MSC provided technical assistance to Airtel Money to meet the following objectives:
1. Build a sustainable cash-in cash-out (CICO) agent network;
2. Develop a pro-poor communication strategy;
3. Enhance the digital financial services Airtel Money offers and improve the customer value proposition and experience.

We supported the Bangladesh Bank and Business For Poor in Bangladesh (BFP-B) in this Nathan Associates-funded study. The specific objectives of the study were to: 1) Understand the responses of the banking industry to licenses and regulations issued by Bangladesh Bank to trigger agent banking expansion; 2) Examine demand, supply, and regulatory issues in agent banking, and understand how these interact with other demand, supply, and regulatory issues in complementary markets, such as mobile financial service (MFS) and microfinance services; 3) Explore the customer data analytics (based on gender) of the existing agent banking customers covering CMEs and individuals and product penetration to understand the customer demand along with agent banking deposit and lending portfolios; 4) Understand the future market competition from other financial services providers and fintechs; 5) Combine deep understanding and experience of the evolution of local markets with knowledge of global insights and best practices; 6) Provide practical policy options that will help Bangladesh Bank further review the agent banking policy to address the market demand.

We assessed the efficiency of using iris-based authentication for conducting BAP transactions for agents (merchants) and customers compared to fingerprint-based authentication. We suggested recommendations to improve the overall experience for the agent and customer.

Idea Money intended to understand the risks inherent in its current account opening process that led to delays in opening accounts for customers. Idea Money engaged MSC to provide technical assistance to develop the as-is process for account opening, identify the process risks and implications of these identified risks on the channel, and provide recommendations for the upgraded platform.

A diagnostic study with IPPB agents revealed that 39% of agents struggled to operate a micro ATM. Only less than 50% of agents knew of the financial products offered by IPPB. Agents have limited capability to engage with customers. Specifically, postal agents with no training or experience in consumer sales find it challenging to “sell” products. Secondly, a lack of hands-on training hindered usage for those agents who were not digitally savvy. MSC designed comprehensive digital training content for IPPB agents, conducted a training-of-trainers to build self-sustainability, and helped IPPB set up training systems.

We supported the Bangladesh Bank and Business For the Poor in Bangladesh (BFP-B) in this Nathan Associates-funded study to understand the prospect of using MFS for the benefit of micro-and small-enterprises (MSEs), including the banking and MFS agents. The broad objective of the study was to understand the use of MFS by MSEs, identify key challenges that limit the uptake of MFS by MSEs, and explore opportunities to address the needs of the MSEs by MFS providers.