Your hands on partner through change

Today's banking requires exceptional customer experiences via digital platforms.

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Mobile banking has raised expectations; customers are now demanding smooth, fast and user-friendly interactions with their financial services. In my experience, this shift has dramatically changed how we approach product development in the financial sector.

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As Product Owner at a leading Belgian bank, I led a specialized team that improves the banking app. This multi-faceted role requires a diverse skillset to ensure that every decision and functionality improves the customer experience. I've noticed that, in general, success in this role comes down to a mix of technical know-how and soft skills.

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In this blog, I'll take you through what I think are the most important skills for success as a Product Owner.

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1. Strategic thinking

Strategic thinking determines the direction of the product. In my opinion, this is possibly the most crucial skill for any Product Owner. I often find that I look beyond the immediate tasks to make decisions that are in line with our long-term vision. This means that we carefully assess the potential impact of each feature and prioritize development efforts accordingly.

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Through continuous communication with stakeholders and the squad, I steer the product as we adapt to evolving customer needs. After all, the banking landscape is constantly changing, and we need to be ready to adapt when necessary.

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2. Prioritization and Focus

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Effective prioritization is critical to project success. I've learned that you can't do everything at once, and that trying usually leads to not doing anything completely right. That's why I work closely with stakeholders and my squad to identify high-impact features and improvements.

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We use customer feedback and data insights to address pressing issues and develop features that significantly improve the user experience or solve critical pain points. Ultimately, it's about sometimes making difficult choices. Sometimes you have to say no to good ideas in order to say yes to even better ones. This is not always easy, but it is necessary to keep our product focused and valuable.

3. Data-driven decision making

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In my experience, your gut feel can be useful, but data is still king. We rely heavily on data and customer feedback to validate assumptions, test hypotheses, and guide decisions. This approach enables rapid experiments and ensures informed choices about feature prioritization and design.

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When launching new features, we monitor performance via real-time user data and adjust things based on customer behavior. I believe that this data-driven approach ensures that we consistently meet real needs and improve the banking experience.

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4. Collaboration and communication

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Effective cross-functional collaboration is at the heart of my role. I work closely with developers, designers, analysts and stakeholders to align everyone with our goals and methods. Through daily stand-ups, sprint planning and retrospectives, I keep team motivation and focus on our priorities high.

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In my opinion, clear communication is the glue that holds everything together. It provides a shared understanding of our objectives and helps to overcome challenges. Experience shows that transparency about both our successes and failures builds trust within the team and with our stakeholders.

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5. Customer-Centric Mindset

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Putting the customer first drives our approach. We continuously collect and analyse feedback, identify friction points in the app, and develop solutions that simplify banking experiences. Each feature is aimed at removing pain points and increasing customer satisfaction.

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From experience, I know that it's easy for people who work with it every day to get stuck in the technical aspects of a feature and lose sight of the customer. That's why I always try to bring conversations back to customer impact.

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6. Agile Methodology and Flexibility

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Agile methodologies keep our squad flexible and responsive. We break large projects into manageable tasks, deliver value in short cycles, and focus on continuous improvement. This iterative approach allows us to adapt where necessary.

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I've noticed that Agile isn't just a methodology — it's a mindset. It's about being comfortable with change and uncertainty. In banking, where regulations and customer expectations are constantly changing, this flexibility is essential.

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7. Problem solving and adaptability

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My role requires a quick problem solving and adaptability. I work with the team to solve problems, gather extensive input, and make the necessary trade-offs to maintain project momentum. This hands-on approach ensures that we stay agile and achieve our goals despite obstacles.

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8. Leadership and Empowerment

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As a Product Owner, leadership means empowering the team, rather than direct management. I provide clear direction and support, and encourage transparency and open communication. By creating an environment where team members are comfortable sharing ideas and taking ownership, we encourage innovation and strengthen commitment to the end product.

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Key Takeaways

After reflecting on these skills, I think there are three core principles that bring everything together:

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• Customer-centric decision making is key to our success. Each choice addresses customer needs and aligns our product roadmap with feedback for meaningful evolution.
• Collaboration drives our performance. Bringing diverse perspectives together creates synergy that drives product development forward.
• Adaptability is crucial. Rapidly responding to new information, market shifts and customer feedback allows us to make effective adjustments while maintaining our long-term goals.
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By strengthening these skills, Product Owners like me can have a significant impact on the development of digital banking solutions and exceed customer expectations. Our role connects customer needs with technological opportunities and shapes the future of digital banking experiences.

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Ultimately, being a Product Owner in the banking sector is about balancing multiple priorities, stakeholders, and constraints to create something truly valuable for our customers. It's challenging, for sure, but I also think it's incredibly rewarding. After all, we're not just building functionalities — we're determining the future of how people deal with their finances.

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You may not think about it when you receive the new premiums for your (health) insurance, but a lot of people are working behind the scenes to make sure you receive the correct information.

Indeed, in the last quarter of each year, a race against the clock starts for health insurers to inform all insured persons in a timely and adequate manner via various channels such as paper mail, e-mail and online platforms.

The challenge? Efficiently and accurately process huge amounts of data before the November 12 deadline. And the pressure is high, because the communication sent is crucial to maintaining customer satisfaction.

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An advanced solution

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Harmony sets with the help of Careconnect an advanced solution to address that challenge with health insurers (such as Menzis, ONVZ and Health & Security).

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In short, CustomerConnect automates the process of data processing and communication. Through a direct link with the data of the health insurers, data is quickly and accurately converted to various forms of communication.

And that personalization can be very specific. In principle, you can ensure that a young customer aged 26 receives an email or WhatsApp message talking to “you/you” while the grandmother of that same customer receives a letter on the doormat where “you” and “your” are used.

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With CustomerConnect, the mass of required communication is generated and distributed in a much shorter time, relieving the pressure on timelines.

Our colleagues Wai-Chiu and Jacco look back on their “year-end work” at Health & Security and ONVZ.

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Jacco and Wai-Chiu: in the middle of the action

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With a combined Harmony experience of 14 years, Wai-Chiu and Jacco are now not up to their test when it comes to annual work (premium adjustments).

As output experts, they are in the middle of the action and their experiences are often the same.

For example, the preparation of the assignment for both Wai-Chiu and Jacco began as early as September.

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“Ultimately, you work with so many people, from marketing to insurance specialists, that a good preliminary work is really “key”.” A detailed roadmap is drawn up with strict deadlines and - very important - test phases for each step.

“And despite a crucial preparation, you still need to be able to be flexible at all times.” quotes Wai-Chiu. A strategic decision can still lead to an adjustment last minute (for example, the premium) and the systems must be able to flexibly anticipate this.

In close cooperation with marketing, copywriters, insurance specialists and the people who set the premiums, Jacco and Wai-Chiu ensure that everything ultimately comes together nicely and that the right information reaches the right person before the deadline.

This task involves details such as page transition, font size, photos, the layout of the letters and emails to finding out how quickly the letters can reach the print supplier, and ensuring that all communication is also archived correctly.

Or as Jacco calls it: “a few days of sweating”.

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“If everything finally goes as planned, the satisfaction is also very great,” they both indicate.

And both the colleagues at Zorg & Zekerheid and ONVZ receive compliments for the collaboration. “That collaboration is really great”.

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Customer experience at the center

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Harmony's year-end work and its collaboration with health insurers is a textbook example of close commitment and dedication to providing customers with timely and clear information.

The power of a digital solution is undeniable in that story. This way, the maximum focus for our customers can go to their end customer, and we help ensure an optimal customer experience.

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Digital transformation isn't just about implementing new technology—it's about understanding processes and bringing people along for the journey. That's where business analysts come in. They're the vital link between business and IT, bringing structure, clarity and direction to change initiatives. Let me share what I've learned about making business analysis truly powerful in digital transformation projects.

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From "What do you want?" to "What's the real problem?"

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It all starts with listening. A good business analyst doesn't ask five questions, they ask hundreds. In my experience, when someone says "this is what we want," that's just the tip of the iceberg. You need to dig deeper: "What's the actual problem we're trying to solve?" That means listening, probing, and sometimes challenging people—not to be difficult, but to get to the heart of the matter. The better you understand the problem, the more efficient your solution will be.

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Building bridges between business and IT

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Digital transformation only succeeds when business and IT truly understand each other. I've seen it time and again: these two worlds speak completely different languages. The business analyst is the bridge-builder, understanding what IT needs to get started whilst grasping the challenges and requirements facing the business. This bridging role demands careful listening, translation and connection. It's how you avoid misunderstandings and build digital solutions that genuinely fit your organisation's needs, ways of working and ambitions.

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What does a business analyst actually do?

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Process mapping: Documenting how things work today (AS IS) and how they could work better (TO BE). This analysis exposes bottlenecks and helps streamline and improve current operations.

Defining business requirements: Determining what needs to change, why it matters, and in what order.

Supporting tool selection: Gathering requirements, managing RFPs, evaluating vendors and helping identify the right fit.

Documenting, aligning and adjusting: A business analyst maintains the overview whilst diving into the details. You need to spot patterns, understand dependencies and assess impact.

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Working with diverse stakeholders

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Being a business analyst isn't just about mapping processes. What makes my work varied, and demanding, is navigating between vastly different stakeholders. One day you're speaking with a team leader focused entirely on operational processes, the next you're discussing API integrations or business rules with developers, and that same afternoon you're exploring system and process interactions with the business architect.

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Success hinges on adapting your communication to your audience: knowing who you're speaking with, when, and in what language. Thorough preparation helps you choose the right approach for the right people. It's about sensing when technical depth is needed and when a visual representation will be more effective.

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The power of soft skills

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Business analysis isn't just about knowledge and technical content. It's about bringing people with you—and that's where soft skills make all the difference. Which ones matter most to me?

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Active listening is how you truly understand how the business works. By asking open questions and regularly summarising what you've heard, you build trust and uncover information that genuinely matters.

Critical thinking means not accepting everything at face value. I've learned to probe deeper, make connections and have the courage to say when something won't work. That's how you maintain solution quality and avoid blind spots.

Empathy allows you to see things from different stakeholders' perspectives. It helps me build support and turn resistance into engagement.

Pragmatism helps me find workable solutions even when the ideal scenario isn't feasible. I always think in steps, stay realistic and keep the organisation's context front of mind.

Flexibility enables me to adapt to changing circumstances, priorities and insights. No project runs exactly as planned, so being able to pivot is crucial for any business analyst.

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These soft skills are essential. You can learn technical capabilities, but you only earn trust through how you work, communicate and collaborate.

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Trust: the foundation of change

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Building trust is probably the most underrated skill a business analyst can have. From day one, you need to be professional, well-prepared and empathetic. By involving people, making small wins visible, understanding their language and then speaking it yourself, you create the support needed for lasting change.

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My key lesson

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My experience shows that business analysis isn't a supporting role but the foundation of every successful digital transformation. With the right combination of analytical insight, communication skills and trust-building, you can move from insight to action and from strategy to execution.

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Our role connects IT and business, shaping the optimal way of working for any organisation. It's challenging work, but every day you see how organisations need clear insights to build future-ready digital solutions.

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Business analysts in action: our projects

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Our business analysts play pivotal roles in diverse digital transformation projects, including:

Banking – Digitalising the 'Close Account' journey, including analysis and redesign, mapping all touchpoints, creating a roadmap and delivering a scalable MVP.

Maritime – Implementing a resource planning tool, analysing AS IS/TO BE processes, documenting integrations, working closely with engineers and supporting data migration.

Insurance – Developing a new broker portal in Salesforce, streamlining processes and improving collaboration with intermediaries.

Automotive – Transitioning to a new Salesforce platform for car repair management, identifying and optimising all relevant business processes.

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These projects illustrate how our business analysts bridge business and IT to make digital transformations genuinely succeed.

Want to discover how we can support your organisation with similar challenges? Get in touch for an exploratory conversation.

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Are you a business analyst keen to make an impact on challenging projects? We'd love to meet you!

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