A new research report from Coconut Software, developed in partnership with Future Branches Insights, reveals a significant disconnect between how financial institutions perceive their hybrid banking capabilities and their operational readiness. The report, titled Branch Forward: How Financial Institutions Are Investing in Technology, Scheduling, and the Future of CX, is based on a survey of 100 senior leaders from banks and credit unions across the U.S. and Canada.
One of the most striking findings is the 'hybrid maturity gap.' While 76% of respondents claim to deliver an integrated hybrid banking experience, only 3% describe their maturity as truly 'intelligent' or 'optimized.' Furthermore, 61% frequently struggle to forecast staffing requirements to meet customer demand, and another 38% face this challenge occasionally. This operational gap highlights a critical weakness as institutions aim to enhance branch performance.
The report indicates that institutions are responding by increasing investments in AI and scheduling infrastructure. More than half (56%) are already implementing AI in specific departments or workflows, and 22% are scaling AI institution-wide. Additionally, 58% have formal investment plans for AI-driven scheduling and intelligent advisor matching, and 53% plan to invest in demand forecasting within the next 18 months.
There is also a shift in perception of scheduling from an operational necessity to a strategic revenue driver. Over half (54%) of respondents focus on appointment conversion value, such as revenue per appointment, as their primary scheduling metric, and 38% rank conversion optimization as their top business priority for the coming year.
Other key findings include a preference for best-of-breed, integration-first vendor strategies (55%) over vendor consolidation. When funding new technology, 65% consider strategic alignment as one of the top two factors, while 42% prioritize customer impact metrics like NPS and CSAT. Total cost of ownership is the most important factor in build-vs-buy decisions for 46% of institutions.
Katherine Regnier, CEO of Coconut Software, commented, "Financial institutions have made significant progress connecting physical and digital banking, but the next stage of maturity isn't about adding more channels—it's about making every interaction more purposeful and productive." She added that institutions must better predict demand, connect the right people at the right time, and tie interactions to outcomes to turn hybrid banking into a growth engine.
The report, designed for operations, retail banking, customer experience, and digital transformation leaders, provides data-backed insights into AI adoption, workforce planning, scheduling maturity, and technology investment. It is available for download at coconutsoftware.com. The findings underscore the urgency for financial institutions to bridge the gap between strategic vision and operational execution to remain competitive in the evolving banking landscape.
