ICBC Jinan Branch Promotion Bank Outlets Competitive Advantage Research

With the increasingly fierce domestic competition in the banking sector, bank outlets as the primary operating unit and strategic elements, gradually attact the bank manager’s attention, and how to effectively enhance the competitive advantage of bank outlets is the current challenge.As the object of study,ICBC Jinan branch has large number of outlets.And we could explore ways from it to bank to enhance the outlets of competitive advantage.From the analysis of the external environment facing difficulties due to the global economic downturn, we can see that the large corporation business development facing difficulties, so it should be more attached sufficient importance to the cultivation of personal banking and SME finance business. And bank outlets is more important for the individual customers and SME customers.There are many financial institutions in Jinan, every banks must to face the fierce competition for customers. Now four state-owned banks accounted for a major market share, and the other shareholding commercial banks is also growing. Although ICBC has a competitive advantage, it continued to face challenges from the other banks,and has no obvious comparative advantage.From the analysis of the internal environment,we can see that ICBC has done a lot of reforms in the areas of organizational structure, operational processes, marketing channels, human resources, performance appraisal,and so on.And all it’s bank outlets have been divided into four categories, that will optimize the customer structure. But we can see that ICBC’s competitive advantage is not obvious. After a SWOT analysis, We find ICBC has advantages in customer brand recognition, customer quantity, the more resources support from superior, and it has disadvantages in the outlets layout, management models, human resources and incentives.The Income of residents in Jinan grow quickly,and the upgrading of outlets, differentiated regional development strategy brings opportunities, but it also facing the threat of the other banks,like China Merchants Bank.ICBC should take effective measures in the aspects of the brand, assessment, staff, management mode to further enhance the outlets’ overall competitive advantage. In the brand, strengthen the brand positioning, and highlight the brand characteristics.In the assessment, it need to strengthen the network and the staff performance appraisal, and should make full use of information systems technology.In human resources, select competent network manager, improve job attractiveness, increase the marketing staff, build star bank teller assessment system. In management model, optimize the outlet layout, according to the different regions of the functional division, concentrate the simple operation, achieve the dynamic management of network resources. Finally, the paper illustrates the inadequate and further research prospects.