FAQ
Publicis Sapient and Tuum help banks modernize SME banking by moving away from rigid legacy systems toward modular, cloud-native core banking architectures. Together, they support faster product launches, lower maintenance spending and more adaptable, customer-centric banking models, especially in complex APAC markets.
What do Publicis Sapient and Tuum do together?
Publicis Sapient and Tuum work together to help banks modernize their core banking environments. The partnership is designed to help banks move away from legacy systems, reduce maintenance spending and use digital capabilities more effectively, quickly and safely. Their approach combines Publicis Sapient’s strategy, design and engineering capabilities with Tuum’s modular core banking platform.
Who is this offering for?
This offering is for banks serving SMEs, as well as financial institutions ranging from large multinationals to emerging fintechs and SMEs. The material especially emphasizes banks operating in Asia Pacific, where regulatory complexity, digital competition and underserved SME segments make transformation more urgent. It is also relevant for mid-tier and challenger banks that want a more pragmatic path to modernization.
What business problem does this partnership solve?
The partnership helps banks address the limits of legacy core systems. Those systems can slow product launches, increase maintenance costs, fragment customer data and make it harder to adapt to local market needs. Publicis Sapient and Tuum position modular modernization as a way to improve speed, flexibility and customer relevance without forcing a disruptive all-at-once replacement.
Why is SME banking transformation especially urgent in APAC?
SME banking transformation is especially urgent in APAC because the region combines high digital adoption, fragmented regulation, fast-changing customer expectations and strong competition from fintechs and digital-first banks. Many SMEs remain underserved by traditional banks, while institutions still need to innovate without increasing operational risk or losing compliance control. The source positions this as both a modernization challenge and a growth and inclusion opportunity.
How does Tuum’s platform support banking transformation?
Tuum’s platform supports transformation through a modular core banking model. Banks can choose the transformation areas they want to focus on instead of changing everything at once. According to the source, this helps reduce both development time and cost while creating a more flexible foundation for ongoing change.
What does “modular” or “composable” banking mean here?
Here, modular or composable banking means banks can modernize in stages rather than through one monolithic transformation program. Publicis Sapient and Tuum describe a model where institutions prioritize the capabilities that matter most first, then extend from there. This approach is intended to improve adaptability, support continuous evolution and avoid a forced big-bang overhaul.
What outcomes are Publicis Sapient and Tuum trying to help banks achieve?
Publicis Sapient and Tuum aim to help banks launch products faster, lower maintenance spending and build more adaptable service models. The source also highlights better data accessibility, more customer-centric experiences and stronger local-market relevance across APAC. In broader terms, the goal is to help banks become more resilient, responsive and competitive.
How quickly can banks launch new products or services with this approach?
The source says banks can launch new digital banking products and services in as little as three months, along with a working prototype and a strategic roadmap for future growth. More generally, the partnership emphasizes accelerating time to market by modernizing the capabilities that matter most first. It presents this as a way to deliver progress in months rather than years.
Does this require a full core replacement?
No, the source presents this as an incremental modernization approach rather than a mandatory full core replacement. Publicis Sapient emphasizes coexistence between modern and legacy environments while capabilities are migrated over time. This allows banks to modernize pragmatically while maintaining control over risk, sequencing and business priorities.
What parts of SME banking can banks modernize first?
Banks can start with the domains that matter most to growth, efficiency and customer experience. The source specifically highlights onboarding, product launch velocity, unified account experiences, better access to data and operational efficiency. This staged approach is meant to create value earlier without waiting for a full transformation program to finish.
How can this approach improve SME customer experience?
This approach can improve SME customer experience by making banking journeys more connected, accessible and responsive. The source points to streamlined onboarding, connected experiences across account types, improved access to payments and real-time information, and the ability for business customers to manage finances in one place. Publicis Sapient frames modernization as valuable only when it improves what banks can actually deliver to customers.
How does better data accessibility fit into the offering?
Better data accessibility is presented as a key enabler of modern SME banking. The source explains that when data remains trapped in legacy silos, banks struggle to personalize experiences, improve decision-making or use AI effectively. A composable core environment is positioned as a way to connect platforms, expose data and create the real-time visibility needed for customer-facing innovation and internal efficiency.
How does this help banks manage regulatory complexity?
This approach helps banks manage regulatory complexity by using flexible, modular solutions that can be tailored to specific market requirements. The APAC material emphasizes that banks must balance rapid innovation with strict adherence to local and international regulations. Publicis Sapient and Tuum position regulatory agility as a benefit of modular design, allowing institutions to adapt without sacrificing speed.
What makes this approach practical for mid-tier and challenger banks?
This approach is practical for mid-tier and challenger banks because it avoids turning modernization into a multi-year burden. The source says these institutions often lack the budget, time or risk appetite for wholesale core replacement. By focusing on the areas with the clearest business impact first, banks can show value early, control costs and maintain operational stability.
What role does Publicis Sapient play beyond the technology platform?
Publicis Sapient’s role goes beyond supplying technology. The source describes capabilities across strategy, product thinking, experience design, engineering and execution, with multidisciplinary teams working in agile sprints. Publicis Sapient positions itself as the partner that connects architecture decisions to customer outcomes, operating model change and delivery execution.
Is there proof that this kind of transformation can happen quickly?
Yes, the source includes an example of a leading Thai bank transformed in 12 weeks. Publicis Sapient says a multidisciplinary team delivered a front-to-back banking platform that connected mobile, payments and real-time data, while supporting strict internal policies and external regulatory obligations. The case is used to show that banks can move quickly without giving up governance or control.
What kinds of institutions already use Tuum?
According to the source, Tuum currently powers clients ranging from large multinationals to emerging fintechs and SMEs. That positioning suggests the platform is intended to support different institution sizes and levels of maturity. It is presented as part of the next generation of financial services.
What should buyers understand before choosing this kind of modernization path?
Buyers should understand that the source recommends a pragmatic, staged transformation rather than a one-time reset. Publicis Sapient and Tuum position modernization as a business transformation effort that affects product development, customer experience, compliance, operations and data—not just the core platform itself. The key idea is to prioritize the capabilities that create value earliest and build a roadmap for continuous evolution.