United Bank Limited collaborates with IBM to launch Digital Design Lab in Pakistan

IBM today announced that United Bank Limited (UBL) has selected IBM to support its digital transformation journey by establishing a Digital Design Lab, the first of its kind in Pakistan, to weave a seamless digital banking experience into customers’ daily lives. The lab will provide an environment for UBL’s interdisciplinary teams as well as its network of start-ups, fintechs, ecosystem partners, and academia to develop personalized and engaging digital customer experiences.

UBL is one of the largest commercial banks in Pakistan and has more than 1,375 branches across Pakistan and 19 branches globally. UBL’s decision to collaborate with IBM to build a Digital Design Lab stems from its decision to contribute to Pakistan’s digital landscape by transforming its customer experience and reinventing its existing capabilities. The lab will enable UBL to accelerate the digitization of its offerings, products, services and processes and equip its team with the necessary skills to design customer centric digital solutions.

The lab will be home to UBL design and digital experts. Additionally, the space will host a team from IBM iX, a global business design partner and one of the world’s largest digital agencies, that will work side-by-side with UBL to create innovative digital experiences for its customers.

“UBL strives to be the best digital bank in Pakistan and is continuously investing in customer-first strategies through the use of digital and mobile technologies to enhance our customer experience and keep pace with the evolving market needs,” said Sima Kamil, President & CEO, UBL. “We are committed to putting our customers at the heart of everything that we do and we are confident that IBM Design Thinking is the right approach to help create personalized experiences.”

Located in Karachi, the Digital Design Lab will be based on the IBM Design Thinking framework, IBM’s approach to applying creative business solutions at the speed and scale modern enterprises require. It also helps customers to place end users at the center of their innovation when addressing issues and developing solutions.

“Today’s consumers are increasingly expecting a more personalized and engaging customer experience. Therefore, customer centric interactions and digital solutions have become the core foundation of business success,” said Ghazanfar Ali, Country General Manager, IBM Pakistan and Afghanistan. “Through the lab, UBL’s team will be equipped with right design methodology and skills to map their customer journeys into its offerings for a distinctive customer experience.”