Den digitala utvecklingen i samhället är ständigt pågående och är ett fenomen som många verksamheter nyttjar i syfte att bibehålla eller öka sin konkurrensförmåga. Det finns organisationer som har väldigt goda förutsättningar, i form av kompetenser och förmågor, för att anamma och dra nytta av digitaliseringens möjligheter, samtidigt finns det organisationer som inte uppnår en liknande mognadsgrad och som därför riskerar att bli omsprungna av andra mer mogna organisationer. En sektor där särskilt mindre företag utsätts för stor konkurrens av stora företag och som har ett stort behov av att arbeta med digitalisering är banksektorn. Ett argument av behovet är att bankerna fyller en viktig funktion i samhället och det därför av stor vikt att även små banker fungerar och möjliggör värde för alla samhällets funktioner och organisationer. Ett annat argument är att bankernas kunder ställer allt högre krav på att kunna sköta bankärenden digitalt. I syfte att förbättra sina möjligheter att överleva på marknaden arbetar banker med digitala strategier. En digital strategi definieras som en riktlinje som kan användas för att uppnå en digital utveckling, det innebär en resa från det analoga till det digitala. Ett sätt att underlätta strategiarbete för banker är att följa guidelines. En guidelines ses i vår studie som en mall eller vägledning för att genomföra en specifik aktivitet. Det kan till exempel handla om olika steg som behöver genomföras för att kunna bygga ihop ett skrivbord. Även om det till viss del existerar guidelines på marknaden är de inte skräddarsydda för små och medelstora banker på den svenska marknaden. Syftet med denna studie är därför att identifiera och presentera guidelines som kan stödja små banker i Sverige att skapa, förfina och förbättra sina digitala strategier. Dessa guidelines grundar sig i användningen av digitalisering och dess fördelar och skall underlätta för svenska små banker att bibehålla sin konkurrenskraft i en digital tidsålder. I arbetet kommer vi att fokusera, studera och behandla forskningsfrågan “Vilka guidelines bör små företag i banksektorn följa för att skapa och förbättra digitala strategier”. För att uppfylla syftet och svara på forskningsfrågan har vi följt en kvalitativ metod där vi analyserat data inhämtat via intervjuer och tidigare forskning. Detta innebär att våra slutsater är baserade på både teori och empiri. Resultatet visar att svenska banker bör följa fyra guidelines för att skapa och förbättra digitala strategier. Resultatet är viktigt eftersom det bidrar till forskning genom att komplettera befintliga guidelines men det är också viktigt för praktiken eftersom de kan bidra till ökad konkurrenskraft för svenska banker. / Digital development is continuously decreasing and it is a phenomenon that several businesses use to maintain or increase their competitiveness. Some organizations have very good conditions, such as skills and abilities, to embrace and take advantage of digitalization opportunities, while there are those industries that have not achieved a similar degree of development and that risk being overtaken by other more developed organizations. One sector where many smaller companies, in particular, have a great need to work with digitalization is the banking sector. One argument is that the banks fulfill a necessary function in society and therefore that the banks must operate and enable value for all society's functions and organizations. Another argument is that the banks' customers place even higher demands on being able to handle banking matters digitally. A digital strategy is defined as a guideline that can be adapted into an organization in order to achieve digital transformation. The purpose of this study is to identify and present guidelines that can support banks in Sweden to create and choose their digital strategies. A guideline can be used as a template or a guide to be able to carry out an activity. For example, it can refer to different steps that need to be carried out to be able to build a deck together. These guidelines are based on the use of digitalization and its benefits and should make it easier for banks to maintain their competitiveness in a digital world. We will focus, study and address the research question "What guidelines should companies in the banking sector follow to create digital strategies". To fulfill the purpose and answer the research question, we have followed a qualitative method where we analyzed data obtained through interviews and previous research. This means that our conclusions are based on both theory and empirical data. The results show that Swedish banks should follow four steps.

Being influenced by advanced technology solutions, modern business is undergoing significant transformations. This is also true about the financial services sector, where innovative solutions are being actively used and new fintech companies are emerging. Against this background, the market share of large traditional banks reduces steadily. These trends are also observed in Sweden, which has one of the highest levels of digitalization of banking services in Europe. The described trends may indicate that Swedish traditional banks are unable to compete with fintech companies and adapt to the new business environment. Consequently, the purpose of the research is to assess the current and potential positions of large traditional Swedish banks in the financial services market. In particular, when considering the situation through the prism of service-dominant logic, it is necessary to understand the place that large traditional banks occupy in the overall process of value creation with the participation of the consumer. In this regard, the following questions have been examined within the research: RQ1. How can the largest traditional banks in Sweden preserve their market positions in the overall value creation process? RQ2. What services offered by the traditional banks are the most exposed to customer outflow? To answer the questions posed, the exploratory research has been carried out, which is based on a case study and an in-depth study of a specific example, namely the development of Swedbank in a changing market context. The research data has been mostly derived from the interview, although, to reduce its bias and subjectivity, the secondary data, providing an idea of market trends, has been also analyzed. As a result of the research, it has been determined that the main advantages of fintech companies are high specialization, seamless processes, and reduced government control. Against this background, traditional banks are losing market share, but in the future, the situation should stabilize. The reason is that traditional banks have the scale, infrastructure, and operant resources to deliver comprehensive financial services that require a customized approach and cannot be automated. In addition, large traditional banks could potentially act as a platform for the technological development of the entire industry. These circumstances determine the specific advantages and the development of incumbent banks in Sweden, although the involvement of consumers in the co-creation process through social media and mobile applications is still the problem.

Background Traditional banks monopolized financial services, but the 2008 crisis spurred Fintech's emergence as an alternative. Fintech challenges banks with innovative solutions, while Sweden thrives as a Fintech hub. Profitability is vital due to the recent shift in focus from growth. Modern Fintech research is lacking, thus creating gaps in both knowledge and studies among the Swedish Fintech-sphere.  Purpose  The study analyzes leverage, return on equity, and bank size ratios in Swedish Fintech companies. It examines their impact on profit margin and aims to identify correlations. The results aim to enhance understanding and provide guidance for optimizing key figures to increase profitability among Swedish Fintech-companies.  Methodology The study utilized a quantitative approach with a deductive method and cross-sectional design. Data consisted of secondary data and was collected through the database Retriever Business. A total of 1198 observations were analyzed using correlation matrix, bivariate, and multivariate regression analyses.  Results  The quantitative analysis revealed that both debt to equity ratio and return on equity has a significant relationship, while bank size has only a partially significant relationship with profit margin.  Conclusion  Swedish Fintech-companies reveals a positive relationship between return on equity (ROE) and profitability. Furthermore, the leverage ratio also positively affects profitability. Moreover, Bank size shows a slight negative impact.