empowers employees and ensures that even complex solutions are implemented effectively.

“For us, customer obsession means maintaining an uncompromising focus on our customers’ needs.”

Angela Pascarella,
Senior Digital Product Lead

Three questions for Angela Pascarella, Senior Digital Product Lead at Cembra

What does customer obsession mean to you?

Our guiding principle is to maintain an uncompromising focus on our customers’ needs. For me, that means we have to know our customers and their exact needs and align our products and services with them.

How is the Cembra app a good example of this?

The app gives customers full control over their spending, something that’s very important to them. It also offers a personalised customer experience by providing targeted notifications, information, settings and self-service functions. In other words, exactly what customers expect today.

The app was developed using an agile method. What are its benefits?

This allows us to develop our digital solutions in a more flexible and customer-oriented way. Cross-departmental teamwork has been massively improved, enabling us to bring innovations to market faster. This means we can offer our customers new functions in a timely manner.

We are improving the customer experience