A retail bank with a dense national branch network was facing stagnant commercial performance, despite stable market fundamentals and significant remaining growth potential.
The core challenge lay in the ability of teams to execute consistently. The intervention focused on structuring field performance, strengthening frontline management, and standardizing practices across the network to improve productivity and reduce performance gaps between branches.
Context
The bank operated an extensive branch network with strong local presence and an established customer base. Despite these assets, commercial performance remained below potential, mainly due to insufficient execution discipline.
- Network of more than 180 branches
- More than 1,200 front-office employees
- Stable customer base with development potential
- Objective of restarting commercial momentum without heavy structural transformation
Diagnosis
The diagnostic highlighted strong performance variability between branches, mainly driven by the absence of consistent commercial routines and insufficiently structured management practices.
- Lack of standardized commercial routines
- Managers insufficiently equipped to steer performance
- Focus on volume rather than effectiveness
- Significant branch-level performance gaps without a systemic improvement logic
Key indicators before intervention:
- Conversion rate limited to 18%
- Products per customer at 1.6
- Employee engagement at 61%
- Performance gap above 2x
Approach
The intervention was built around the standardization of commercial practices, the strengthening of frontline management, and the implementation of clear, actionable performance routines.
- Definition of repeatable commercial routines
- Structuring of customer interactions
- Transformation of managers into operational coaches
- Alignment of individual and collective objectives
The operating model was designed for fast implementation, direct branch-level use, and strong adoption by field teams.
Results
| KPI | Before | After | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conversion rate | 18% | 29% | +11 pts |
| Products per customer | 1.6 | 2.3 | +44% |
| Employee engagement | 61% | 78% | +17 pts |
| Performance gap | >2x | 1.3x | Significant reduction |
The intervention improved productivity, engagement, and execution consistency at the same time, while significantly reducing performance gaps between branches.
Key Insights
- Performance depends on the quality of the execution system
- Frontline management is the main lever for transformation
- Standardization reduces gaps without undermining local adaptation
- Simple routines generate measurable results