Strategic Friction: When Less Isn't Always More in Finance with Nationwide’s Bobbi Jo Allan
The biggest friction in financial services isn't technology, it's the dreaded "NIGO," forms that come back marked "Not In Good Order."
Join hosts Chuck Moxley and Nick Paladino as they talk with Bobbi Jo Allan, innovation leader at Nationwide Financial, who reveals the complex world of B2B2B2C financial transactions.
Bobbi Jo explains how financial advisors, not consumers, are the primary users of financial platforms, and why a single missing signature or incorrect form can derail transactions worth thousands of dollars.
She shares Nationwide's vision of a "formless future" where digital transformation moves beyond simply digitizing paper processes to completely reimagining how complex financial products are sold and managed.
Bobbi Jo also discusses how Amazon-level expectations have reached even the most traditionally paper-based industries, forcing companies to rethink experiences that may involve 10-15 steps and months-long purchase cycles.
The conversation reveals why financial services require strategic friction for fraud prevention and emotional decision-making, and how the industry balances seamless digital experiences with the deeply personal nature of financial planning.
Main Takeaways from this episode:
- Think transformation, not just digitization — Moving from paper to digital forms still leaves you with the same complex multi-step process; true innovation requires reimagining the entire customer journey from scratch.
- Design for your actual users — In models like financial services, the people experiencing friction aren't always the end customers; optimize for the advisors and institutions who actually interact with your systems daily.
- Use strategic friction for protection — Introduce intentional friction during emotional or high-risk transactions like market panic withdrawals or fraud-prone activities to protect customers from decisions they might later regret.
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