Re: DISCUSS: Personalization of Mobile Banking App by Financial Institution

[Ed Cable <ed...@mifos.org>]

Hi all,

Thanks to everyone for their feedback on this subject and sorry I'm only
getting around to replying on it now. Myrle - thanks for summarizing the
two scenarios I had proposed succinctly.

@Luisa - what I had intended was a white-labeled app that can be easily
customized by the individual FI or partner supporting the MFI. I hear your
concern that if an individual financial institution is going to use the
mobile banking app, their clients won't want to, nor expect to search for a
Fineract/Mifos/etc app on Google Play - I had to that with US Bank a couple
years ago and found it very odd.

I think we need to make the assumption that end clients aren't going to
directly download and install the generic mobile banking app from Google
Play and that it will first be modified by the financial institution or the
partner supporting the financial institution and then that APK can be made
directly available to the clients or pushed to Google Play.

That being said,

Approach 1 is what we'll focus on for the mobile banking app at the center
of this discussion:

1.) By adjusting the source code and distributing a bank-specific app.

In order to make it easier for partners or IT staff of an FI to modify the
generic APK to be specific to their tenant, we should expose the baseURL as
easily modifiable setting in debug mode so they can then rebuild their APK.

Sander - I think this conservative approach is inline with what you've done
where you're simply generating unique APKs for each of your tenants, and
not trying to have one APK that they then select their financial
institution for from a drop down before creating their account.

In reality, the approach I discussed before  (2.) By distributing the same
app for all banks, then selecting the bank*in* the app.) of having a end
user select an FI from a drop-down seems untenable, especially if they're
from MFIs from many different partners.

@Sander - When you said that some prefer Musoni Services to host the app
under Google Play, how are you doing that if you have a unique APK for each
tenant? Or were you just meaning that you do the publishing and hosting of
the unique APK for them?

Zayyad, for the use cases of a partner with multiple tenants, you can
follow an approach like Sander and run scripts that create the new APKs for
you with the correct baseURL for the respective tenant.

To summarize, we'll go with approach 1 to allow a partner/FI to adjust the
code and make it specific to their customer's financial institution. That
will involve:

1) Making it easy to adjust baseURL or tenant it's connecting from within
the app (so no changes currently to Fineract)
2) Clearly documenting on the wiki and in Google Play what needs to be done
to connect this to a production tenant whereby the initial app before
pointing it to a different server is just for testing purposes.

And to go back to the first discussion at hand regarding customizing of
logo, we're still writing out the spec and wireframes for an administrative
portal to allow FI staff to handle the upload of a logo for their app and
other self-service administrative functions.

@Rajan, @Dilpreet, @Denila - let's think about the settings that we can
make configurable - i.e. logo, color scheme, etc.

Ed



On Tue, Nov 28, 2017 at 4:34 AM, Ma. Luisa Martínez <
luisa.martinez@kuelap.io> wrote:

> Hi guys, hope this finds you well.
>
> Here’s my vision from a Business/Customer point of view:
>
> 1) the app has to be 110% user friendly. Making the end users search in a
> common app for their FI is not an easy thing to do, specially in those
> regions of the world where people are not sofisticaded users of
> smartphones.
> And for those who are, is just annoying to search for your FI from a list.
> 2) the users are going to search in the Google store for a Fineract app or
> whatever name, they’ll search for their own FI
> 3) the FI will want to have their own app. There’s no discussion on that.
> 4) I think a halfway solution (from a User experience point of view) could
> be to create a white label app, easy customized by the own FI.
>
> Have a wonderful day!
>
>
> El El mar, 28 de nov. de 2017 a las 06:24, Sander van der Heyden <
> sandervanderheyden@musonisystem.com> escribió:
>
> > Hi Myrle,
> >
> > The way we've dealt with this from our end is using custom gradle scripts
> > that generate individual APKs for each tenant and enhanced the tenant
> > tables a bit to store more info such as logo path, colour scheme etc.
> This
> > is also a requirement for us as some of our customers also want to host
> the
> > app themselves under their own name in the Google Play store, whereas
> > others prefer us to do it.
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Sander
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Sander van der Heyden
> >
> > CTO Musoni Services
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Mobile (NL): +31 (0)6 14239505
> > Skype: s.vdheyden
> > Website: musonisystem.com
> > Follow us on Twitter!  <https://twitter.com/musonimfi>
> > Postal address: Hillegomstraat 12-14, office
> > <https://maps.google.com/?q=Hillegomstraat+12-14,+office&ent
> ry=gmail&source=g>
> > 0.09, 1058 LS, Amsterdam,
> > The Netherlands
> >
> > On 28 November 2017 at 12:07, Myrle Krantz <my...@apache.org> wrote:
> >
> > > All,
> > >
> > > Allow me to bring this branding requirements discussion back to the
> list
> > so
> > > we can broaden our information sources:
> > >
> > > How do banks want brand their app?
> > >
> > > I see two proposed solutions in Ed’s mail.
> > >
> > > 1.) By adjusting the source code and distributing a bank-specific app.
> > > 2.) By distributing the same app for all banks, then selecting the bank
> > > *in* the app.
> > >
> > > Does anyone see any other possible solutions? Do any of the domain
> > experts
> > > on the list have a preference for one of these solutions? What do banks
> > and
> > > MFIs want here?
> > >
> > > Best Regards,
> > > Myrle
> > >
> > >
> > > P.S. I wasn’t on the check-in call Ed is referring to here, and you
> don’t
> > > have to be to participate in this discussion either. *All* participants
> > are
> > > welcome.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > On Fri 24. Nov 2017 at 11:46 Ed Cable <ed...@mifos.org> wrote:
> > >
> > > > Hi all,
> > > >
> > > > Based on discussions during our last few check-ins, we wanted to
> > propose
> > > an
> > > > approach to allowing end users to access the tenant/instance for the
> > > > financial institution they belong to while still being able to
> download
> > > the
> > > > app from Google Play store and freeing up each partner from having to
> > > > package up and build their own app.  Rajan will create a ticket on
> > Apache
> > > > Fineract JIRA to document the needed changes but a summary of the
> > > approach
> > > > we're proposing:
> > > >
> > > > For near-term to allow organizations to test the mobile banking app
> and
> > > run
> > > > against their own tenant, we’ll enable a setting to change the
> baseurl
> > > > which will only be visible in debug mode. So a partner could download
> > the
> > > > APK we release, modify the baseurl in settings and share this new APK
> > > with
> > > > the organizations they support to offer to their clients.
> > > >
> > > > The long-term solution we’re implementing will be to build into the
> > > initial
> > > > welcome screens when a user first downloads the mobile banking app,
> the
> > > > ability to select from a drop down the financial institution that
> > > they’re a
> > > > member of, selecting this will then set their endpoint and base url
> and
> > > > then the app will be able to verify that they have an account at the
> > > > financial institution as has been implemented, create credentials and
> > > then
> > > > authenticate.
> > > >
> > > > For this to work, it will require partners or organizations that want
> > to
> > > be
> > > > discoverable to share their baseURL as well as tenants at that
> baseURL.
> > > > This database of baseURLs and tenants will be maintained by Mifos and
> > > will
> > > > populate the drop down list that users select upon initial download
> of
> > > the
> > > > app.
> > > >
> > > > Enhancements to Fineract will have to include:
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >    -
> > > >
> > > >    Endpoint on our demo instance of Apache Fineract to fetch all base
> > > URLs
> > > >    -
> > > >
> > > >    Endpoint to fetch tenants from baseURL to make this work for
> > > >    multitenancy hosting setups.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Ed
> > > >
> > > > On Fri, Oct 20, 2017 at 1:31 AM, Ed Cable <ed...@mifos.org> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > Naman brought up a very good point in the comments on the GitHub
> > issue:
> > > > >
> > > > > *@edcable <https://github.com/edcable> I maybe missing something
> > here
> > > > but
> > > > > financial institutions will have to anyway build and create their
> own
> > > > > version of app since they will be having a separate fineract
> instance
> > > and
> > > > > thus a different base API url that will have to be changed in the
> > > code.*
> > > > >
> > > > > *However, I do agree that an admin section in the webapp for
> managing
> > > > > these self service channels will be great.*
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > While this might then make it the case that each organization needs
> > to
> > > > > create their own version of the app, is there a means of having the
> > the
> > > > > client download the generic app, then when registering based on
> which
> > > > > organization they specify they belong to, it identifies the tenant
> > and
> > > > sets
> > > > > the base URL. Or since there is no separate authentication service
> > that
> > > > > stands alone from Fineract tenant, that we can't do any of this
> > > > > registration/authentication without first having the Base API URL
> > > > specified.
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > Ed
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > On Fri, Sep 29, 2017 at 12:48 PM, Zayyyad A. Said <
> > > > > zayyad@intrasofttechnologies.com> wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > >> +1 for MFIs to be upload own logo in Web App which automatically
> > > > replaces
> > > > >> Mifos Logo when you connect to the instance.
> > > > >>
> > > > >> Have a powered by Mifos Initiative link somewhere.
> > > > >>
> > > > >> Regards;
> > > > >>
> > > > >>
> > > > >> *******
> > > > >> Zayyad A. Said | Chairman & C.E.O
> > > > >>
> > > > >> Cell No.: +254 716 615274 | Skype: zsaid2011
> > > > >> Email: zayyad@intrasofttechnologies.com
> > > > >>
> > > > >>
> > > > >>
> > > > >> -----Original Message-----
> > > > >> From: Ed Cable [mailto:edcable@mifos.org]
> > > > >> Sent: 29 September 2017 09:29 PM
> > > > >> To: Mifos software development <
> > mifos-developer@lists.sourceforge.net
> > > >;
> > > > >> Dev <de...@fineract.apache.org>
> > > > >> Subject: DISCUSS: Personalization of Mobile Banking App by
> Financial
> > > > >> Institution
> > > > >>
> > > > >> As we prepare to launch the Mifos Mobile Banking App powered by
> > Apache
> > > > >> Fineract, one thing I realize we need to make easy for the sys
> admin
> > > of
> > > > the
> > > > >> app is the ability to change the logo to that of the financial
> > > > institution
> > > > >> offering the app to their customers.
> > > > >>
> > > > >> Most organizations will want to have the app have the look and
> feel
> > of
> > > > >> their organization (at least their logo)
> > > > >>
> > > > >> While some orgs will want to take the codebase and build their own
> > APK
> > > > >> and distribute their own version of the app directly or through
> the
> > > Play
> > > > >> store, I foresee the real-life scenario would be the financial
> > > > institution
> > > > >> would direct their end users to go to the Google Play store and
> > search
> > > > for
> > > > >> Mifos Mobile. The user would download that app and then when
> logging
> > > in
> > > > >> they would see the logo of the financial institution that they
> > belong
> > > > to.
> > > > >> This logo would replace where the Mifos logo is currently (we
> still
> > > > would
> > > > >> like to retain some of the Mifos branding in the app though).
> > > Ultimately
> > > > >> they might also want to change the mobile app icon too to their
> org.
> > > > >>
> > > > >> Should we just create a section in the Mifos X web app, where they
> > can
> > > > >> upload the logo they want displayed in the mobile banking app?
> > > > >>
> > > > >> Perhaps within the Mifos X Web App admin section there will be a
> > > control
> > > > >> panel of sorts where the financial institution can manage their
> > > > >> self-service channels (mobile and online banking apps). This is
> > where
> > > we
> > > > >> can also put the user creation/management functionality. It could
> > also
> > > > be
> > > > >> where they could initiate in-app notifications from. As we improve
> > our
> > > > >> customer support mechanisms through the app, incoming requests
> could
> > > > come
> > > > >> here.
> > > > >>
> > > > >> I created ticket at
> > > > https://github.com/openMF/self-service-app/issues/431
> > > > >> to track discussion. Will likely need to create the appropriate
> > > tickets
> > > > >> on Apache Fineract and Mifos X web app issue trackers to support
> the
> > > > same.
> > > > >>
> > > > >> Ed
> > > > >>
> > > > >>
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > --
> > > > > *Ed Cable*
> > > > > President/CEO, Mifos Initiative
> > > > > edcable@mifos.org | Skype: edcable | Mobile: +1.484.477.8649
> > > > > <(484)%20477-8649>
> > > > >
> > > > > *Collectively Creating a World of 3 Billion Maries | *
> > http://mifos.org
> > > > > <http://facebook.com/mifos>  <http://www.twitter.com/mifos>
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > --
> > > > *Ed Cable*
> > > > President/CEO, Mifos Initiative
> > > > edcable@mifos.org | Skype: edcable | Mobile: +1.484.477.8649
> > > >
> > > > *Collectively Creating a World of 3 Billion Maries | *
> http://mifos.org
> > > > <http://facebook.com/mifos>  <http://www.twitter.com/mifos>
> > > >
> > >
> >
>



-- 
*Ed Cable*
President/CEO, Mifos Initiative
edcable@mifos.org | Skype: edcable | Mobile: +1.484.477.8649
<(484)%20477-8649>

*Collectively Creating a World of 3 Billion Maries | *http://mifos.org
<http://facebook.com/mifos>  <http://www.twitter.com/mifos>