Engineering Transformation in Financial Services: From Legacy to Cloud-Native

In today’s financial services landscape, the pressure to modernize is relentless. Banks, insurers, and capital markets firms are challenged by legacy systems, rising customer expectations, and a regulatory environment that demands both agility and ironclad security. For technology and engineering leaders, the question is no longer if modernization is necessary, but how to execute it—efficiently, securely, and at scale. Publicis Sapient stands at the forefront of this transformation, helping financial institutions move from legacy constraints to cloud-native excellence through a holistic, engineering-led approach.

The Challenge: Legacy Systems and the Need for Change

Decades-old core systems, fragmented data, and siloed operations have long hampered innovation in financial services. These legacy architectures slow product launches, increase operational risk, and make compliance more complex. Meanwhile, digital-native competitors and fintech disruptors are raising the bar for customer experience and speed to market. The cost of inaction is high: missed opportunities, rising costs, and eroding market share.

Publicis Sapient’s Approach: Holistic Engineering for the Cloud Era

True modernization is more than a technology upgrade—it’s a fundamental shift in how financial organizations build, deliver, and scale digital products. Publicis Sapient’s engineering transformation framework is built on five pillars:

1. Agile Engineering

We embed agile principles across teams, moving from project-based to product-based delivery. This enables rapid iteration, continuous learning, and faster time-to-market for new features and regulatory changes. Agile engineering ensures that business and customer value are at the heart of every initiative.

2. Cloud-Native Migration

Our deep expertise and partnerships with leading cloud providers (AWS, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure) allow us to migrate critical workloads to secure, scalable cloud environments. We go beyond “lift-and-shift” to re-architect systems using microservices, containers, and serverless technologies—unlocking new levels of agility, resilience, and cost efficiency.

3. Microservices and API Platforms

We break down monolithic legacy systems into modular microservices and robust API platforms. This approach accelerates digital innovation, enables seamless integration of new technologies (including AI and advanced analytics), and fosters a developer-friendly ecosystem. Our work with Lloyds Banking Group, for example, enabled the rapid rollout of new digital products and services through a secure, scalable API management platform.

4. Security and Compliance by Design

Security and regulatory compliance are embedded from the outset. Our solutions ingrain robust controls, automated testing, and continuous monitoring to ensure every digital product meets the highest standards for data protection and regulatory adherence. Automated compliance controls and zero trust principles are standard, not optional.

5. Data-Driven Value Creation

We unlock the power of data by connecting and refining it across the enterprise, making it actionable for both compliance and customer experience initiatives. Our data modernization strategies enable real-time insights, predictive analytics, and personalized services—driving both operational efficiency and customer loyalty.

Overcoming Legacy Challenges: Practical Solutions

Publicis Sapient’s engineering transformation is designed to address the most pressing challenges faced by financial institutions:

Accelerating Product Launches: By adopting cloud-native, API-driven architectures and agile ways of working, organizations can bring new products to market in weeks, not months. For example, leading banks in Asia-Pacific have launched new digital platforms in as little as 12 weeks, demonstrating the speed and flexibility of modern engineering approaches.
Reducing Operational Risk: Automated compliance controls, continuous monitoring, and AI-driven risk assessment frameworks reduce the risk of non-compliance and operational failures. Our Cloud Acceleration Platform (CAP), developed with Google Cloud, provides pre-built, fully automated landing zones and over 68 built-in controls to ensure security and compliance from day one.
Improving Compliance and Security: With evolving regulations and increasing cyber threats, compliance and security must be foundational. Our solutions are aligned with global and regional standards (such as GDPR and data localization laws), and leverage automated compliance monitoring to keep institutions ahead of regulatory changes.
Enhancing Customer Experience: Modernized platforms enable hyper-personalized, omnichannel experiences that today’s customers expect. By integrating advanced data and AI capabilities, financial institutions can deliver real-time insights, predictive recommendations, and seamless digital journeys.

Real-World Outcomes: The Lloyds Banking Group Case Study

A standout example of engineering transformation in action is our partnership with Lloyds Banking Group. Facing extensive legacy systems and the need to deliver new digital products at speed, Lloyds adopted a framework based on lean methods, agile principles, and value stream analysis. The results were significant:

20–30% reduction in time from backlog to production, enabling faster speed-to-market for new features and regulatory changes.
10–20% reduction in effort to make architectural and operational changes, resulting in cost savings and increased agility.
30% improvement in quality, as measured by a reduction in post-deployment defects.
Enhanced employee satisfaction, with a measurable improvement in the people happiness index.

This transformation was achieved through value-focused analysis, prioritization of high-impact interventions, and the use of accelerators to increase the pace and success of change. Lloyds Banking Group is now positioned as a resilient, future-ready engineering organization capable of thriving in a rapidly changing financial landscape.

Why Publicis Sapient?

30+ years of digital engineering expertise with a proven track record in financial services
20,000+ experts across 50+ offices worldwide
Deep partnerships with leading technology providers, including AWS, Google Cloud, Microsoft, and Salesforce
A holistic, data-driven approach that unites system modernization, cloud solutions, and AI-driven insights
A relentless focus on value, security, and compliance

Ready to Transform?

Financial services organizations that embrace engineering transformation are better positioned to respond to disruption, launch innovative products, and meet regulatory demands with confidence. Whether you are just starting your modernization journey or looking to scale and sustain your progress, Publicis Sapient is your partner for industry-focused engineering transformation.

Connect with our experts to learn how we can help your organization thrive in the digital age.