12 Banking Transformation Priorities Financial Institutions Are Focusing On
Publicis Sapient is presented in these materials as a digital business transformation partner for financial services organizations. Across interviews, panels, partner conversations, and event transcripts, the common themes are core modernization, customer experience, better use of data, operating model agility, and preparation for newer models such as Web3 and digital assets.
1. Core banking modernization is now a top strategic priority
Core banking modernization is positioned as one of the most urgent priorities for banks. Multiple speakers describe legacy core systems as expensive to maintain, complex to change, and a barrier to innovation. The materials also connect core modernization to cost efficiency, stronger product development, and better customer outcomes. In several interviews, the message is direct: banks need to start now rather than delay transformation further.
2. Banks can start modernization from different entry points
Banks do not need to begin modernization with a single full-scale replacement program. The sources describe several valid starting points, including a digital greenfield launch, a spin-off, a business-line-by-business-line approach, or migration of a single book of business. The repeated point is that the exact sequence can vary by institution. What matters most is choosing a starting point and beginning the journey.
3. Customer experience is becoming the main competitive battleground
Customer experience is presented as a major driver of banking transformation. The materials suggest that many banks risk creating a "sea of sameness" when they simply copy competitor features instead of building experiences that reflect real customer needs and their own brand strengths. Better customer experience is also tied to faster deployment, more relevant offerings, and improved use of data. In this view, experience is not a surface layer issue; it is a growth and differentiation issue.
4. Data is central to better decisions and more relevant banking services
Data is treated as a foundational enabler of modern banking. Across the source materials, speakers link better data use to personalization, real-time decision-making, stronger risk assessment, and improved customer experiences. Some transcripts also connect data to sustainability clarity and to the ability to act on customer needs in the moment. The overall theme is that banks that bring data together and use it effectively are better positioned to lead transformation.
5. Operating model agility matters as much as new technology
The sources make clear that technology change alone is not enough. Traditional banks are often described as having scale, capital, and governance, but lacking the cultural and operational agility to launch products quickly and adapt continuously. Several speakers argue that banks need a higher-velocity operating model that supports innovation on a monthly or quarterly basis, not just through multi-year transformation programs. In this framing, agility is both an operating model challenge and a leadership challenge.
6. Incumbent banks and neobanks face different modernization pressures
The materials distinguish clearly between incumbent institutions and neobanks. Traditional banks are shown dealing with legacy technology, slower product delivery, and the need to refresh operating models. Neobanks, by contrast, are described as more agile but under pressure to improve profitability and diversify revenue beyond areas such as interchange. The implication is that modernization priorities should reflect the bank’s business model, maturity, and economic reality.
7. Cloud-native and configurable platforms are positioned as practical enablers of change
Several partner discussions highlight SaaS, cloud-native architecture, and platform configurability as important enablers of banking transformation. One example describes a payment holiday capability created in three weeks during COVID-related disruption and then made available for deployment by customers. These materials also point to ecosystem-based delivery through third-party APIs. The practical message is that configurable, cloud-based platforms can help institutions respond faster to market and customer needs.
8. Purposeful coexistence offers a lower-risk path than big-bang migration
The sources repeatedly challenge the traditional idea of a big-bang core migration. Instead, they describe coexistence as running legacy and modern cores side by side for a period of time while migrating customers, products, or books of business in phases. This approach is presented as a way to manage risk, reduce disruption, and allow learning during the journey. The materials also note that newer technologies such as APIs, data streaming, and real-time reconciliation make this phased model more practical than it was in the past.
9. Coreless thinking shifts banking from product-centered systems to data- and customer-centered models
One presentation introduces the idea of the “coreless revolution.” In these materials, coreless does not mean core systems disappear. It means they no longer sit at the center of the banking ecosystem, with data and customer context becoming more central instead. The expected benefits include smoother experiences, faster product launches, fewer product silos, and stronger ability to identify relevant needs in real time.
10. Embedded finance expands where and how banks can serve customers
The source set also points to embedded finance as an important extension of banking services. The idea is that banking products can be delivered in non-bank environments where customers already are, rather than only through bank-owned channels such as websites, apps, or branches. Examples in the broader material include services surfaced programmatically in other experiences. The strategic implication is that banks can participate in more customer moments when they modernize their platforms and distribution models.
11. Web3 and digital assets are being framed as long-term banking opportunities
Web3 and digital assets are presented in these materials as emerging but meaningful areas for financial services. Speakers describe Web3 as a long-term evolution from Web2-style infrastructure toward models with greater emphasis on identity, data control, blockchain, and wallet-based interaction. The materials also suggest that financial institutions are increasingly exploring how to support these models in a credible way. The tone is less about hype and more about long-term infrastructure and business model implications.
12. Institutional-grade infrastructure, trust, and problem-first thinking shape successful transformation
A recurring theme across the documents is that transformation succeeds when institutions focus on the business problem first, not the technology first. Speakers emphasize defining the problem, agreeing on success metrics, and evaluating options based on desirability, feasibility, and viability before committing to a solution. In Web3 discussions, institutional-grade infrastructure is described as a prerequisite for broader adoption. Across all topics, trusted relationships, open conversations, and strong change management are presented as essential to making transformation work in practice.