The use of digital channels to send or receive remittances remains low in West Africa. This report identifies motivators and barriers to the use of remittances in formal financial services and offers recommendations and product ideas for service providers.

The MI4ID team helped HFC Bank identify target markets, their needs, and preferences in personal financial management. We also helped design an interface based on use-cases for the bank’s mobile application. Consequently, the number of customers increased tenfold, with 20% of new customers saving actively.

MSC has been running concurrent pilots with financial service providers to strengthen the cash-in cash-out agent network in India. These multiple pilots, tailored empathetically to the needs of customers and providers, address challenges that agents face throughout their lifecycle.

The MI4ID team helped MiBank innovate agent network models to enhance “access” to financial services in Papua New Guinea. Designed under AANIL, these CICO models offer MiBank a modified user-centered approach to manage agents and increase the uptake and use of its financial service offerings.

Using the MI4ID approach, MSC supported the Shakti Foundation to design customer-centric voluntary savings products and innovations around managing product risks. The team helped Shakti address the key challenge of offering savings products sustainably at scale to potentially 500,000 poor households.

The MI4ID team trained staff from banks and MFIs on processes for innovative product development. This helped participants, who service 4.5 million customers, understand the importance of using customer journey and persona mapping to innovate and increase the uptake of existing products.