Our 2025 Best ATM Services for Europe award was recently granted to Diebold Nixdorf. This allowed us to meet with Frank Baur, the company’s Executive Vice President for Operational Excellence, with whom we had an insightful conversation.

What do you see as the key trends in the financial services industry right now?

Financial institutions (FIs) are increasingly interested in leveraging AI to enhance and personalize the customer experience, improve risk assessments and drive operational efficiencies. Environmental, Social and Governance considerations play an increasingly central role in how banks operate and develop new products and services. Finally, digital transformation remains a top priority. Diebold Nixdorf is deeply involved in this effort. Our solutions empower FIs to bridge the gap between digital and physical banking wherever an ATM is deployed.

Can you provide an overview of what Diebold Nixdorf delivers from a service perspective?

Diebold Nixdorf offers a comprehensive services portfolio that covers all key ATM management functions. This starts with the installation of new devices or upgrades for those already in operation. Our availability management services encompass all types of repairs required during a device’s lifecycle, with remote monitoring and automated incident resolution to minimize downtime and improve efficiency. We provide cash management services to ensure optimal cash availability, using advanced forecasting and analytics to determine replenishment needs. Our global surveillance operations and ATM protection services safeguard against a wide range of threats, including cyberattacks, ensuring that financial institutions can operate with confidence.

What are the key drivers behind your decision to invest in and expand your service offerings, and how do market demand and technological advances influence this strategy?

The ATM channel has become increasingly strategic for banks, serving as a key enabler to migrate transactions away from tellers and transform branches into true advisory hubs. To support this shift, FIs need an ATM network that is high-performing, cost-effective, and secure while also compliant with an ever-changing regulatory landscape. We continuously develop new solutions that enhance service quality and efficiency by leveraging advanced software, automation, and industry best practices. By staying ahead of industry demands, we help our customers optimize their ATM networks while ensuring seamless operations.

How have shifting client expectations impacted Diebold Nixdorf’s approach to service delivery?

Traditionally, banks have run their ATM network with in-house resources, but the complexity and technology required to operate the channel have increased dramatically over the years. They are now looking at outsourcing many or all aspects of the operations. Our solutions ensure a seamless transition from an internal operating model to a managed service one and are easily scalable. We simplify ATM operations while ensuring our customers maximize the return from their ATM channel. Today, we serve over 1,000 FIs worldwide while providing them with full transparency and all the insights they need to optimize their strategy and its execution.

Does having a global service framework still allow you to deliver relevant local services?

Our global service framework is the foundation of our service model and ensures we can provide consistent service quality across all markets while allowing for necessary local adaptations. We operate one streamlined incident management process, leveraging a single global IT infrastructure worldwide. This means that any DN employee can leverage the same practices and tools. Our technical and operational trainings are also standardized: content and methods are the same wherever they are held, while customizations are obviously added to suit the local environments. Our hiring and talent development strategies also attract and retain the best professionals in each market. We balance global consistency and local relevance, so our customers receive the highest level of service everywhere.

What developments or enhancements have you integrated into your service offerings, particularly in light of technological advances such as automation and AI?

Our services are powered by a data intelligence platform, allowing us to shift our service model to truly data-driven and pro-active. The platform builds on a unique combination of decades of servicing experience, a continuously augmented knowledge base, and the application of cloud computing, machine-learning technologies, and AI. It leverages real-time, Internet of Things (IoT) connections from deployed devices, continually analyzing data collected, identifying and tracking patterns. The outcome is that incidents are resolved faster, with industry-leading first-time fix rates, and some impending failures are detected and fixed before they occur. Ultimately maximizing end-user availability.

What are the effects of your managed and remote services on operational efficiency and customer experience in banking?

Our customers streamline in-house resources by outsourcing some or all of the key ATM management functions. They don’t need to build, maintain, and continuously upskill teams of experts. They also reduce investments and upkeep costs for expensive infrastructures and management tools. They gain from economies of scale and more cost-efficient channel management. They partner with an expert, which can ensure their ATM channel delivers market-leading end-user service availability and is protected from classic or emerging security attacks. High availability and security are the foundations for a compelling user experience, which leads to increased device usage, greater customer satisfaction, and more revenue for financial institutions.

What strategies have you implemented to ensure your workforce stays at the forefront of digital service innovation, particularly as technological advancements continue to reshape the industry?

Ensuring our teams operate efficiently and effectively while focusing on the quality of the services delivered to our customers is a key priority for Diebold Nixdorf. Whenever a device fails, our support desk agents have access to recommendations from our data intelligence platform on how the incident can be fixed, potentially adding preventative tasks to avoid potential future outages. This, combined with a simplified and streamlined process for parts ordering, tracking and checking stock availability, allows productive on-site technician visits. Technicians are equipped with mobile devices where they access actionable insights and instructions, always ensuring a timely intervention.

How do your service innovations align with evolving industry standards and regulatory requirements?

Ensuring compliance with industry standards and regulations is at the core of our service operations and any innovation we introduce. The infrastructure, systems, software applications and processes underpinning our services constantly adhere to the highest security and regulatory standards. Compliance is embedded into every aspect of our service offerings, ensuring financial institutions meet all necessary regulatory requirements.

With digital continuing to evolve, how do your service offerings compare in terms of reliability, scalability, and integration with digital?

As digital banking continues to evolve, FIs must regularly adapt their ATM services and user experiences to meet changing consumer expectations. However, legacy systems often make these updates complex, time-consuming, and costly. Our technology is designed to help banks by providing greater flexibility, scalability, and security. With our solutions, FIs can introduce new transaction types, integrate mobile-first experiences, and connect seamlessly with third-party service providers. They can accelerate innovation, reduce costs, and enhance customer experiences while ensuring high availability, regulatory compliance, and advanced data security.

What are the next steps in your service development roadmap?

Our roadmap is driven by continuous improvement and ensuring our customers maximize the effectiveness and cost-efficiency of their ATM channel and branch network. We are developing new data-driven solutions that further leverage AI and automation and partnering with other high-tech companies. As FIs continue to downsize their branch network and opt for smaller footprints, they need to rely on a strong self-service channel. We are preparing for the launch of solutions that will further expand the scope of transactions at the ATM, including complex interactions that can be conducted only with a teller today. We are also addressing the needs of FIs who pool their ATM network with other FIs, enhancing the technology enabling this new business and operating model. The ultimate target is to be and remain industry leading.

Frank Baur, Executive Vice President for Operational Excellence, Diebold Nixorf