Digital Competition in Financial Services from Coursera

Welcome to Digital Transformation Strategy! As you probably know, this is the first course in a three part specialization focused on the digital transformation of finance. We'll aim to bring you insights about how digitalization intersects with finance, culled from one of the world's top regions for digital innovation. I'm excited to have you in the class and look forward to helping you learn more about this important topic.

To begin, I recommend taking a few minutes to explore the course site. A good place to start is the navigation bar on the left. Click Course Content to see what material we’ll cover each week, as well preview the assignments you’ll need to complete to pass the course. Click Discussions to see forums where you can discuss the course material with fellow students taking the class. Be sure to introduce yourself to everyone in the Meet and Greet forum!

This course should take about four weeks to complete. You can check out the recommended course schedule below to see a quick overview of the lessons and assignments you’ll complete each week.

By the time you finish this course, you’ll have mastered the transformational forces of digitalization and the new competitive dynamics it gives rise to, learned from leading financial companies and seen inspirational examples from the digital masters. You'll be introduced to the Capstone Project for the specialization and have a chance to form some preliminary solutions for a financial company seeking a new strategy for the digital age of finance.

Good luck as you get started. I look forward to seeing you in class!

What's inside

Syllabus

Digital Competition in Financial Services

Welcome to Digital Competition in Financial Services! We’re excited to have you in the class and look forward to helping you learn more about this important topic. To begin, I recommend taking a few minutes to explore the course site. A good place to start is the navigation bar on the left. Click Course Content to see what material we will cover each week, as well preview the assignments you will need to complete. Click Discussions to see forums where you can discuss the course material with fellow students taking the class. Be sure to introduce yourself to everyone in the Meet and Greet forum! This course should take four weeks to complete. You can check out the recommended course schedule below to see a quick overview of the lessons and assignments you will complete each week. By the time you finish this course, you will have mastered important concepts needed to understand the transformation, learned from best practice in digital industries, and seen how firms in financial services are embracing the new rules of competition. You will be introduced to the Capstone Project for the specialization and have a chance to form some preliminary solutions for a financial service company that is re-inventing itself to compete in finance as a digital industry. Good luck as you get started. We look forward to seeing you in class!

The digital transformation

The digital transformation is radically rewriting the rules of competition in the financial service industries. In this module, we are exploring the forces shaping the new competitive dynamics: product and service digitization, changing customer demands and new regulations. Together, these forces give rise to completely new market structures that force organizations to compete in new ways.

Digital platforms

At the heart of the digital transformation rests an increased orientation towards digitally enabled platform-based business models. In this module, we cover how firms compete with platforms and how platforms change the dynamics of affected industries. We explore the workings of the platform, including how to establish a platform core for others to build on and how to manage the relationship to 3rd party developers. We contextualize the ideas behind digital platform thinking using examples both from financial service companies and from the digital giants that excel in platform-based businesses.

Digital ecosystems

In this module, we introduce the business ecosystem metaphor as a way to think of and model the increasingly complex relationships between actors in the digital financial service industries. We elaborate on how to deal with relational tensions internally and towards externally. We also address how digital technology strategies become inseparable from business strategy in the digital era.

Capstone project: How open is open enough?

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Teaches how digitalization intersects with finance

Taught by experts from one of the world's top regions for digital innovation

Introduces the Capstone Project for the specialization

May require prior knowledge of digital finance and prior completion of other courses or programs

Aims to help learners master the transformational forces of digitalization and the new competitive dynamics it gives rise to

Develops skills in digital platform and ecosystem thinking, which are core skills for finance professionals

Reviews summary

Highly recommended course for understanding digital transformation in financial services

According to students, this course is well received with largely positive reviews. Learners say it's a well designed and engaging course that provides informative content and relevant examples. The course is highly recommended for students, faculty members, and finance professionals who want to gain a comprehensive understanding of digital transformation in the financial services industry.

Moderately paced course

"I really like the course but I hope they could put more books or resources to understand better this subject."

Engaging and challenging final assignment

"A great introduction to Digitalization, concepts fully explained and the capstone project (which is peer reviewed) is a great way to have feedback and being able to view other points of view"

"The most important part i like about this course is the way it is structured. Step-by-step and with proper examples."

Knowledgeable and engaging instructors

"Both the instructors and the Saxo Bank COO were great in explaining the concepts with theory and examples: they were passionate."

"Jonas and Stefan both are good at conveying the subject."

Emphasis on digital transformation in financial services

"The course was very good with relatable case studies. Highly recommended for getting to know the challenges in Financial Services and various strategies and methods available. "

"Digital transformation a financial service industry is an eye opener in the area of democratization of access to financial services been unbundled, financial ecosystem and scale through agile methodology."

Well-structured, in-depth course

"The course is very detailed , informative , rigorous, course, well-structured it is highly recommended for all the Financial Services Professionals . "

"The content of the course is super structured and the interviews with Soren Kyhl are very insightful."

High-quality content with industry-relevant insights

"Digital technology is redefining the keys to a successful business model. In the financial services space, we are witnessing the unbundling of financial services where platforms, ecosystems and partnerships play an important role. The course does a wonderful job in explaining these impacts and the strategies to operate in the digital world for a financial services player. "

"I have learned a lot about the digital transformation of financial service sector and it will be very helpful to work in this platform in future. "

Abundance of practical examples and real-world applications

"Good examples, wisdom from industry expert and thought provoking assignments."

"Very helfull course in FInancial Digitalization. I'm Head Division Digital Banking. this will help me in management of Digital Transformation projects in financial services."

Some course materials link to Wikipedia

"some articles refer to wikipedia...for a paid course, perhaps there should be better sources of information;"

"The course has content with links to Wikipedia which is literally a self-help website so I do not understand the objective of the course."

Occasional technical issues

"The content was very good but found that the spoken text was not properly captured in the transcripts."

"(May 2021) While the course provides a good baseline introduction to digitalisation of financial services, I was disappointed with the following: 1) dated articles 2009-2012, perhaps they need to update sources to at least 2018-2019; 2) some articles refer to wikipedia...for a paid course, perhaps there should be better sources of information; 3) a lot of distracting typos - "pray", "costumers" among many others.. if this course is dated, shouldn't there be a regular editing check by coursera or the course providers? "

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Digital Competition in Financial Services with these activities:

Review high school level algebra

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Refresh your understanding of basic algebraic concepts such as solving equations and systems of equations. This will provide a solid foundation for the more advanced topics covered in this course.

Browse courses on Algebra

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Review your notes from high school algebra
Practice solving equations and systems of equations
Take practice tests or quizzes to assess your understanding

Case Study: A Digital Transformation Strategy for a Financial Services Organization

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Draft a digital transformation strategy for a financial services organization. This will help you apply the concepts you learn in the course and think critically about real-world applications.

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Identify a financial services organization
Research the organization's current digital landscape
Develop a digital transformation strategy
Create a presentation or document to outline your strategy

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Career center

Learners who complete Digital Competition in Financial Services will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Business Consultant

The course will help you gain an understanding of the digital transformation in the financial sector, which will be useful for working as a business consultant. It will equip you with the skills and knowledge to help businesses optimize their digital strategies and implement new technologies to improve their operations.

See salaries and explore the career path for Business Consultant

Data Analyst

The course will provide you with a strong foundation in the digital transformation of financial services, along with specific focus on data analytics. Graduates of the course will know how to analyze data to identify trends and develop insights to help businesses make better decisions.

See salaries and explore the career path for Data Analyst

Digital Marketing Manager

This course will give you foundational knowledge in the digital transformation of financial services. It will equip you with the skills and knowledge to develop and implement digital marketing campaigns that target the right audience and achieve your business goals.

See salaries and explore the career path for Digital Marketing Manager

Financial Analyst

This course will provide you with the skills and knowledge you need to succeed as a financial analyst. You will learn about the digital transformation of financial services and how to use data to make informed decisions about investments.

See salaries and explore the career path for Financial Analyst

Investment Banker

The course will provide you with a strong understanding of the digital transformation of financial services, which is essential for success in investment banking. It will equip you with the skills and knowledge to advise clients on mergers and acquisitions, capital raising, and other financial transactions.

See salaries and explore the career path for Investment Banker

Management Consultant

The course will provide you with the skills and knowledge you need to succeed as a management consultant. You will learn about the digital transformation of financial services and how to help businesses improve their operations and achieve their goals.

See salaries and explore the career path for Management Consultant

Product Manager

The course will provide you with a strong foundation in the digital transformation of financial services, which is essential for success as a product manager. You will learn about the latest trends in financial technology and how to develop and launch new products and services that meet the needs of customers.

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Quantitative Analyst

This course will provide you with the skills and knowledge you need to succeed as a quantitative analyst. You will learn about the digital transformation of financial services and how to use data to develop and implement quantitative models.

See salaries and explore the career path for Quantitative Analyst

Risk Manager

This course will provide you with a strong foundation in the digital transformation of financial services, which is essential for success as a risk manager. You will learn about the latest trends in financial technology and how to develop and implement risk management strategies.

See salaries and explore the career path for Risk Manager

Software Engineer

The course will provide you with a strong foundation in the digital transformation of financial services, which is essential for success as a software engineer. You will learn about the latest trends in financial technology and how to develop and implement software solutions that meet the needs of businesses.

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Strategy Consultant

This course will provide you with the skills and knowledge you need to succeed as a strategy consultant. You will learn about the digital transformation of financial services and how to help businesses develop and implement strategies for growth.

See salaries and explore the career path for Strategy Consultant

Technology Analyst

The course will provide you with a strong foundation in the digital transformation of financial services, which is essential for success as a technology analyst. You will learn about the latest trends in financial technology and how to evaluate and recommend technology solutions to businesses.

See salaries and explore the career path for Technology Analyst

Venture Capitalist

The course will provide you with a strong understanding of the digital transformation of financial services, which is essential for success as a venture capitalist. You will learn about the latest trends in financial technology and how to identify and invest in promising startups.

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Financial Advisor

The course may be useful for working as a financial advisor. It will provide you with a strong understanding of the digital transformation of financial services, which is becoming increasingly important for financial advisors to understand.

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Sales Manager

The course may be useful for working as a sales manager in the financial services industry. It will provide you with a strong understanding of the digital transformation of financial services, which is changing the way that products and services are sold.

See salaries and explore the career path for Sales Manager