Cat in the Rain – Woman the Inequality

CHAPTER TWO SEMANTICS AND STRUCTURE OF VERBAL PHRASEOLOGICAL UNITS The subject matter of our graduation paper is semantics and structure of verbal phraseological units . The English language is extremely rich in verbal phraseological units due to their grammatical features and the diversity of their structural types. It is known that the verb is endowed with the richest grammatical categories in the system of the parts of speech. The same grammatical features pass from the verb to verbal idioms. Becoming a component of an idiom, the verb endows its idiom with its grammatical and functional characteristic features.The classification system of phraseological units suggested by Professor A. V. Koonin is the latest outstanding achievement in the Russian theory of phraseology. The classification is based on the combined structural – semantic principle and it also considers the quotient of stability of phraseological units ( ?. ?. , ?. ?. , ?. ?. , , 2008 ). Phraseological unit s are subdivided into the following four classes according to their function in communication determined by their structural – semantic characteristics. 1.Nominative phraseological units are represented by word – groups, including the ones with one meaningful word, and coordinative phrases of the type wear and tear. The first class also includes word- groups with a predicative structure, such as the crow flies, and, also, predicative phrases of the type see how the land lies, ships that pass in the night. 2. Nominative – communicative phraseological units include word- groups of the type to break the ice – the ice is broken, verbal word- groups which are transformed into a sentence when the verb is used in the Passive Voice. 3.Phraseological units which are neither nominative nor communicative include interjectional word- groups. 4. Communicative phraseological units are represented by proverbs and sayings. Thus, verbal idioms belong to the class of nomin ative and nominative – communicative phraseological units, due to the fact that some of them are word – combinations, while others can be both word –combinations and sentences. Word- groups may be generally described through the pattern of arrangement of the constituent members. The term â€Å" syntactic structure â€Å" implies the description of the order and arrangement of member – words as parts of speech.We may, for instance, describe the word – group as made up of an Adjective and a Noun ( clever man, red flower, etc. ), a Verb – a Noun ( take books, build houses , etc. ) , or a Noun, a Preposition and a Noun ( a touch of colour, a matter of importance, etc. ). The syntactic structure of the nominal groups â€Å" clever man† and â€Å" red flower† may be represented as A+ N, that of the verbal groups â€Å" take books† and â€Å" build houses† as V+ N. These formulas can be used to describe all the possibl e structures of English word – groups. We can say , e. . , that the verbal groups comprise the following structural formulas: V+N ( to build houses), V+ prp +N ( to rely on somebody ), V+ N+ prp +N (to hold something against somebody ), V+N+V ( to make somebody work), V+V (to get to know ). The structure of word-groups may be also described in relation to the head – word, e. g. the structure of the same verbal groups ( to build houses, to rely on somebody ) is represented as to build +N, to rely +on +N. In this case it is usual to speak of the patterns of word – groups but not of formulas.The term â€Å" pattern â€Å" implies that we are speaking of the structure of the word – group in which a given word is used as its head. The interdependence of the pattern and meaning of head – words can be easily perceived by comparing word – groups of different patterns in which the same head-word is used. For example, in verbal groups the head †“ word mean is semantically different in the patterns mean +iV ( mean something ) and mean + V ( inf. ) ( mean to do something). Three patterns with the verb get as the head – word represent three different meanings of this verb, e. g. get +N ( get a letter, information, money, etc. , get +to +N( get to London, to the Institute, etc. ) , get + N+V (inf. ) (get somebody to come, to do the work ). Broadly speaking we may conclude that as a rule the difference in the meaning of the head – word is conditioned by a difference in the pattern of the word – group in which this word is used. In the same way as we speak of word patterns, the structure of phraseological units is also based on certain patterns. We are going to focus on verbal phraseological units which compared to free word –groups discussed above have structural stability, semantic unity and figurativeness.The structure of the English phraseological units is much more variegated. Within English ve rbal idioms the following syntactical relations are observed: 1. Verb + direct object 1) To beat the air – to do nothing 2) To crack the whip – Coll. To use one’s power or influence over other people in a vigorous or severe manner; be in control 3) To ride the storm – to control or deal with a situation of great disorder or violence 4) To bell the cat – Coll, rather old- fash . To take a risk or do something that is dangerous, esp. for the good of others 5) To give the chop – Coll. To dismiss someone from his job ; to destroy a plan, idea 2.Verb + prepositional object 1) To clutch at a straw – Coll. To be willing to try anything to get out of a dangerous, difficult situation 2) To strain at a gnat – Not fml. To trouble oneself about a matter of no importance 3) To cut with a knife – Not fml. To be able to feel the emotions and opinions of the people in a room, esp. when these are unpleasant 4) To play with fire – Not fml. To take risks, esp. when these are foolish and unnecessary 5) To fall on deaf ears – to be or remain unnoticed or disregarded 3. Verb + direct object + prepositional object 1) To kill two birds with one stone – to fulfill two purposes with one action ) To keep the wolf from the door – Coll. Often humor. To prevent hunger 3) To put the kibosh on – Coll. To spoil or prevent a plan from happening or being successful 4) To get a kick from – Coll. To get a feeling of pleasure, excitement, or enjoyment from 5) To get one’s hands on –Not fml. To get hold of something or someone violently; seize 4. Verb + indirect object + direct object 1) To give his head – Not fml. To allow someone do what he wants 2) To give her the gun – Coll. To increase speed when driving a vehicle, esp. a car 3) To show a clean pair of heels – Not fml. To run away as fast as possible from someone or something ) To do justice – to sh ow the true value of a person or thing; treat a person or thing as he /it deserves 5. Verb + adverb 1) To sweep under the carpet – Not fml. To hide or forget something shameful, unpleasant 2) To drive into a corner – Not fml. To put a person into a difficult or awkward situation 3) To throw down the gauntlet – to invite someone to fight, argue, defend himself or his opinions 4) To sit on one’s hands – Not fml. To do nothing; be inactive 6. Verb + object + adverb 1) To build castles in the air – to have dreams, hopes, or desires that are unlikely to become reality ) To have a finger in every pie – Not fml. To be concerned in some way with a large number of different plans, arrangements at the same time 3) To keep one’s finger on the pulse – Coll. To know exactly what is happening in an organization, society, etc. 4) To have one foot in the grave – Coll, often humor. To be very old or ill; be near death 5) To have a frog in one’s throat – Not fml. To be unable to speak clearly because one needs to cough or has a sore throat From the point of view of their grammatical structure verbal idioms are divided into the following groups: ) To be functioning as a link verb and the whole unit expresses state, e. g: 1) To be on a friendly footing with somebody – to behave towards or deal with each other in a friendly way 2) To be the tops – Coll. To be the best of one’s kind; be of very high quality 3) To be between the devil and the deep sea – having two possible courses of action open to one, both of which are dangerous, unpleasant 4) To be one jump ahead of – Not fml. To foresee what a person is likely to do next or what is about to happen and be prepared for it; to keep slightly ahead of something 5) To be at loggerheads – to disagree or quarrel with someoneIdioms beginning with the verb to have also belong here, e. g: 1) To have someone’s blood on one’s hands – to be responsible for someone’s death 2) To have on one’s brain – Not fml. To be continuously thinking or worrying about something 3) To have a maggot in one’s brain – Coll. rare. To have strange ideas or desires 4) To have light fingers – Not fml. To have an ability or a tendency to steal things 5) To have a brain like a sieve – Not fml. To be unable to remember things correctly or keep information in one’s mind b) Idioms beginning with other notional verbs and the whole unit expresses action, e. g: ) To gain ground – to advance, make progress; become more important or powerful 2) To lead a charmed life – Not fml. To have continuous good fortune in avoiding accidents or harm 3) To hit the hay – Coll, To lie down to sleep; go to bed 4) To make a clean breast of smth. – Not fml. To admit to something Verbal phraseological units may be classified in accordance with their structure into : a) One – summit phraseological units They are composed of a notional and a form word , and have one semantic centre , such as : 1) To ask for it – Coll. To behave in a way that causes trouble, anger, etc. , esp. hat causes another person to be violent 2) To come it over – Coll. To show by one’s behavior that one believes oneself to be better than someone 3) To have it in for – Coll. To be determined to cause harm or injury to a person, organization, etc. 4) To jump to it – Coll. To show immediate and rapid willingness, e. g. to obey an order or request b) Many summit phraseological units They are composed of two or more notional words and form words ,and have two or more semantic centres , such as : 1) To take the bull by the horns – Coll. To deal with something difficult boldly or without delay 2) To ill the goose that laid the golden eggs – to destroy the chief cause of one’s profit or success 3 ) To know on which side one’s bread is buttered – Coll. To know what to do in order to be liked or approved of by the people in power 4) To have a millstone round one’s neck – to cause much and continuous trouble to someone 5) To get hold of the wrong end of the stick – Coll. To misunderstand something completely Academician V. V. Vinogradov spoke of the semantic change in phraseological units as â€Å" a meaning resulting from a peculiar chemical combination of words†.This seems a very apt comparison because in both cases between which the parallel is drawn an entirely new quality comes into existence ( ?. ?. , ?. ?. , ?. ?. , , 2008 ). The factors accounting for semantic changes may be subdivided into two groups: Linguistic and Extra-linguistic causes . By extra – linguistic causes we mean various changes in the life of speech community, changes in economic and social structure, changes of ideas, scientific concepts, way of lif e and other spheres of human activities as reflected in word meanings.Although objects, concepts, etc. change in the course of time , yet in many cases the words which denote them are retained, but the meaning of such words is changed. E. g: The phraseological unit â€Å" blow one’s own trumpet – Coll. To praise one’s own ambitions â€Å" arose from the fact that in medieval times heralds welcomed the sound of the trumpet of the knights, coming into the competition. When the social practice had disappeared and the phrase was reinterpreted, the communication between the meaning of the phraseological unit and the literal meanings of its components disrupted.Now the phraseological unit â€Å" blow one’s trumpet† and variable word –combination â€Å"blow one’s trumpet – to play on one’s trumpet † are homonyms. Another phraseological unit is â€Å"show the white feather – Not fml,( becoming rare) to reveal on e’s fear or cowardly feelings. Referring to a cock ( a male chicken) that has been bred for fighting as a sport. If the chicken had any white feathers, it was thought to be badly bred. The phraseological unit â€Å"show the white feather† had spawned in England and Australia, the custom of which is to send a white feather to faces, evading from military services.There are phrasal verbs specific to the English language ,e. g: 1) Give up – to leave ; abandon 2) Let on – to pretend; to tattle. With regard to the nature of these verbal complexes, opinions of linguists differ. They called them compound verbs, verbs with a postposition, postpositive verb with a prefix. These verbs in the English language are usually called phrasal verbs. Recently, a successful term post-verbs has appeared for the second component of these formulations. What is a post-verb? It cannot be a preposition, as it is used only in the verbal complex, and unlike the preposition it is alw ays under the stress.It cannot be an adverb , as it is not marked as a part of the sentence. Consequently, it cannot be a prepositional adverb. To understand the nature of a post-verb , we should mention Smirnitsky’s important statement, that post-verbs are words, as it combines with verbal components, having a paradigm of changing words. Thus, all verbal complexes â€Å" give in, give up, let on , take in † and so on, are stable phrases. The semantic shift affecting phraseological units does not consist in a mere change of meanings of each separate constituent part of the unit.The meanings of the constituents merge to produce an entirely new meaning : e. g. to have a bee in one’s bonnet means â€Å" to have an obsession about something; to be eccentric or even a little mad â€Å". The humorous metaphoric comparison with a person who distracted by a bee continually buzzing under his cap has become erased and half-forgotten, and the speakers using the expressio n hardly think of bees or bonnets but accept it in its transferred sense : â€Å" obsessed, eccentric â€Å". That is what is meant when phrasological units are said to be characterized by semantic unity.It is this feature that makes phraseological units similar to words : both words and phraseological units possess semantic unity. Most Russian scholars today accept the semantic criterion of distinguishing phraseological units from free word – groups as the major one and base their research work in the field of phraseology on the definition of a phraseological unit offered by Professor A. V. Koonin: â€Å"A phraseological unit is a stable word – group characterized by a completely or partially transferred meaning. † The definition clearly suggests that the degree of semantic change in a phraseological unit may vary.In actual fact the semantic change may affect either the whole word – group or only one of its components. Thus, according to the semantic s tructure , verbal idioms are divided into two groups: a) idioms with completely transferred meaning, e. g: 1) To skate on the ice – Coll. To do something dangerous 2) To wear one’s heart on one’s sleeve – Not fml. To allow other people to know what one is feeling; show one’s emotions 3) To have one’s heart in one’s boots – Coll. To feel discouraged or fearful 4) To have one’s heart in one’s mouth – To feel afraid or anxious, e. . when waiting for something to happen 5) To make a mountain out of a molehill – to worry about or become excited about matters that are not really important at all b) idioms with partially transferred meaning in which one of the components preserves its current meaning, the other is used in a transferred meaning, e. g: 1) To break new ground – to do something new, make a discovery 2) To change horses in midstream – Not fml. To change one’s opinion in midd le of something, esp. to decide to support the opposite or a different side 3) To know one’s onions – Coll.To know properly all the information, facts, etc. , concerned with one’s work; be experienced 4) To save one’s skin – Coll. To escape or help someone to escape from a danger Some of the verbal idioms are clearly hyperbolic, for example: 1) Eat out of smb’s hand – Not fml. To have ( a person) in one’s power so that he will do whatever one wishes, esp. because he admires one: Then, having had the fans eating out of his hand he admitted: â€Å"I didn’t enjoy it. I don’t consider myself in show business after just one professional act†. 2) Flog a dead horse – Coll.To keep trying to get satisfaction from something that cannot or can no longer give it : You are flogging a dead horse by asking him to lend you money – he hasn’t even got enough for himself. The idiom refers to a person who beats a horse to make it go even though it is dead, thus to doing something that is completely useless. In many verbal hyperbolic idioms, including borrowed ones , there aren’t corresponding word – combinations and they are based not on real, but imaginary situation. Etymological research provides an opportunity to throw some light on the rigin of some idioms, and then to establish its metaphorical character. So, an idiom â€Å"give smb. the cold shoulder – to be unfriendly to someone, esp. by refusing to speak to or meet him, usually because one is angry , offended †. Unfriendly is not related to people’s shoulder. It means to behave towards someone in a way that is not at all friendly, sometimes for reasons that this person does not understand. Metaphorical character of verbal idioms has been established by comparing the components of verbal idioms with the same words outside the idiom, e. : 1) Hitch one’s wagon to a star – Lit. To have noble or morally improving aims or desires: He was a boy from a poor family who had hitched his wagon to a star and was determined to get a good education for himself. 2) Twist round one’s little finger – Coll. To have the ability to persuade ( a person) to do exactly as one wants : She’ll have no problem getting permission to go on holiday with a friend because she can twist her father round her little finger. Metonomical transformations occur much less in verbal idioms, than metaphorical ones, e. g: 1) Get one’s hand in – Not fml.To obtain or keep one’s skill in a particular activity by practicing it: If you are reasonably clever it won’t take you long to get your hand in at cards. 2) Make a clean breast of smth. – Not fml. To admit to something ; confess: â€Å" Mrs. Lyons, â€Å" said I †¦ â€Å" you are taking a very great responsibility and putting yourself in a very false position by not making an absolutely clean breast of all that you know†. ( Conan Doyle) . From the semantic point of view English verbal idioms may express: 1) Success, happiness, luck 2) Emotions and feelings 3) Relations between people 4) Behaviour 5) Intellect ) Death 7) Features of different phenomena Success, happiness, luck It is known that human life is not cakes and ale as a person has to meet a lot of hardships, which he has to overcome on his way to success. This idea is rendered by such verbal idioms as: 1) To carry the day – Rather rhet. To win in a competition, argument, etc. ; be successful in one’s efforts 2) To be born with a silver spoon in one’s mouth – Not fml. To have wealthy parents; be born into a rich family 3) To kill two birds with one stone – to fulfill two purposes with one action 4) To set the Thames on fire – Not fml.To do something wonderful that causes much excitement and gains a wide reputation 5) To gain ground – to advance, make p rogress; become more important or powerful Emotions, feelings 1) To jump out of one’s skin – Coll. To show or have feelings of great shock, fear, or surprise , esp. by moving very suddenly 2) To hang one’s hand – to feel ashamed about something; feel or look guilty, sorry 3) To take it on the chin – ?oll. To suffer ( a misfortune , disappointment) with courage 4) To break smb’s heart – to make or become very sad 5) To have butterflies in one’s stomach – Coll. To feel nervous, anxious, etc. , esp. hen waiting for something Relations between people 1) To be on a friendly footing with somebody – to behave towards or deal with each other in a friendly way 2) To greet somebody with open arms – Not fml. To welcome somebody in a generous way 3) To give somebody the cold shoulder – Coll. To be unfriendly to someone, esp. by refusing to speak to or meet him, usually because one is angry , offended †. 4) To look down one’s nose at somebody – Not fml. To regard somebody or someone with scorn or dislike 5) To rub someone’s nose in it – Not fml. To keep on reminding someone about something he has done wrong, esp. n an unkind manner Behaviour 1) To hold one’s head high – to act proudly or bravely, in front of people, esp. when one has suffered misfortune 2) To put one’s foot down – Coll. To be firm in one’s purpose or desires , e. g. not to allow another person to do something 3) To keep one’s hair on – Coll. To keep calm; not become angry, excited, etc. 4) To keep one’s chin up – Coll. Not to show feelings of fear, sadness, etc. , when faced with disappointments, worries, or difficulties 5) To behave like a bear with a sore head – Coll. To behave impatiently, in a bad – tempered way Intellect ) To have an old head on young shoulders – Rather old–fash. To have the wisd om, judgment, etc. , that is ordinarily found only in an older and more experienced person 2) To rack one’s brains – Not fml. To think hard about something, esp. to try and work out the answer to a difficult problem 3) To have a level head – Not fml. To be calm, sensible and able to judge well, esp. in difficult situations 4) To have one’s head screwed on the right way – Not fml. To be sensible; not silly Death 1) To give up the ghost – Coll. To die ; to stop putting any effort into doing something 2) To be on one’s last legs – Coll.About to die or to fall down from tiredness or illness 3) To go the way of all flesh- Pomp. To die 4) To be called to one’s eternal rest – Euph. To die 5) To kiss the dust – Coll. To die or become ill, or to stop making or being useful 6) To turn up one’s toes – Coll, humor. To die 7) To pay the debt of nature – Old-fash, rather rhet. To die Failure 1) To bu rn one’s fingers – Not fml. To suffer from something that one has done or been concerned with, esp. because one failed to consider the possible results 2) To come a cropper – Coll. To fall badly or heavily, e. . from a horse; to suffer failure or sudden misfortune 3) To be on one’s bones – to be in a difficult situation 4) To get into hot water – Coll. To fall in trouble 5) To get off on the wrong foot – Not fml. To begin something badly Risk 1) To carry( or take) one’s life in one’s hands – to risk one’s life 2) To skate on thin ice – to put oneself in a dangerous position; to take risks 3) To send to his long account – Euph, old-fash. To kill someone 4) To play with fire – Not fml. To take risks, esp. when these are foolish and unnecessary 5) To put all one’s eggs in one basket – Not fml.To allow all one’s hopes for the future to depend on one event or person; to risk all one’s money, time, interest, etc. in one business or effort 6) To risk one’s neck – Not fml. To take a great risk in doing something Deception 1) To hand smb. a lemon – to cheat, deceive somebody 2) To throw dust in someone’s eyes – Coll. To confuse someone or take his attention away from something that one does not wish him to see or know about 3) To play cat and mouse with – Not fml. To confuse someone unintentionally; deceive someone, esp. by keeping him from realizing what is actually happening to him 4) To pull one’s leg – Coll.To make fun of a person in a friendly way, e. g. by trying to make him believe something that is not true 5) To make a fool of smb. – Not fml. To cause oneself to appear stupid or foolish Euphemism plays an important role in the creation of idiomatic synonyms among verbal phraseological units. For instance synonyms of the verb to die are very numerous: 1) To breathe oneâ€℠¢s last – Rather rhet. To die 2) To give up the ghost – Coll. To die 3) To join the great majority – Old-fash, euph. To die 4) To pay the debt of nature – Old-fash, rather rhet. To die 5) To turn up one’s toes – Coll, humor.To die Another example is the synonyms of the verb to irritate, to annoy : 1) To get smb’s goat – Coll. To cause someone much annoyance 2) To make smb’s blood boil – Not fml. To cause someone to be angry 3) To rub the wrong way – Coll. To annoy or cause offence to a person According to Professor A. V. Koonin verbal idioms are divided into non-comparative and comparative idioms. Non–comparative verbal idioms are phraseological units with subordinate or coordinative structure. The number of verbal idioms with coordinative structure is very few. Their characteristic feature is the two-term structure.In phraseology there are two types of coordinative connections: connective – c oordinative and separative – coordinative connection. Connective – coordinative connection : Verbal idioms of this type are usually pairs of synonymous idioms: 1) Bill and coo – Not fml. , rather old-fash. To show love in a playful way, esp. by kissing and whispering to each other: He took his girlfriend home after the party and they stayed in the car billing and cooing for a long time before she went into her house. 2) Hum and haw – Coll. To speak without saying exactly what one means , e. g. hen one needs more time to consider a matter: He always hums and haws before taking a firm decision. Separative – coordinative connection: There are very few verbal idioms of this type. They include such idioms as: 1) Sink or swim – Not fml. To be safe , succeed, etc. , or suffer complete failure or loss: He has refused to give us any more help, and has left us to sink and swim by our own efforts. 2) Stand or fall – to be completely dependent on ( a principle, the result of uncertain situation, etc. ) for one’s continued existence, good fortune, etc. : We stand or fall by our belief in free speech.Idioms with subordinate structure can have the objective or the objective – adverbial functions. Verbal idioms, expressing objective relations, may have different structures. The simplest form is a combination of a verb with a noun. Below are given examples: 1) Eat crow – Coll. To be forced to change what one has said, admit that one was wrong , etc. , esp. in order to appear more humble: I was cheered up when a letter arrived from Luria that the situation might be smoothed over if we appeared to eat crow. ( James D. Watson) 2) Raise Cain – Coll. To make a noise or trouble, esp. y complaining or arguing: Somewhere to the left of me Sebastian and Mulcaster were raising Cain. Sebastian †¦. seemed in a frenzy and was pounding the door, and shouting†¦( Evelyn Waugh) Nouns can be used both with def inite and indefinite articles: 1) Bear a cross – Not fml. To support or tolerate a heavy weight of sorrow, inconvenience, suffering, etc. : The poor woman has to bear a cross – her husband is too ill to work. 2) Drop a brick – Coll. To make a mistake, esp. to do or say something wrong or unsuitable in a particular situation: I was dismissed from my job because I had dropped a few bricks in front of some important customers.Many verbal idioms, consisting of a noun , which have the forms of singular and plural numbers are denoted by their real phenomena. For example: 1) Keep one’s head above water – Not fml. To keep out of debt : I need 50$ this month to keep my head above water. 2) Set one’s cap at smb. – Coll, rather old- fash. To try to make ( a man) notice her, esp. in order to make him marry her: They had a chauffeur who was about 18 or 19 and undoubtedly set her cap at him and he became her boyfriend. Plural number of nouns is oft en used in one of the components of phraseological units.So, the word â€Å"spurs† in an idiom† win one’s spurs – to show one’s true ability or courage for the first time; gain fame † can be used only in the plural form, because when a man was made a knight , the king would give him not one , but a pair of golden spurs. There are several examples of verbal idioms, in which noun is used only in plural form, because they stand for the action, carried out not by one person or entity designated by them, e. g: 1) Be on pins and needles – Not fml. To be in a state of excitement and anxiety: He was on pins and needles while he was answering my questions . 2) Burn one’s fingers – Not fml.To suffer from something that one has done or been concerned with, esp. because one failed to consider the possible results: â€Å" Anyone who wants to leave this nice warm market , and go out into the blizzard , will get his fingers burnt. 3) Dr aw in one’s horns – Coll . To hold back or control one’s actions, e. g. to spend less money : And if we don’t get some extra money from somewhere we shall have to draw our horns in pretty sharply. ( Iris Murdoch) In some verbal idioms the plural number of a noun does not depend on the number of a person, carrying out the action, denoted by this idioms, it epends on the number of objects. Sometimes in idioms, where the action is carried out by several people, the plural form is not definitively established, and the idiom also occurs in the singular. This phenomenon has been observed in such idiom, as: 1) Cut off one’s nose to spite one’s face – Coll. To do something because of anger, hurt pride, etc. , that harms oneself or one’s own interests: By refusing to work they are cutting off their noses to spite their faces because the company will close down.There are several examples of verbal idioms, in which the noun is always used only in singular form, not depending on the number of persons, carrying out the action, indicated by the phraseological unit, e. g: 1) Carry a stiff upper lip – Not fml. Refusal to complain or show emotion or fear when faced with difficulty or danger; calmness: The old general praised the boys for keeping a stiff upper lip in time of trouble. 2) Cook smb’s goose – Coll. To ruin the chances of success of a person, organization, etc. : My boyfriend has cooked his goose with me – I don’t want to see him again. ) Not to have a leg to stand on – Not fml. To have no good defence for one’s actions or opinions: After the results of the test had shown that his plan would not work, he hadn’t a leg to stand on. Several verbal idioms are used only in the negative forms: 1) Not to see a wood for the trees – not to have a clear and complete understanding of something because of the great number of small and unimportant details that d emand one’s attention: The main purpose of education is too often forgotten – because of all the present arguments about different types of schools we are in danger of not seeing the wood for the trees. ) Not to know whether one is on one’s head or one’s heels – Coll. To be in a very uncertain and confused state : not to know what to do next : At the end of a Saturday morning when his shop was very busy the poor shopkeeper didn’t know whether he was on his head or his heels. There are a lot of verbal idioms in English mostly with prepositions expressing objective – adverbial relations. E. g: 1) Have a millstone round one’s neck – to cause much and continuous trouble to someone: You know how selfish your brother is – if he comes to live with us he ‘ll be a millstone round our neck. ) Beat ( knock or run) one’s head against a brick (or stone) wall – Coll. To try to do or obtain something difficul t with very little hope of success: It is like knocking your head against a brick wall to try to keep the house tidy while the children are at home from school. Non – prepositional idioms of this type are very few: 1) Hold one’s head high – to act proudly or bravely, in front of people, esp. when one has suffered misfortune: I have boasted in my youth and held my head high and gone on my way careless of consequences†¦( Evelyn Waugh) 2) Put one’s foot down – Coll. . To be firm in one’s purpose or desires, e. g. not to allow ( another person) to do something 2. To increase speed when driving a vehicle, esp. a car: I don’t like driving fast , so I get really afraid when he puts his foot down. Alternants are pronouns – â€Å" one, one’s, oneself, somebody, smb’s, something â€Å" , which usually make up an idiom. Alternants can be replaced by other pronouns, nouns or word – combinations in accordance wit h the requirements of the speech situation.The pronoun â€Å" one â€Å" is usually replaced by one of the personal pronouns in the objective case, the pronoun â€Å" one’s â€Å"- by one of the possessive pronouns, the pronoun â€Å" oneself â€Å" – by one of the reflexive pronouns, the pronoun â€Å" somebody â€Å" – by one of the personal pronouns, a noun or a variable word – combination, the pronoun â€Å" smb’s â€Å" – by one of the possessive pronouns, a noun in a genitive case , the pronoun â€Å" something â€Å" – by a noun, a variable word – combination, or by a sentence . Below are given several examples , which illustrate different uses of alternants: ) Take one’s time – not to hurry; be slow and careful: Don’t rush . Just take your time and tell me clearly what happened. 2) Take oneself in hand – to take ( a person or thing ) under one’s control, esp. to try to make improvements: You ‘ve been very badly behaved recently. I can see I shall have to take you in hand. 3) Get smb. ’s goat – Coll. To cause someone much annoyance: The way he refuses to admit his mistakes gets my goat. 4) Give smb. the cold shoulder – Coll. To be unfriendly to someone, esp. by refusing to speak to or meet him, usually because one is angry , offendedIndefinite pronoun â€Å" smth. â€Å" is often replaced by a noun, a substantive word – combination or less subordinate clauses: 1) Know smth. from A to Z ( or like a palm of one’s hand) – Not fml. To know from the beginning to the end: thoroughly and completely : The teacher knew his subject from A to Z. Indefinite – personal pronoun â€Å" one’s â€Å" is used in the case , when the action is performed by a particular person , directed to him , for example: 1) Put one’s tail between one’s legs – Not fml. To put someone in a sad and unh appy manner.Replacing the pronoun â€Å" one’s â€Å" with a pronoun â€Å" smb’s â€Å" in such idiom is impossible. The pronoun â€Å" one’s† is also used in those verbal idioms, which represent the action of a particular person, directed to something, for example: 1) Play one’s cards right – Coll. To act in a correct or clever way in order to gain an advantage in a particular situation: If you play your cards right you may get an increase in pay . The pronoun â€Å" one’s† can be used in idioms, denoting the state of a particular person or object, for example: 1) Be on one’s last legs – Coll.To die or to fall down from tiredness or illness; ( of an organization) close to ruin; about to stop operating: Godspell was on its last legs until the influx of tourists postponed its demise until October. The pronoun â€Å" smb’s† is also used in such cases, when the act , done by one person, directed to another person, for example: 1) Pull smb’s leg – Coll. To make fun of a person in a friendly way, e. g. by trying to make him believe something that is not true: Many people have phoned in to report seeing the kangaroo†¦ â€Å" We thought people were pulling our legs when they first reported seeing him, â€Å" a police spokesman said yesterday.Usefulness of such a distinction, especially from the lexicographic point of view , one can see from the following examples: 1) Keep one’s nose to the grindstone – Coll. To keep working, esp. hard and without a rest Keep smb’s nose to the grindstone – Coll. To make somebody work without a rest 2) Stay one’s hand – Rather old- fash. To stop or delay from taking an action Stay smb’s hand – Rather old- fash. To stop or delay someone from taking an action. Predicative verbal idioms occur not only among substantives, but also among verbal idioms. They have both completely and partially transferred meaning.Below are given several examples of predicative verbal idioms: 1) Bite off more than one can chew – Not fml. To try to do too much or something that is too difficult: John bit off more than he could chew when he decided to have a race with the best runner in the school. There is a comparative subordinate clause . in the second part of phraseological unit. 2) Know how many beans make five, know what o’clock it is, know what is what – Not fml. To understand what the situation is or how a system works: He ‘s a man who knows what’s what in the world of business – he’s sure to get rich.Predicative verbal idioms are not only characterized by an antecedent, expressed in one word, – know, see, strike, watch, but an antecedent expressed in a combination, – bite off more, know or see (on) which side, see or watch how (or which way). Some of above mentioned idioms have one literal meaning , as thei r antecedent retains its literal meaning, for example â€Å" watch how the cat jumps† , but it can also be completely transferred , for example â€Å" bite off more than one can chew, strike while the iron is hot†.Thus, predicative verbal idioms are characterized by semantic complexity of two types: first is a combination of non transferred antecedent with transferred relative clause, second is a combination of both transferred antecedent and transferred relative clause. Predicative verbal idioms have a characteristic expressive – evaluative function. Morphological features of non- comparative verbal idioms: Words in phraseological units have different features compared with the same word outside a phraseological unit, e. g: Pull smb’s leg – Coll. To make fun of a person in a friendly way, e. g. y trying to make him believe smth. that is not true: Many people have phoned in to report seeing the kangaroo †¦Ã¢â‚¬  We thought people were pulling our legs when they first reported seeing him , â€Å" a police spokesman said yesterday. The verb of this idiom is used in the following forms: Present Continuous, Present Perfect Continuous, Past Continuous, Past Perfect Continuous, Past Perfect ( Passive Voice). Undoubtedly, the above mentioned forms are the commonest . Thus, the verb in this idiom is used predominantly in several forms, while as a separate word the verb â€Å"pull† can be used in all forms.The imperative mood is possible, but it occurs in negative forms: Don’t pull my leg. You went to the theatre (A. J. Cronin). In several verbal idioms verbs are used only in the passive voice: 1) Be gathered to one’s fathers – euph. To die 2) Be thrown on one’s beam-end – Coll. To be in a difficult situation, esp. one in which one has no money : Many organizations are on their beam ends at the moment because of a lack of public support. But there are idioms which are never used in the passive voice : 1) Make bricks without straw – Rather old – fash.To attempt to do or make something without having the necessary materials 2) Steal a march on smb. – to gain an advantage over someone by doing something earlier than expected : The government had intended to limit the wage increases of all workers to a reasonable amount , but several trade unions stole a march on them by receiving very large increases before the new laws came into existence. Alliteration is widely used in verbal idioms. There can be repetition between two sounds and they are divided into three groups: 1) In the first and the last lexemes: 1. Burn one’s boats – Coll.To go so far in a course of action that one cannot turn back: I changed my mind about giving up my job, but unfortunately I had burnt my boats by telling my boss that I was leaving. 2. Get smb’s goat – Coll. To cause someone much annoyance: The way he refuses to admit his mistakes gets my goa t. 2) In the last two lexemes : 1. Be on one’s last legs – Coll. To die or to fall down from tiredness or illness; ( of an organization) close to ruin; about to stop operating: Godspell was on its last legs until the influx of tourists postponed its demise until October. . Put one’s best foot forward – Coll. To be firm in one’s purpose or desires, e. g. not to allow to do something: When are they going to let Matt put his foot down and bring the twins back where they belong ? 3) In the lexemes, which occupy other positions in an idiom: 1. Keep one’s cards close to one’s chest – Coll. To be very secretive; not make known one’s advantages all at once : He had to keep his cards close to his chest in order to get the best possible contract. We come across repetition of three sounds very rarely, for example: ) Cut one’s coat according to one’s cloth – Coll. To remain within the limits of what one has or w hat one can afford, esp. when spending money: They have had another baby; They will have very little money and will have to cut their coat according to their cloth. 2) Make a mountain out of a molehill – to worry about or become excited about matters that are not really important at all: I’m sure he’ll give you the money back when he gets paid, so there’s no need to start making mountains out of a molehills.Comparative verbal phraseological units : The first components of comparative verbal idioms are used in their literal meaning, while other components are intensifiers and qualifiers, semantic differentiators of the first components. As comparative verbal idioms are not used in the passive voice, so they can’t be transformed into sentences, they are always phrasemes. These verbal idioms always have a subordinate structure. Comparative verbal idioms are divided into three groups from the semantic point of view: 1) Verbs of negative evaluation â₠¬â€œ hate, lie, swear ) Verbs of positive evaluation – fit, get on 3) Verbs of a neutral evaluation – drink, eat, feel, follow, sleep, speak, spread, talk, treat, work and so on. Attention should be paid to the predominance of verbs with a neutral evaluation. In verbal idioms with the verbs of positive and negative evaluation, the second component only emphasizes it: 1) Hate smb. like poison – to hate smb, very much: The general was more interested in his personal glory than in the comfort of the ordinary soldiers, and he was hated like poison by all his men. 2) Swear like a trooper – Coll, rather old-fash.To use bad language in an unrestrained manner: He swore like a trooper when I complained about his work. 3) Fit smb. like a glove – to fit ( a person) perfectly: It was clever of you to guess my size correctly – the new coat that you bought fits me like a glove. In comparative verbal idioms a second component is expressed by animal names, names of birds, fish and real or imaginative phenomena by which the basis of comparative idioms are expressed: 1) Die like a dog – Not fml. To die in conditions of great shame, pain, etc. : They were in prison for weeks without food and then died like dogs. ) Eat like a horse – Coll. To eat a great deal: †¦I am underweight and worry about it†¦ and although I eat like a horse , it doesn’t seem to help . 3) Fight like cat and dog – Coll. To quarrel or argue fiercely , esp. very often : Flood says : â€Å" We still love each other very much . But we fight like cat and dog. There are several comparative verbal idioms which refer to people: 1) Have a head like a sieve – Not fml. To be unable to remember things correctly or keep information in one’s mind : I was introduced to her twice, but I still can’t remember her name – I’ve got a head like a sieve.Several verbal idioms never refer to people, for example : 1) Se ll like hot cakes – Coll. To be bought or taken quickly, e. g. because of being very popular or cheap: Last year she contributed 40 pointings†¦Ã¢â‚¬  They sell like absolute hot cakes if you only ask 25$. 2) Spread like wildfire – to spread from one person to another very quickly: The news of his success spread like a wildfire among all his friends. Nature of meaning of idioms, including comparative verbal idioms, may vary depending on whether it applies to one object or more than one object. So, a verbal idiom â€Å" hate smb. like poison – to hate smb, very much. in the sentence â€Å" She hates him like poison. † It means that she mortally hates him, but he certainly didn’t hate her. His attitude towards her is specified in the context. Plurality of objects means mutual hatred. In all the above mentioned comparative verbal idioms , except the idioms with the verbs â€Å" feel â€Å" and â€Å" look† , the second component is a le xeme. In several comparative verbal idioms , as a second component, appears not a lexeme, but a combination of lexemes, for example: 1) Fight like cat and dog – Coll. To quarrel or argue fiercely , esp. very often : Flood says : â€Å" We still love each other very much .But we fight like cat and dog. 2) Drop smb. or smth. like a hot potato – to get rid of something dangerous, unmanted as quickly as possible: When he found out she had no money after all he dropped her like a hot potato. 3) Go ( go off or sell) like hot cakes – Coll. To be bought or taken quickly, e. g. because of being very popular or cheap: Last year she contributed 40 pointings†¦Ã¢â‚¬  They sell like absolute hot cakes if you only ask 25$. In some cases, the connection between the first component and combination of lexemes is non – motivated , for example: 1) Fight like Kilkenny cats – Not fml.To fight fiercely: Those two children will fight like Kilkenny cats if I leave t hem alone in the house. Referring to a story that some soldiers in the Irish town of Kilkenny once tied two cats together by their tails and made them fight. The fight was so fierce that all that was left of the cats was their tails. The fight lasted until the end of 19 century and led to a mutual destruction. Legend, being the basis for this expression, has been forgotten for a long time, which has created non motivation of the whole phrase in Modern English, since the expression has no meaning in literal sense.Conclusion After analyzing semantics and structure of verbal phraseological units , we come to the following conclusions: 1) Idioms, characterized by structural stability and completely or partially transferred meaning , are widely used in the language conducting expressiveness, colour to the thought expressed. The notion of idiomaticity represented by phraseology is of special significance for linguistic survey for it appears in many structural varieties and yields certain distinct patterns – some perhaps universal, others characteristic of one specific language only . ) There is a great difference between free word- groups and idioms. It is considered to be the most controversial problem in the field of phraseology. In an idiom words are not independent. They form set-expressions, in which neither words nor the order of words can be changed. Free word-groups are formed in the process of speech according to the standards of the language, while phraseological units exist in the language side by side with separate words. In a free word-group each of its constituents preserves its denotational meaning.In the case of phraseological units however the denotational meaning belongs to the word group as a single semantically inseparable unit. 3) The English language is extremely rich in verbal phraseological units. Verbal idioms belong to the class of nominative and nominative – communicative phraseological units, due to the fact that some of the m are word – combinations, while others can be both word – combinations and sentences. Verbal idioms can have completely or partially transferred meaning and they are divided into non – comparative and comparative idioms. ) The structure of the English verbal phraseological units is variegated. Word – groups and phraseological units possess not only the lexical meaning, but also the meaning conveyed mainly by the pattern of arrangement of their constituents. Not only the order , but also the substitution of one of the elements may lead to semantic differences or to entirely different phraseological units. 5) Free word – combinations can never be polysemantic, while there are polysemantic verbal phraseological units. 6) Among verbal phraseological units there are two – top units ( ) .The grammar centre of such units is the verb , the semantic centre in many cases is the nominal component. In some units the verb is both the grammar and the sem antic centre. These verbal phraseological units can be perfectly idiomatic as well. Bibliography 1. ?. : : ?.?. , 1986. 2. ?. . , 1973 3. ?. . , 2009. 4. ?. ?. . . , 1963 5. ?. ?. . , 2008. . ?. ?. , . , 1980 7. . . , 1983 8. ?. ?. ? . , 1971 9. ?. ?. , ?. ?. , ?. ?. , 1974 10. ?. ?. . , 1996 11. ?. ?.. . , 1987 12. ?. ?. . , 1998 13. ?. ?.. , 1966 14. Antrushina G. B. , Afanasyeva , O. V. , Morozova, N.N. English Lexicology. Moscow, 1985 15. Arnold I. V. The English word. Moscow, 1986 16. Ginzburg R. S. , Khidekel S. S. A course in Modern English Lexicology. Moscow, 1979 17. Koonin A . English Lexicology. Moscow, 1948 18. Makkai A. Idiom structure in English. The Hague , 1972 19. Minaeva L. English Lexicology and Lexicography. Moscow, 2007 20. Palmer . F. R. Semantics. A new outline , Moscow: 1982 Dictionaries 21. ?. , ?. . , 1975 22. ?. ?. – . , 1967 23. Longman dictionary of English idioms.Printed by Butler and T anner, LTD. London, 1984 24. Oxford dictionary. Oxford University Press, New York, 2007 CHAPTER ONE GENERAL OUTLINE OF PHRASEOLOGICAL UNITS ( PROBLEMS, CLASSIFICATIONS, DEFINITIONS ) Idioms have always attracted the attention of linguists, literary critics, sociologists and philosophers. Enriching the literary language, representing a bright example of purity, accuracy of content and sharpness of language, idioms are of great importance in the treasury of culture and have become of genuine interest for linguists and researchers of various spheres of communication.If synonyms can be figuratively referred to as the tints and colours of the vocabulary, then phraseology is a kind of picture gallery in which are collected vivid and amusing sketches of the nation’s customs, traditions and prejudices, recollections of its past history, and fairy-tales. Being an inseparable part of the language, idioms have a special position within it. They represent what can probably be described a s the most picturesque, colourful and expressive part of the language’s vocabulary ( ?. ?. , ?. ?. , ?. ?. , 2008 ).The stock of words of the language consists not only of separate words , but also of set expressions, which alongside with separate words serve as means of expressing concepts. There exist two terms which are to denote set expressions: â€Å"idioms† and â€Å"phraseological units†. An idiom or idiomatic phrase, is often defined as a phrase, developing a meaning which cannot be readily analyzed into the several distinct ideas which would ordinarily be expressed by the words composing the phrase. It transcends the ordinary syntactical constructions and must be studied as grammatical unit, or entity ,in itself.On the other hand, â€Å"idiom† is a very broad term and includes all the peculiarities and idiosyncrasies of the language –its peculiar syntactical constructions, and other conventional practices of unusual character. The ter m â€Å"idiom† is widely used by western scholars, mainly English and American linguists. N. N. Amosov? defines phraseological units as units of fixed context, i. e. phrases with a specific sequence of certain lexical components and peculiar semantic relations between them. In these terms , phraseological units are classified into phrasemes and idioms.Phrasemes are binary phrases in which one of the components has a phraseologically bound meaning dependent on the other. Idioms as distinguished from phrasemes are characterized by integral meaning and idiomaticity of the whole word-group ( ?. ?. , ?. ?. , ?. ?. , , 2008 ). According to Rosemarie Glaser’s theory a phraseological unit is a lexicalized, reproducible bilexemic or polylexemic word group in common use, which has relative syntactic and semantic stability, may be idiomatized, may carry connotations and may have an emphatic or intensifying function in a text (Glaser R. 998:125). Glaser includes both word-lik e and sentence-like units in the phrasicon, terming word-like units â€Å"nominations†, which designate a phenomenon , an object, an action, a process or state, a property in the outside world, and sentence-like ones â€Å"propositions†, which designate a whole state of affairs in the outside world. She further subdivides nominations into idioms and non-idioms having transparent meanings, and including technical terms, cliches, etc. ( ?. , , 2009 ).Attempts have been made to approach phraseology in different ways. There is a divergence of opinions as to the nature and essential features of phraseological units, how to distinguish them from free word groups, how to define and how to classify them. This is probably the most discussed and one of the most important problems in the field of phraseology. The complexity of the problem may be largely accounted for by the fact that the borderline between free word-groups and phraseological units is not clearly defined.The s o –called free word-groups are but relatively free as collocability of member-words is fundamentally delimited by their lexical and grammatical valency which makes at least some of them very close to set-phrases. Phraseological units are but comparatively stable and semantically inseparable. Between the extremes of complete motivation and variability of member-words and lack of motivation combined with complete stability of the lexical components and grammatical structure there are innumerable borderline cases. However, the existing terms, e. g. et-phrases, idioms, word-equivalents, reflect to a certain extent the main debatable issues of phraseology which centre in the divergent views concerning the nature and essential features of phraseological units as distinguished from the so-called free word-groups. The term â€Å"set-phrase† implies that the basic criterion of differentiation is stability of the lexical components and grammatical structure of word-groups. The t erm â€Å"idiom† generally implies that the essential feature of linguistic units under consideration is idiomaticity or lack of motivation.This term habitually used by English and American linguists is very often treated as synonymous with the term â€Å"phraseological unit†. The term â€Å"word-equivalent† stresses not only semantic but also functional inseparability of certain word-groups, their aptness to function in speech as single words. The criterion of stability of lexical components and idiomaticity of word-groups are viewed as not necessarily coexisting in phraseological units. It is argued that stability of lexical components does not presuppose lack of motivation.It follows that stability and idiomaticity are regarded as two different aspects of word-groups. Stability is an essential feature of set-phrases both motivated and non-motivated. Idiomaticity is a distinguishing feature of phraseological units or idioms which comprise both stable set-phras es and variable word-groups. The two features are not mutually exclusive and may be overlapping, but are not interdependent. Word-groups are structurally complex units consisting of formally separable elements, which are functionally equivalent to separate words.So they are independent parts of the sentence. Whereas in an idiom words are not independent. They form set-expressions, in which neither words nor the order of words can be changed. Free word-groups are formed in the process of speech according to the standards of the language, while phraseological units exist in the language side by side with separate words. In a free word-group each of its constituents preserves its denotational meaning. In the case of phraseological units however the denotational meaning belongs to the word group as a single semantically inseparable unit.It’s worth mentioning that idiom is a complex phenomenon with a number of features, which can therefore be approached from different points of vi ew. Hence, there exist a considerable number of different classification systems devised by different scholars and based upon different principles. The oldest principle for classifying idioms is based on their original content and is known as â€Å"thematic† (this term however is not universally accepted). On this principle, idioms are classified according to their sources of origin. The word â€Å"source† refers to the particular sphere of human activity, of life, of nature.The â€Å"thematic† principle of classifying idioms has a real merit, but it does not take into consideration the linguistic features of the idioms. The first classification system, which was based on semantic principle, was suggested by acad. V. V. Vinogradov, who developed some points first advanced by the Swiss scientist Charles Bally. Acad. V. V. Vinogradov spoke of the semantic change in idioms as a â€Å"meaning resulting from a peculiar chemical combination of words†. He descri bed idioms as lexical complexes which cannot be freely made up in speech, but are reproduced as ready-made units.The meaning of such expressions as distinguished from the meaning of free combinations is idiomatic. The classification is based on the motivation of the unit. According to the degree of idiomatic meaning of various groups of idioms ,V. V. Vinogradov classified them as follows ( Arnold V. , The English Word, 1986 ) : Phraseological fusions – units whose meaning cannot be deduced from the meanings of their component parts, the meaning of phraseological fusions is unmotivated at the present stage of language development. The meaning of the components is completely absorbed by the meaning of the whole.The metaphor, on which the shift of meaning is based , has lost its clarity and is obscure. Phraseological unities – units with a completely changed meaning. They are motivated units or, putting it another way , the meaning of the whole unit can be deduced from th e meanings of constituent parts. The metaphor, on which the shift of meaning is based, is clear and transparent. Phraseological combinations – traditional units which are not only motivated, but contain one component used in its direct meaning, while the other is used figuratively. Prof.Smirnitsky considers a phraseological unit to be similar to the word because of the idiomatic relationships between its parts resulting in semantic unity and permitting its introduction into speech as something complete. He differentiated three classes of stereotyped phrases ( ?. ?. , , 2008 ) : 1) Traditional phrases 2) Phraseological combinations 3) Idioms Traditional phrases, which are characterized by reproducibility, are not regarded as word-equivalents. They are usual collocations whose inner form is transparent. They are distinguished as follows: 1)Verbal ) Substantive 3) Adjectival 4) Adverbial 5) Interjectional Smirnitsky’s notion of word-equivalence actually allows another p erspective on phraseological units too. Namely, proceeding from the classification of words into derivatives and compounds, the linguist seeks to find similar structural and semantic features in phraseological units as well, correspondingly singling out units with one semantic centre(one summit units) on the one hand, which he compared with derived words, and with two or more semantic centres (two summit and multi-summit units), on the other, which he compared with compound words.Each of the two groups of this structural – semantic classification is further subdivided according to the part of speech to which t

Microsoft Bank Branch of the Future

A Microsoft Banking and Capital Markets White Paper The bank branch of the future 2 The bank branch of the future ContentsRedefining the role of branches 4 > Case study: Nascent Digital — understanding customer needs 8 > Article: The Fiserv perspective — information convergence, interaction specialization and the importance of integrated channels 10 Recognition — selling to a market of one 12 > Case study: CRM at Wintrust Financial and Fiserv 14 > Case study: Customer-centric at the core — First Citizens National Bank and Harland Financial Solutions 15 Engagement — creating memorable touch points 16 > Case study: Digital signage at Reflect Systems and Best Buy 18 > Customer use scenarios: Microsoft Surface at Barclays Bank and Royal Bank of Canada 21 > Case study: Streamlining communications at Fidelity 22 Origination — developing new business opportunities 23 > Case study: Predictive analytics at U. S.Bancorp with Portrait Software 25 > Prof ile: Secure paperless banking with digital signature from Topaz and AssureSign 26 > Case study: Incentives at Bank of the West and Varicent 27 Service — taking customers to the next level 28 > Case study: Next-generation self-service at BBVA with NCR 30 > Case study: Espirito Santo creates a better banking experience with CRM and a 360 degree, integrated view of the customer 31 Innovation — developing new products and services with customers 32 > Case study: Social computing at NewsGator and CME Federal Credit Union 34 Bringing it all together — technologies of channel integration 35 > Article: Creating a consistent customer experience through channel synchronization 36 Having a vision for the future 39 > Profile: Helping customers succeed with ARGO 40 Realizing the branch of the future 41 Microsoft partners appearing in this paper 42 Microsoft in Financial Services Financial services is a major industry for Microsoft ® Corporation. Our commitment to the indus try comprises client-dedicated accounts teams, and technology and industry specialists. Our solution areas embrace almost every facet of the industry, including client experience, governance, risk and compliance, payments, and operating capabilities. The U. S.Financial Services industry group led by Ben Narey is responsible for developing financial services solutions combining Microsoft capabilities with those of our partners, for our U. S. -based banking clients. This is one in a series of thought leadership papers designed to share insight into leading industry issues and help our clients realize their vision of the future. www. microsoft. com/financialservices The bank branch of the future 3 A message to our customers and partners After a significant period of expansion, banks are finding current market conditions tough to say the least. Putting customers first is the right response, and the branch is the place to do that. But the role of branches is changing dramatically. Transa ctions are moving to the Internet, so customers may have fewer reasons to visit branches.In addition, new technologies, such as social networking and personal financial management (PFM) tools, are transforming the relationship with customers, forcing banks to develop new ways to create the right customer experience while empowering customers and giving them more control. If branch visits are less frequent, they must become more valuable and more interesting. The days of existing and potential customers walking into branches and not being recognized or effectively engaged are over. A new era of personalized financial services is forcing banks to sell to a market of one. This means understanding customer needs and addressing them appropriately. This also means moving from a reactive sales model to a proactive one, where customer needs can be anticipated in advance.Thanks to changes in technology, customer expectations of the experience they should receive when they visit the branch ar e rising all the time. But just filling branches with new technology isn’t the answer. There needs to be a plan in place and one developed with customers in mind. The customer should be at the center of the branch operation. The branch of the future is an engaging, interactive and fun environment. It should also be a lower cost one. There is opportunity for a dramatic improvement in branch performance. This means streamlining processes, eliminating paper, and improving front and back-office integration. Branch staff are being asked to play a different role. Branch personnel need constant training to do this.The technology of the branch of the future exists to empower tellers, financial advisors and service representatives to serve customers more effectively, moving from a reactive to a proactive engagement model. Microsoft Corporation has a strong commitment to the branch of the future. Directly and through our partners, we work with financial institutions around the world to develop their own path to improved performance. Many of those solutions are outlined in this white paper. We hope you find this a useful contribution to your future plans and the longer term direction of our industry. Yours truly, Ben Narey Director, U. S. Financial Services Colleen Healy General Manager, U. S. Financial Services 4 The bank branch of the future Redefining the role of branches T A dizzying period of change echnology is changing at a blurring rate.It is at once more social, connected, mobile and continuous. We are seeing game-changing advances in many areas from user interfaces to Internet TV. It’s not just transactions that are moving to the Internet but conversations and relationships as well. In this new world, banks are engaging with customers in very different ways. For some banks, branches are emerging as the new, technology-enabled centerpiece in the relationship with customers — a place where channels and technology converge to create a new era of personalized banking in the branch of the future. Banks face other challenges. Revenues are stalling, margins are under pressure and costs remain high. For many, technology remains fragmented.As banks invest more in customer technologies, they must also reduce costs and improve margins, achieve more with less, and at the same time comply with new regulation. In this constantly shifting story, there are many moving parts, and they must all come together to wow customers without confusing them. The branch of the future is an exercise in innovation that must be competitive, game-changing and ultimately profitable. It must be part of a broader strategic focus that considers all channels, not just the branch itself. It will involve not just a vision, but an ecosystem of partners that can deliver it. Microsoft ® expands its reach by working closely with partners to deliver many of our capabilities, and many of them are included here.In this paper, we lay out a process that a bank cou ld follow in developing its branch of the future story. As steps in that story we include case studies and solutions that we believe are leading edge. We realize that every bank’s journey will be different because each bank will need to develop its own unique approach to the branch of the future. Branches are emerging as a place where channels and technology converge to create a new era of personalized banking. The new alternative channel? Many banks consider the branch to be their primary customer relationship channel. But do customers feel the same way? Today roughly 90 percent of daily transactions take place electronically.Checks may be phased out in most developed economies in the next few years. Branch traffic is on the decline. Are branches the new alternative channel? Does that mean branches are finished? Not necessarily. Bank customers still seem to have a strong affinity to branches even though they may visit them less. But it does mean the role of the branch must c hange and be less dependent on transactions. What should this new role be? To answer that question we must have a better understanding of what customers really want. The bank branch of the future 5 And that boils down to at least three things. Firstly, they want more control over their finances.One of the consequences of the financial crisis is a feeling of greater insecurity and a decline in trust in financial institutions. Thanks to the growth in technology and the disclosures surrounding the financial crisis, bank customers often know more about their banks than banks do about their customers. Secondly, consumers want more choices and are less willing to put all their financial eggs in one basket. They are more willing to change banking relationships and are less loyal to their existing providers. Thirdly, they want a better experience. Banks often measure their performance with customers based on service satisfaction, but service is only part of the equation.The ability to acces s banking services at any time from any location, transparency in fees and simpler contracts, and access to quality, impartial advice all sum up to a new value exchange between banks and customers that may define the next phase of banking. Technology is playing a huge part in transforming the banking experience. Smartphones and slates (tablets) are giving consumers greater mobility. Cloud computing gives all of us easier access to more computing power. Game-changing developments in the technology of communications and natural user interfaces enable new ways for banks and their customers to engage with each other. So what is the transformation in the role of the branch that needs to take place? Snacks, lunches and fine dining experiences Perhaps the experience of other industries might provide us with some clues.Financial services provider Fiserv has equated interaction through banking channels to â€Å"snacking,† â€Å"lunching† and â€Å"fine dining† (see artic le on page 10). As our lives become busier, long, lingering meals become more rare. Snacking has become a way of life, often at our desks rather than at restaurants. So restaurants must work harder for our business. But there are many restaurants to choose from. How do they compete for our attention? Every good restaurant needs its own brand. Often fine food is not enough. It may need a theme or an image. It might be the country of the cuisine. It might be a constantly changing menu. It might be the ability to have snacks, lunch and fine dining in the same location.From the services, to the cutlery and the plates to the interior to the food itself, all these elements may combine to create a unique customer experience. In the case of banking, customers have a choice of channels and therefore experiences. But if most of the channels are mainly about transactions or â€Å"snacking,† then they are likely to prefer fast food to fine dining. For the branch to be attractive, it has to have something else on the menu. Game-changing developments in the technology of communications enable new ways for banks and their customers to engage with each other. 6 The bank branch of the future The branch — where all channels can convergeToday bank channels are like those in the first diagram in Figure 1: independent channels that are mainly about â€Å"snacking. † In this model, it is easy to see how the branch becomes less important as â€Å"snacking† channels grow. But some customers may prefer to research online and get advice in the branch. Their financial journey may involve a combination of visits to different channels at different times, perhaps even for the same service — beginning a journey in one channel and completing it in another. In this way, channels reinforce each other rather than compete with each other for customers’ attention. The new model of bank channels is more like the second diagram in Figure 1. Channels are no longer siloed but mutually reinforcing.Instead of playing a diminishing role, the branch can begin to play a more influential one. But the branch is the one channel where all channels can converge. Like the airline or the restaurant that offers a choice of customer experiences, snacking, lunching and fine dining can all take place in the same location. As a result the branch becomes an easier place to conduct all our banking business rather than the least attractive of all. FIGURE 1 Transforming the role of branches BANKING TODAY BANKING TOMORROW MOBILE MOBILE BROWSER CHANNEL USAGE CHANNEL USAGE BROWSER CALL CENTER CALL CENTER BRANCH BRANCH INDEPENDENT CHANNELS WITH FRAGMENTED IMPACTINTEGRATED CHANNELS AND GROWING INFLUENCE The bank branch of the future 7 Dimensions of branch transformation Microsoft ® believes there are at least five dimensions of branch transformation that can lead to a significant increase in customer experience and financial performance. > Branch design â€⠀ balancing networking with privacy, access and convenience > Talent — more focus on advice and expertise and less on transactions > Channels — integrated and mutually supportive > Innovation — customer driven, building on experiences and solutions > Brand — unique and customer driven In each of these dimensions, technology has a major role to play.But the real challenge is to empower each dimension so that they operate together to enhance the customer experience, improve revenues and reduce costs. A fragmented approach will simply increase costs, confuse customers and reduce financial performance. Effective branch transformation demands an enterprise-wide blueprint. A project to build nextgeneration ATMs needs to take into consideration the opportunity to empower and integrate other channels. A project to introduce digital signage should consider not only the customer experience, but the ability to improve staff performance as well. The introduction of digital signatures and automated account opening should consider the implications for document management and records keeping.We are not just transforming branches but creating a completely new retail banking business and operating model to deliver a higher standard of customer experience. A continuous process of performance improvement Branch activities should involve a continuous process of performance improvement based on an in-depth understanding of customer needs with the goal of deepening customer relationships. > Recognition — selling to a market of one > Engagement — creating memorable touch points > Origination — developing new business opportunities INNOVATION FIGURE 2 A continuous process of performance improvement RECOGNITION ENGAGEMENT CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT gt; Service — taking customers to the next level > Innovation — developing new products and services with customers Ideally, almost all these activities should be capable of taking place at any part of the branch, whether at an ATM, in a teller line, at a teller booth, or in discussions with a service advisor or a banker. But if executed effectively, one step will lead to another, creating a positive loop of continued performance improvement. (See Figure 2. ) SERVICE ORIGINATION 8 The bank branch of the future CASE STUDY Nascent Digital — understanding customer needs It’s easy to spend money on technology. But it is more important to understand what customers really want from their branch before embarking on an ambitious program of investment.The whole point of investing in branches is to improve the relationship with customers. So why not begin by understanding what customers really want? Nascent Digital (www. nascentdigital. com) is one of the market leaders in the field of combining market research with the design and development of technology. As a result, Nascent is able to create rich and relevant connections with customers from business applications to educational and entertaining experiences. Having previously deployed experiences on multiple mobile and touchscreen platforms such as iOS, Nascent has eased into working with the cutting-edge Windows Phone 7 and Slate devices.Nascent Labs’ mobile platform enables it to quickly develop game-changing Windows Phone and Slate applications connected to Facebook, Twitter and other social networks. It has also played a major role in the development of Microsoft Surface technology. Bank customers seek digital experiences that are unique and engaging. To that end, Nascent’s unique design-led approach employs research, in-depth experience design and early rapid prototyping. These methods enable insights into how to realize the best possible digital customer experience. Nascent has partnered with Microsoft ® to envision the possibilities for Slate computing in the branch of the future. The design process and resulting prototype yielded insights into mul tiple new possibilities for customer interaction, relationship building, and ustomer-associate collaboration on everything from day-to-day banking to financial planning and advisory. Building on Windows Phone 7 Metro design language, Nascent was able to create a single digital interface that unifies the customer mobile experience with a collaborative sales experience in the branch. By understanding customer needs upfront, banks can ensure their technology investments truly provide customers with the experience they desire. The bank branch of the future 9 Nascent begins by compiling and distilling existing research to form a basis for further inquiry. Industry best practices, existing published research and open access data are evaluated to focus their primary research.Focus groups and discussions led by expert coordinators are directed to reveal a deeper insight into the ideal digital experience for the user base. Once the research phase is complete, the experience design process be gins to output a series of visual representations that can be easily transformed into a rapid prototype. Early prototyping enables innovation by bringing vivid experiences to life quickly for early user testing. (See Figure 3. ) By understanding customer needs upfront, banks can ensure their technology investments truly provide customers with the experience they desire, and thus are successful in empowering their branches with new technology.By reconciling customer needs with the bank’s own strategic direction the bank is more likely to develop a business model that works. It may take more time to get it right first time, but in the long run it is a quicker and much more effective path to innovation. FIGURE 3 The Microsoft Nascent discovery process UNDERSTANDING THE CUSTOMER CONCEPT DESIGN VISUAL DESIGN CONCEPT TESTING > Secondary market research > Primary market research > Industry best practices > Brainstorming > Wireframes > Context design > Information architecture > Appl ied cognition > Concepts > Brand expectations > Game-changing experiences > Matched audiences > Usability testing > Final design blueprint 10The bank branch of the future ARTICLE The Fiserv perspective — information convergence, interaction specialization and the importance of integrated channels The way financial institutions deliver services across banking channels is being profoundly impacted by two significant shifts. First, there is a demand for â€Å"information convergence† across channels. Consumers expect information about transactions completed via one channel to be readily accessible via another, and expect to be able to initiate a transaction in one channel and complete it in another. Second, there is a significant degree of â€Å"interaction specialization† taking place within each channel.This interaction specialization is driven by the unique properties of each channel, which determine the primary activities conducted through the channel. Consumer s have different habits and preferences about which channels they use to accomplish different financial tasks. For day-to-day needs, consumers generally prefer self-service via digital channels — mobile and online – respectively, the fastest growing channels. Fiserv characterizes interaction via the mobile channel as â€Å"snacking. † From a financial services perspective snacking encompasses frequent interactions that take less than 60 seconds. This includes tasks such as checking balances, receiving alerts and paying bills.One Fiserv financial institution client sees an average of 26 logins to mobile banking per user, per month — proof of their desire to consume financial services information in quick, frequent servings via the mobile channel. The bank branch of the future 11 The snacking analogy can be extended to the online channel and to the branch as well. The online channel serves up the financial equivalent of a square meal. Consumers go online wh en more browsing and a slightly deeper level of engagement is required. This includes tasks such as comparing products, managing budgets and setting up preferences. These types of activities usually occur on a weekly or monthly basis.The branch is for fine dining, those special occasions where more personal service and in-depth interaction is required. This includes advisory services and overall relationship management, encompassing critical decisions that require consultation and typically occur infrequently. As a leading global provider of digital channel solutions for financial institutions, Fiserv perceives that the shifts toward information convergence and interaction specialization will create challenges for financial institutions. Delivering consistent information across channels will require back-end integration and real-time functionalities that are often not in place today.This will be further compounded by device proliferation, the rise of tablet computing and the blurrin g of lines between social media as an interaction platform and a transaction platform. In addition, interaction specialization will require that financial institutions tailor services for specific channels. This will most impact services delivered via the mobile device, as financial institutions will be expected to support â€Å"mobileonly† services such as remote deposit capture for checks, location-based offers and contactless payments via near-field communications (NFC) technologies. Beyond self-service, the mobile device is also likely to become a banking platform for different types of interactions.In this context, financial institutions are under attack from nontraditional players — such as mobile operators and consumer brands like Apple — that would like to gain access to both customer information and transaction revenue. Financial institutions have much to consider when it comes to effectively serving consumers. An integrated channel strategy that incorp orates the unique attributes of mobile solutions as part of an overall approach is a winning strategy. Consumers expect information about transactions completed via one channel to be readily accessible via another, and to initiate a transaction in one channel and complete it in another. 12 The bank branch of the future Recognition — selling to a market of one T 84404893YHQAM235-4747343 ougher markets demand deeper, more profitable customer relationships.The need for banks to treat each customer as unique is more important. New technologies such as digital marketing and predictive analytics are making it easier to sell to a market of one. Personal recognition When customers come into the branch it helps to recognize who they are and make that information available to key members of the branch. An RFID tag can be part of that process. Embedded in a debit or credit card, it can identify customers as soon as they enter a branch. Through access to a customer relationship managemen t system (CRM), bank staff can have complete access to relationship details to understand the next step in the customer story.But potential customers also visit branches, sometimes just by chance. These are opportunities that need to be captured. Applications that allow branch staff to identify customers from personal IDs such as driver’s licenses or Green Cards, identify their credit history and then immediately direct them to a service opportunity, can replace paper-based processes that could take days, weeks or even months to complete, if at all. But technology is changing the concept of â€Å"branch† from a physical to a virtual concept. Valerie King Through access to a CRM system, bank staff can have complete access to relationship details to understand the next step in the customer story. Digital marketingDigital marketing is not just a technology, it is also a channel. In fact, it is many channels and embraces every aspect of digital media including TV, the Inte rnet, mobile phones and social media, and even older technologies such as radio. Whenever we click on a Web site, we create digital breadcrumbs that leave behind clues about our interests and preferences. They provide important intelligence about our real needs that marketing departments can respond to. Recognizing a customer through his or her digital identity gives a bank the opportunity for new customer touch points, more targeted campaigns and services more closely aligned to customer needs.Thanks to this approach one financial institution in the U. K. generates more revenue through inbound marketing than through any other channel. Social networking Social media generates conversations about brands and customer experiences that banks can follow. Airline companies in particular have been successful in using social networks as a customer service tool, allowing them to respond proactively to individual issues and concerns. The bank branch of the future 13 Some social networking sit es — Foursquare, Gowalla, Loopt and Facebook Places — allow members to share their locations with other members. This can provide promotional opportunities for businesses.For example, each time someone checks in to a Hard Rock Cafe in the United States using Facebook Places, Hard Rock International donates a dollar to WhyHunger, a charity fighting global poverty and hunger. The offer lasted through December 2010 — an innovative way of gaining customers and promoting Hard Rock’s commitment to philanthropy. Social networking is not just about customers. It’s about staff as well. Enterprise social networking is a vital collaboration tool that enables bank talent to share knowledge and expertise across the bank. By its very nature, a branch is a decentralized part of the bank, but for many customers it is their most important interface with the bank.Keeping branch staff up-to-date with the latest products, services and regulations and making them feel an essential part of a much bigger organization is essential for their morale and their ability to serve customers effectively. Social CRM To be successful, branches must be part of communities — and communities can be both physical and virtual. Branches have been successful at integrating into physical communities, but less successful in penetrating virtual ones. Microsoft’s CRM system comes with a social networking accelerator that allows branch offers to follow the customer chatter about service needs, reactions to products and feelings about the bank generally. Having a panoramic view of customers clearly creates a competitive advantage.Microsoft Dynamics CRM, together with Microsoft partner Customer Effective, creates an advanced CRM solution leveraging Customer Effective’s expertise in implementation and data integration. Why do so many CRM systems fail to meet expectations? Because they are often stand-alone implementations and are not an integrated part of a complete customer relationship management solution linking customers, services, channels and systems to create a higher level of customer experience. To be successful, branches must be part of communities — and communities can be both physical and virtual. 14 The bank branch of the future CASE STUDY CRM at Wintrust Financial and FiservWintrust Financial, a Chicago-based financial holding company with more than $14 billion in assets, is implementing EnActâ„ ¢, its relationship sales management solution for financial institutions. EnAct is built on Microsoft Dynamics CRM, so it is delivered as an extension of Outlook and integrates seamlessly with Microsoft Office applications, making it intuitive and easy to use. Using the EnAct solution from Fiserv, Wintrust Financial’s bankers will now have a holistic view of client relationships with access to sales productivity tools to execute local outreach programs, track relationship management and prospecting activities , and monitor opportunity pipelines.EnAct leverages Microsoft Dynamics CRM and is designed to serve the distinct needs of banks’ primary lines of business — Retail, Commercial and Wealth — enabling Wintrust Financial to deploy a single, banking-ready CRM solution enterprise-wide. In implementing EnAct, Wintrust aims to better support collaboration across its organization, enabling referrals between divisions and facilitating team-based management of high-value relationships that span multiple business lines. â€Å"We empower our community banks to manage their clients and their markets locally, but we also want to leverage our combined scale and use the most advanced tools to serve our customers and grow our business,† said Tom Ormseth, senior vice president, Wintrust Financial. As part of our expansion program, we identified the need for an enterprise customer relationship management solution and we chose EnAct because it provides us with specialized ban king functionality on a versatile technology platform. We felt Fiserv was the right partner for us because they understood our business and had the experience and know-how to help us succeed. † Wintrust Financial recognized that lack of user adoption is a common pitfall of CRM projects, so deep integration with Outlook was considered an important benefit of EnAct. Outlook is integral to bankers’ workday at Wintrust; it’s where they manage their time, contacts, tasks and email communication with clients and colleagues.EnAct is built on Microsoft Dynamics CRM, so it is delivered as an extension of Outlook and integrates seamlessly with Microsoft Office applications, making it intuitive and easy to use and encouraging end-user adoption. â€Å"By expanding its relationship with Fiserv, Wintrust joins a growing family of banks that are using EnAct to help execute their growth strategies,† said David Dervish, managing principal, Customer Value Enhancement, Fiser v. Wintrust Financial began its initial rollout of EnAct to a pilot group of more than 200 commercial bankers in December 2010 and is continuing implementation to a total of 1,400 users across 15 community banks as well as its various wealth management and specialized financial services divisions.To complement EnAct, Wintrust Financial also licensed Aperioâ„ ¢ Campaign Management and Aperio Customer Analytics. These solutions will help Wintrust analyze customer needs, identify opportunities and better manage centralized marketing campaigns that support local business development initiatives. The bank branch of the future 15 CASE STUDY Customer-centric at the core — First Citizens National Bank and Harland Financial Solutions After 15 years of fighting for market share in its Mason City, Iowa, home market, First Citizens National Bank (FCNB) was at a crossroads. â€Å"We grew by mining market share from the larger players,† explains Gregg Maakestad, FCNB’s SVP and CIO. To maintain our head-to-head competitive status we needed to challenge and exceed their capabilities. † But by 2009 FCNB’s item processing and marketing customer information file (MCIF) solutions had become inadequate. Rather than install point-solutions, FCNB, a subsidiary of First Citizens Financial Corp. ($1. 1 billion in total assets), determined that a core systems modernization would provide capabilities beyond just meeting current needs, Maakestad relates. A long-time user of the Phoenix System from Lake Mary, Fla. -based Harland Financial Solutions, FCNB nonetheless conducted due diligence in early 2009. â€Å"With every contract cycle we look at all options,† notes Maakestad. Because Harland is an open-systems vendor that shares all its database tables, we learned the strategic value of leveraging database tables,† he adds. â€Å"Therefore, we evaluate vendors’ willingness to share tables as a significant selection criterion. â₠¬  In fact, using the tables has become a critical best practice at FCNB. â€Å"We use the tables to supplement vendor-supplied reporting and modeling,† Maakestad explains. â€Å"For example, when Reg E [governing electronic fund transfers] was updated, †¦ we calculated the impact on our organization’s revenue immediately. And we’re doing the same now for the Durbin Amendment [regarding debit card fees]. † According to Maakestad, Harland’s latest platform, the Microsoft .NET-enabled PhoenixEFE Core, was the best solution for FCNB, leading to a late-2009 migration. â€Å"Beyond our existing hardware, PhoenixEFE only required setting up two production [IBM] XM servers and two for disaster recovery,† Maakestad reports. â€Å"There were no showstoppers in the new core system — just some minor items [that Harland is improving]. † During 2010 FCNB added Harland’s ActiveView Item Processing solution and the vendor’ s business intelligence tool, Touche Analyzer. And early this year the bank also integrated Touche Messenger, which draws intelligence from Analyzer for targeted multichannel marketing communications. The results have been impressive. PhoenixEFE has been key to achieving our current efficiency ratio of 47. 5 percent,† says Maakestad. †In addition, our item processing is simpler and our read rates have improved 15 percent. Also, the Touche solutions will be vital to moving our services per household from the current 3. 493 to our 2011 goal of 3. 516. † The new platform also enabled FCNB to replace multiple daily ATM and debit card batch processes with near-real-time transactions. And, over the next couple of years, the modern core will allow the bank to add more online and mobile products to its existing offerings. â€Å"As new opportunities mature, we’ll jump into them with both feet,† Maakestad says. In short, our new core platform has made us more c ustomer-centric and more efficient, positioning us for future growth. † CUSTOMER 16 The bank branch of the future Engagement — creating memorable touch points C Microsoft Surface offers an eyecatching way of bringing people together to connect, learn and decide. It changes the way people collaborate. apturing customers’ attention inside or outside the branch is easier with memorable touch points. Distinctive interactive walls, compelling messaging and outstanding presentations all contribute to a better customer experience. Cool toys, personalized advice and cross-channel integration are all essential tools for capturing the customer’s attention.But they all have to work together and be targeted at customers who are likely to respond to them. Surface technology Exploring financial options with an advisor or with your partner? Or just browsing? Microsoft Surface offers an eye-catching way of shopping for services, bringing people together to connect, learn and decide. It changes the way people collaborate and connect. Microsoft Surface sees and responds to touch — supporting more than 50 simultaneous inputs. This experience comes to life in the new 40-inch Surface that can be used as a table, on the wall, or embedded in other fixtures or furniture. What-if scenarios are a lot more fun when you are working with Surface. But Surface can be more than just an eye-catcher.It can be a complete distribution channel in its own right, allowing customers another opportunity for self-service banking — snacking in the branch or browsing the menu while waiting for a table for some private dining advice. Interactive walls While customers wait in teller lines, wait for a financial advisor or just wander through branches, interactive walls can provide engaging interactions and compelling messaging for the financial shopper. Browsing for a car loan or a mortgage? Explore your options on an interactive wall. By touching it you can get the latest rates, explore financing options and do your homework before making a financial decision.Digital signage Wondering what the markets are doing? Curious about news and events in the community? Intrigued by a message from the chairman? Digital signage is a term used to describe the display of up-to-the-minute information on electronic devices such as plasma screens, LCD panels and projectors. Suppose it’s raining outside and there are more customers inside the branch and you want to change your electronic messaging to talk about new products and services. Managing the metadata in your digital signage system gives you that flexibility. The bank branch of the future 17 What if branches are serving Spanish-speaking customers in one location and English-speaking in another?Digital signage tools provide the flexibility to communicate different messaging to different markets. Digital signage can be used wherever there is a need to communicate to individuals or large groups of people. Wherever there is static signage, there is potential to replace it with digital signage. (See Figure 4. ) Founded in 1991, Omnivex originally supplied software to financial trading floors to post buy/sell positions on large LED wallboards and drive financial tickers. Trading floors were quick to adopt large plasma displays to monitor television news reports. Omnivex recognized that these displays could also be used to help traders clearly spot market trends and developed applications to display data graphically.Building on its foundation of a data-driven system, the company moved into the broader digital signage market, where its software could be used to display real-time information to facilitate decision-making by delivering targeted content to specific audiences. Financial institutions quickly adopted this medium within the retail banking industry, and we now see digital signage installations appearing more and more frequently in bank branches to communicate with custome rs and employees. Due to its data-driven approach, Omnivex digital signage software can deliver the right message to the right audience at the right time, helping to increase the effectiveness of communications. In branches, new products and services, promotional campaigns, market data, corporate communications and training materials can be delivered instantly, easily and memorably.In addition, digital signage can improve the customer experience by reducing perceived wait times, while entertaining and informing customers. Today, Omnivex software is used by many financial institutions around the world to power their digital signage networks. FIGURE 4 Microsoft partner Omnivex and digital signage 18 The bank branch of the future CASE STUDY Digital signage at Reflect Systems and Best Buy Banks have often been influenced by the success of retailers. Microsoft partner Reflect Systems is a leading, national full-service provider of in-store digital media solutions including digital signag e, interactive applications and assisted shopping features, mobile messaging, and in-store music.Reflect worked with Best Buy and its partners to deploy a solution that fit its vision for enabling networked digital media in all its stores, while adhering to business policies and preferred technology standards. Best Buy needed to improve the shopper experience with relevant and timely media content, showcase products and services with brand partners, and capture revenue opportunities available by leveraging the platform as a new digital media network that connects with loyal Best Buy shoppers. After methodical lab testing and pilot programs, Reflect employed ReflectView, its industry-proven scalable software solution, to meet the challenge of managing and distributing large amounts of digital media across Best Buy’s complex network of more than 1,100 locations across the United States.Through its flexible content management, programming, distribution and monitoring features, R eflectView allowed Best Buy to control the specific message played in each store — at any given time, in any specific region — from a centralized system requiring minimal operational management. Today, Best Buy has increased its in-store digital media footprint to include television and computer displays in the electronics department, checkout aisles and music via in-store audio systems. Best Buy has a fast-paced business environment that requires a dynamic approach to supporting new in-store initiatives. Reflect continuously strives to provide a platform approach for in-store media, and maintains a partner-focused solution set that provides choice, performance and measured results.Through its flexible content management, programming, distribution and monitoring features, ReflectView allowed Best Buy to control the specific message played in each store from a centralized system requiring minimal operational management. The bank branch of the future 19 FIGURE 5 Financia l benchmarking with Bundle Next-generation banking Next-generation ATMs, line busting, interactive walls and smartphone channels all converge together in a unique customer experience that targets customers from Gen Y to baby boomers. A common user interface is key to a compelling customer experience that recognizes the branch as a focal point in building enduring customer relationships. The technology of Kinect can provide in-branch entertainment as well as more engaging customer interactions replacing transactions with conversations.Personal financial management tools Technology has made it easier for customers to do research and resolve issues online. Branches are a perfect place for that research to take place. If the customer is already in a branch and wants to do some research or use automated tools to perform financial calculations, budgeting and planning, resources should be available for independent and banker-assisted research and planning. Options to consider include the f ollowing: > A dedicated bank of PCs for independent research > Interactive walls to explore financial options > Surface technology to explore different products and solutions Bundle is an example of a personal financial management tool eveloped by Citi, Morningstar and Microsoft, which allows consumers to compare how others spend their money. (See Figure 5. ) FIGURE 6 At Banco do Brasil, a customer explores financial options through an interactive wall. 20 The bank branch of the future Private, face-to-face advice Have tablets replaced desktops or have they just empowered them? By deploying both, branches have more options for face-to-face advice. It can vary from line busting to a confidential meeting with a private banking client. Technology may be needed to support those discussions, accept deposits, sign documents or review financial plans. Tablet technology can play an important role, and there are many providers to choose from.Companies like Motion Computing, HP and ExoPC offe r slate models in addition to the iPad. Motion Computing, in particular, specializes in manufacturing tablets designed for the needs of individual industries. (See Figure 7. ) FIGURE 7 Customized industry devices from Motion Computing Windows slates combine the ability to consume information and present it to clients with the full production capabilities of a PC. They are also secure and interoperable with other technologies. Incorporating your tablet solution into a complete branch experience demands the ability to interact with other devices, applications and systems. Bankers and financial advisors don’t just meet clients in the bank. They may also visit them in the home.The concept of a mobile sales force attached to the branch is not a new one. But for such a team to be effective it will need to be empowered by technology. Mobile technology can be used for customer presentations, the review of different products and services and the completion of documentation. (See Figur e 8. ) FIGURE 8 A selection of Windows slates (in order of appearance, the Asus E121, Motion’s CL900, the HP 500, the ExoPC and the Fujitsu-STYLISTIC Q550 Slate PC) The bank branch of the future 21 Customer use scenarios: Microsoft Surface at Barclays Bank and Royal Bank of Canada Barclays has opened a new flagship branch at Piccadilly Circus in London.The bank describes the project as â€Å"the first ‘brand concept’ branch in the UK,† covering 8,000 square feet of retail space over three floors. With the opening of the branch, Barclays became the first bank in Europe to pilot Microsoft Surface. Infusion was engaged to create a Surface program that allows users to â€Å"grab† digital content with their hands and navigate information about Barclays’ Premier banking offering with simple gestures and touches. Royal Bank of Canada has partnered with Microsoft to provide customers with an interactive banking experience through Surface. The impleme ntation of Surface creates a fun and interactive way for RBC to inform its customers about their financial services.RBC found that giving customers a way to learn about their financial goals through interactive applications, such as Infusion’s application for Surface, is a great way to ease customers into initiating conversations about complicated financial topics. Client communications When was the last time any of us wrote or received a letter? The way we communicate is undergoing profound transformation. Whether we communicate through laptops, slates or smartphones, electronic communication is becoming pervasive. In this new chapter of communications there are risks and rewards implying profound changes in the way we develop, share and exchange information, even the way we work and play. The rewards are clear — richer and more frequent client conversations, better research, more informed insight, more accurate presentations.But the risks can be great as well. The in formation we create can be instantly shared through flash drives and across the Internet. Clients, markets and regulators are holding us more accountable for what we say and how we say it. The one-off presentations produced in local offices that differ across the firm should become a distant memory particularly since even small differences in client communications can have regulatory implications, dilute brands and confuse clients and markets. The world is changing at a dizzying rate. Client communications must be timely to add value, but with current technology it can also be too costly and time consuming to develop frequently.A 100-page pitch book for a key client meeting may require data and content from many sites, sources and databases, much of it captured manually. What if the process could be automated, branding managed centrally and compliance built into the process in advance? Microsoft’s partner Xinnovation has the solution — the ability to produce automated presentations within minutes that are compliant with regulations and firmwide brand management standards. Whether we communicate through laptops, slates or smartphones, electronic communication is becoming pervasive. 22 The bank branch of the future CASE STUDY Streamlining client communications at Fidelity Xinnovation streamlined Fidelity’s 22-day data intensive, increasingly complex investment review process into just a few simple hours.Quite impressive when you consider these specialized, targeted presentations can run up to 100 pages chock full of dynamic charts and graphs, which draw from backend data systems. (See Figure 9. ) Fidelity turned to Xinnovation and its Web-based, Microsoft ®-standard XiDocs document automation platform. XiDocs includes easy-to-use features that enable rapid development of solutions. XiDocs features include content management, configurable assembly and publishing of highly customized Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and PDF documents, data-driven Excel charts and graphs, enterprise content, and workflow — all living natively inside Microsoft Office SharePoint Server.It gets better — Fidelity and Xinnovation implemented a direct XML connection with Fidelity’s print and fulfill vendor to maximize workflow capabilities. And if that is not enough smart for one day, Xinnovation’s technology enables Fidelity to provide its reports through its client portal and extend a â€Å"greener† process. FIGURE 9 Automated document generation with Xinnovation The bank branch of the future 23 Origination — developing new business opportunities O ne of the toughest challenges banks face today is origination. This is particularly true in a low-growth environment. So it is important that banks have a clear understanding of where their opportunities lie.Most banks have a marketplace that can be split into three parts: > Customer enthusiasts — customers who are enthusiastic about their relationship w ith the bank and want to expand it > Customers on the fence — customers who are indifferent to their relationship with the bank but could be swayed one way or another > Dissatisfied customers — customers who are about to leave and are waiting for the right opportunity to move on. Against this mix there are further segmentation opportunities. The challenge is to find the right marketing and distribution mix for each customer segment. For example, Bank of America identified the mass affluent as a â€Å"must-win† strategic market.The bank worked with Merrill Lynch to target services to a specific part of its target — the mass affluent — which it defined as customers with investable balances of about $200,000 or more, but not superwealthy. The bank reasoned this group of customers were occasional investors rather than active traders and so offered them 10 free trades a year to boost their loyalty and deepen their relationship. Where does the branch fit in to this mix? Should it be the preserve of a few customers, or is there a way for it to play a role across all sectors of the market? One way of approaching this is to think of the branch as a networking opportunity, emphasizing its social rather than its transaction role.Targeting families, small businesses, emerging entrepreneurs or local clubs and associations reinforces the role of the branch as a focal point for the community. Financial seminars targeted at local entrepreneurs, pension advice for boomers, and financial services for college students are examples of programs that bring traffic to the branch and reinforce its role as a critical part of the local economy. With branch traffic up, the next step is to make it easier to open accounts, browse new services or get financial advice. Increasing self-service facilities — not just ATMs, but interactive walls and Surface devices as well — within the branch is one way of achieving this. But technology doesnâ₠¬â„¢t have to exclude the human element.Enabling bank staff to assist customers through video links on next-generation ATMs and other self-service channels reinforces the relationship between banker and customer rather than excluding it. 24 The bank branch of the future Some of the tools to consider include the following: > Targeting customers through predictive analytics — Reaching out to customers can be costly for several reasons. Along with more traditional campaign costs, companies often fail to take into consideration any negative impacts that a campaign may have in terms of driving customers away or driving customers to consider alternative offers. Predictive analytics plays a critical role in minimizing negative campaign responses and ensuring that campaigns are targeted and effective.This also includes maximizing opportunities for cross sell and retention in the key instances when customers are engaging via inbound channels. Gathering a single view of your customers across all touch points is a critical step in understanding your customers’ needs, and delivering the best possible customer experience to drive customer value in the long term. Whether customers are online, talking to a call center or in the branch, it is important to have a clear picture of who those customers are, and what particular offer, be it cross sell or retention, is best to present them at that moment. One insurance company found that by optimizing customer nteractions in this manner it was able to sell more through inbound channels than through all other channels combined. > Managing customers’ time when they are in the branch — By enabling branch staff to reduce queuing at teller counters they can also engage with customers and explore other service opportunities. A handheld computer device can accelerate deposits, account inquiries, transfers and other simple transactions. Line busting can turn unproductive wait times into business opportunities. S cheduling and calendaring linked to digital signage solutions can manage appointments with branch staff and expectations with customers who might otherwise be unclear when they would be seen. gt; Making it easier to access new services through paperless banking — If a customer wants to open a new account or obtain a new line of credit but has to wait for the paperwork to be completed, that just adds time and cost to the onboarding process and delays revenue realization. It can also frustrate customers and cause them to look elsewhere to meet their needs. Years of paper-based processes may need to be revisited to improve customer experience, improve margins and increase security. > Marketing through self-service transactions — Originations should be possible within the branch through any channel, whether through a bank of PCs, through next- generation ATMs, or call centers accessed from within the branch. Surface devices and interactive walls can be both a source of inf ormation and origination channels.Self-service channels are mainly for existing customers, but it should be just as easy for new customers to become activated through them as well. > Banker-assisted originations — Often completed through paper documents, the origination process can involve several stages, and many documents — account opening forms, signature cards, loan agreements — but if converted Gathering a single view of your customers across all touch points is a critical step in understanding your customers’ needs, and delivering the best possible customer experience to drive value in the long term. The bank branch of the future 25 into electronic form can be completed quickly and easily but still securely while the customer remains in the branch.This shortens the origination process considerably. The problem is how to accomplish this in a secure way. The growth in eSignature technology and supporting regulation (the ESIGN Act and UETA) makes this a much easier option for many banks. > Tellers as relationship managers — Probably the one personal contact the bank customer has the most frequent engagement with is the bank teller. Yet this is the one interaction we want to get over with as quickly as possible. A friendly interaction with a teller can play an important part in origination. But for that to happen the role of tellers within the branch must change and they must be managed very differently as a resource.The first challenge is to manage traffic within the branch to reduce the pressure of a short and pressured interaction. Secondly, tellers’ productivity has to be improved by giving them access to technology that enables them to process transactions more easily. Finally, tellers should know who their customers are, reinforcing the importance of the personal connection. Branch recognition technologies and access to CRM systems can help tellers play a pivotal role in strengthening customer relationships. CA SE STUDY Predictive analytics at U. S. Bancorp with Portrait Software Pitney Bowes Business Insight (PBBI) is a Microsoft Gold partner that leads the pack in the field of predictive analytics. The Consumer Direct division of U. S. Bank, a subsidiary of U. S.Bancorp, found that its traditional marketing campaigns were not delivering the returns they once were, and was failing to target customers with the most relevant message. After two successful trials, U. S. Bank implemented PBBI’s Portrait Uplift solution and has since achieved significant gains — a 300 percent lift — in incremental revenue together with reduced costs through lower mailing volumes. U. S. Bank is just one of several customers in different industries that have found PBBI’s Portrait suite of analytics solutions to be of immense value. Selling to a market of one is a challenge across all industries, financial services in particular. U. S. Bank has achieved significant gains in incremental revenue together with reduced costs through lower mailing volumes. 26 The bank branch of the futurePROFILE Secure paperless banking with digital signature from Topaz and AssureSign We are all familiar with digital signature in the retail environment, even in insurance. A number of leading banks have begun to adopt the process, but in financial services the technology of digital signature is still in its infancy. Whether we are opening a bank or brokerage account or applying for a loan there is usually a lot of paper involved. But paper takes time to process, must be stored and can easily be lost. Plus we need a more reliable way to ensure documents have been signed and stored as securely as possible. Is it time for a fresh approach? Many businesses around the world are saving money by replacing paper processes with electronic signature and document solutions. In the U. S. the ESIGN Act gives electronic signatures the same legal significance as paper signatures, provided the customer consents to the process. Various forms of eSignature exist from a simple click to sign to robust biometric signatures written on electronic signature pads that record the precise shape and sequence of the signature, its strokes and direction of loops, and detailed timing of each part of the signature used in the signing process. Another form of electronic signature that does not incorporate biometrics — the digital signature — uses asymmetric cryptography to ensure documents can be protected once they are signed and any changes related back to the original signer.The technology of eSignature and digital signatures is now available across multiple devices and can be deployed locally or at an enterprise level. Mainly deployed in the public sector and in the retail, healthcare and insurance industries, this technology has already been adopted by a number of leading banks to improve the speed and security of banking document processes. Such efficiencies are leading the ch arge in enabling bank branches to become paperless. AssureSign (www. assuresign. com) and Topaz Systems (www. topazsystems. com) are leaders in the field of electronic signature and document management. FIGURE 10 Topaz eSignature software technology can be deployed across the Web and directly with its biometric electronic signature pads. Biometric signatureAssureSign is a software-as-a-service (SaaS) or on-premise electronic signature solution that allows signers to execute documents via web portal interactions, captures the â€Å"act of signing,† email invitation or in-branch scenarios. AssureSign easily integrates with existing not an image of a signature banking and financial services applications to provide a paperless document execution process. AssureSign can also work alongside Topaz solutions to bridge the gap between in-house and external web-based signing requirements in a FIGURE 11 A biometric signature using AssureSign single platform. AssureSign solutions offer a variety of front-end signer authentication options as well as Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (ESign Act) and Uniform Electronic Transactions ACT (UETA) compliant signing processes.Topaz Systems offers a broad array of electronic signature pads for use in teller- and nonteller-related transactions, along with bundled software, authentication and server tools, and plug-ins. Topaz solutions provide the capability for corporations to deploy their technology across any Web-based service and on any device, whether tailor-made or generic. Topaz signature pads are available in color and monochrome versions, wireless versions for use in drive-up teller environments, and pads that capture simultaneous electronic and paper signatures up to full legal clipboard size. (See Figures 10 and 11. ) The bank branch of the future 27 CASE STUDYIncentives at Bank of the West and Varicent If branch staff are to play a different role in the branch of the future, the question tha t arises is whether they should be compensated differently. To meet this challenge, Bank of the West chose Varicent SPM to manage incentive compensation and sales performance throughout the organization. Varicent’s SPM solution was chosen by Bank of the West because of its ability to provide a single system for all compensation plan management that easily integrates with all other existing systems within the bank. Varicent is an industry leader in providing incentive compensation (ICM) and sales performance management (SPM) solutions.Bank of the West, based in San Francisco, offers a full range of business, corporate, personal, trust and international banking services and operates more than 700 branch locations and commercial banking offices in 19 Western and Midwestern states. â€Å"Varicent’s solution will provide us with the unique ability to more effectively analyze important compensation and sales performance metrics. We will also use Varicent to improve the accu racy of our forecasts and to create effective sales incentive models that can drive the right behavior and maximize our future performance,† said Donald Duggan, senior executive vice president and CIO at Bank of the West.Varicent’s approach offers a lower total cost of ownership than alternative solutions and in-depth sales analytics to help understand performance, allowing for accurate forecasting and modeling of future plans. Streamlined administrative processes include the managing an