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The very point of salery point of sale stacks that enable them to iterate quickly. Digital-first
The ve
companies like Airbnb and Uber release application
updates and enhancements all the time."

Arundel went on to say that expectations are going
through the roof in the corporate sector because of what's
happening in the business-to-consumer space. For example,
a finance director of a large company may question
why a transaction takes three days to complete when a
consumer can do it in three minutes, he said. This trend
Keep the change will undoubtedly continue, he added, as B2C innovations
challenge traditional approaches to corporate finance,

By Dale S. Laszig operations and strategy.
Bridging generational divides
DSL Direct LLC
Everyone is feeling the pressure of technological change,
he holiday season is a critical time for retailers but each generation has a different way of dealing with it,
and a reminder of how quickly time goes by. Arundel stated. He further noted that digital natives, who
Meanwhile, in the final weeks of 2019, the diz- have never known a world without wireless technologies,
T zying pace of change continues to dominate are having an immersive experience; transformers,
payments industry news. who grew up in an analog world, are rapidly adapting;
ostriches, for whom digital and wireless technologies
Digital transformation has brought inspiration, represent a bridge too far, are burying their heads in the
opportunities, challenges and threats to merchant level sand. He cautioned that ostriches may lose market share
salespeople (MLSs). Experts offer solutions but seldom to agile, digitalized companies that offer a great customer
acknowledge the toll these changes can take on MLSs experience.
and merchants, who are tasked with adapting to a "new
normal" every day. "Gen Z is the first truly digital generation, and Gen Z
consumers are making new demands on merchants
As we enter a new roaring twenties, the decade will and banking partners," said Sankar Krishnan, partner
inevitably invite comparisons to its 20th century at Capgemini. "Gen Z's have a higher tendency to try a
predecessor. It's worth noting that the analog technologies product or service if their peers recommend it, because
of 100 years ago were just as disruptive as today's digital they're integrated into the social media exosphere like
versions are to merchants, consumers and service providers. never before."
The 1920s introduced the Model T automobile, assembly Krishnan, author of The Power of Mobile Banking, noted that
line production methods and a massive electrical grid banks have a 200-year history but have not used customer
for powering households and manufacturing. These data as effectively as Google, Facebook or Amazon. Fintechs,
innovations improved efficiencies and lifestyles, changing on the other hand, have an amazing understanding of what
the American landscape forever. A century ago, the simple consumers want, and use data to predict what will make
act of plugging into a power source unleashed a whole new customers happy, he added. "For the first time in banking
set of capabilities. Today, it's the opposite: business owners payments history, fintechs are helping banks leverage
and consumers are unplugging, leveraging wireless their customer networks by using data to differentiate and
technologies that enable them to freely transact anywhere create a better experience," he said. "These collaborations
in the world. are redefining the future and giving people the freedom to
decide what role they want to play in that future."
Mass production, personalization
Mass production mentality, as evidenced by Henry Ford's As payments professionals shape the next decade of
famous comment, "You can have your car in any color commerce, they will be guided by values that have stood
you want, as long as it's black," has given way to mass the test of time. Change in this industry is as constant as
personalization at scale. Customers expect immediate, the North Star, and merchants will always need steady,
personalized offers from their favorite merchants and well-informed, consultative MLSs to help them navigate it.
brands. These expectations comprise the very heart of
innovation, according to Richard Arundel, co-founder and
general manager North America at Currencycloud. Dale S. Laszig, senior staff writer at The Green Sheet and managing
director at DSL Direct LLC, is a payments industry journalist and content
"We're seeing consumer demand like never before," Arundel development specialist. She can be reached at dale@dsldirectllc.com
said. "Having best-in-class APIs is table stakes for today's and on Twitter at @DSLdirect.
companies; what's more important is designing technology

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