Modernizing Data and Core Systems for Financial Services: Overcoming Legacy Barriers with Publicis Sapient

In today’s rapidly evolving financial landscape, banks and insurers face mounting pressure to deliver seamless digital experiences, unlock new value from data, and respond with agility to shifting customer expectations. Yet, the path to digital transformation is often blocked by legacy technology and fragmented data architectures—barriers that not only slow innovation but also threaten competitiveness in a market where digital-first challengers are raising the bar.

Recent research among global banking leaders reveals a stark reality: legacy systems and siloed data remain the top obstacles to transformation. In the 2024 Global Banking Benchmark Study, 66% of executives admitted their bank’s legacy infrastructure hinders their ability to provide the digital experiences customers expect. Operational agility, too, is a persistent challenge, with 34% citing it as the primary barrier to transformation—up from previous years. These issues are compounded by budget constraints and a lack of unified strategy, making it clear that incremental change is no longer enough.

The consequences are tangible. Banks struggle to personalize customer journeys, launch new products quickly, and integrate data across channels. As a result, customer satisfaction and loyalty are at risk, while operational costs remain high. Meanwhile, digital-native competitors and neobanks are capturing market share by leveraging modern, cloud-based architectures and data-driven insights.

Publicis Sapient partners with financial institutions to break through these barriers, enabling foundational transformation through data modernization, coreless architecture, and cloud migration. Our approach is rooted in a deep understanding of the industry’s regulatory, operational, and customer experience demands—and is powered by our SPEED capabilities: Strategy, Product, Experience, Engineering, and Data & AI.

Modernizing the data estate is the cornerstone of digital transformation. Publicis Sapient helps clients move from siloed, legacy data repositories to integrated, cloud-native architectures that support real-time analytics, AI, and regulatory compliance. Our data modernization services span:

• Discovery and assessment of current data landscapes
• Platform architecture design for scalability and security
• Migration and integration to cloud-based solutions (e.g., Snowflake, Databricks, AWS, Azure)
• Data governance and security frameworks to ensure compliance and trust
• Operationalization of data for actionable insights and automation

The result is a data environment that not only supports today’s needs but also enables future innovation—whether it’s advanced personalization, risk modeling, or new digital products.

Traditional core banking systems are often monolithic, inflexible, and costly to maintain. Publicis Sapient advocates for a coreless, cloud-native architecture—decoupling data and business logic from legacy systems and enabling modular, API-driven services. This approach allows banks and insurers to:

• Break down product and channel silos
• Rapidly add or replace components without major disruption
• Integrate seamlessly with fintechs, partners, and new distribution channels
• Embed security and compliance from the ground up

By moving to a coreless model, financial institutions gain the agility to respond to market changes, launch new offerings faster, and reduce total cost of ownership.

Cloud adoption is no longer optional—it’s the foundation for scalability, resilience, and innovation. Publicis Sapient guides clients through every stage of cloud migration, from strategy and business case development to implementation and ongoing optimization. Our advisory-led approach ensures alignment between technology and business objectives, helping clients:

• Migrate legacy applications and data to the cloud with minimal risk
• Leverage cloud-native services for analytics, AI, and customer engagement
• Enable continuous integration and delivery (CI/CD) for faster time-to-market
• Achieve regulatory compliance and robust data governance

1. European DataWarehouse: Accelerating Data Processing and Compliance
A leading European financial data provider partnered with Publicis Sapient to modernize its data platform. By migrating to a cloud-based architecture, the client achieved:

• 80% reusable solution architecture
• 10x faster data processing speeds
• 50% reduction in template implementation time
• Enhanced compliance and flexibility to adapt to evolving market needs

2. Majid Al Futtaim: Data-Driven Growth in Retail Banking
With a new data management platform and agile practices, Majid Al Futtaim realized AED 5 million in immediate cost savings and an 80% faster go-to-market speed for new products, demonstrating the power of data modernization in driving both efficiency and customer experience.

3. Siam Commercial Bank Group: Coreless Architecture for Digital Disruption
In partnership with Publicis Sapient, SCB Group launched Robinhood, a digital platform that rapidly scaled to over 2.3 million users and 164,000 merchants in its first year. The coreless, cloud-native architecture enabled 30 releases in two months and positioned the bank to compete with digital natives across Southeast Asia.

Modernizing data and core systems is not just a technology upgrade—it’s a strategic shift that enables:

• Hyper-relevant propositions: Personalize offerings based on real-time insights
• Intelligent digital channels: Deliver seamless, omnichannel experiences
• Knowledge-powered assisted channels: Empower relationship managers with actionable data
• Insight-driven coverage: Use analytics and AI to anticipate customer needs
• Agile operating models: Fund and deliver change at the pace of the market

Publicis Sapient stands apart as a trusted advisor and transformation partner for financial services leaders. Our strengths include:

• Deep industry expertise across banking, insurance, and capital markets
• Proven frameworks for data modernization, coreless architecture, and cloud migration
• Strong partnerships with leading cloud and data technology providers (AWS, Microsoft, Google, Snowflake, Databricks, and more)
• A track record of delivering measurable outcomes: improved agility, regulatory compliance, cost savings, and enhanced customer experience

The future of financial services belongs to those who can modernize at speed—breaking free from legacy constraints to deliver value, agility, and trust. With Publicis Sapient as your partner, you can:

• Transform your data and core systems for a digital-first world
• Unlock new sources of value for your customers and your business
• Build the foundation for continuous innovation and growth

Now is the time to move beyond incremental change. Let’s reimagine what’s possible—together.

Learn more about how Publicis Sapient is helping financial institutions modernize for the future at publicissapient.com/fs

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