PORTFOLIO Steps to build a solid payments strategy Payments Customer expectations and fierce competition-it's never been more important to think strategically about your payments offering. By Colleen Morrison aster. Better. Smarter. For community banks, these three concepts reverberate through payments strategies. The pressure mounts as you work to identify frictionless solutions to meet customer expectations. But in a payments landscape where the choices change F daily, community banks may feel like they are one step behind in finding the right options for their customers. How do you evolve your payments strategy to ensure your offerings meet today's market needs and anticipate 18 Q ICBA Independent Banker Q September 2018 future developments? First, you need to understand the driving factors in this dynamic environment. Environmental factors There is no shortage of emerging options to make payments faster, better and smarter. From bitcoin and blockchain technology to exploding digital and p2p services, environmental factors can shape how you look at payments. New technologies burst on the scene like lightning bolts, capturing the industry's attention. With these flashy new options competing for market share, it's no wonder that bankers may be temporarily blinded to the path ahead. " Somebody's going to chase the shiny red car, " says Terri Sands, director of payments risk management and