Systems | Development | Analytics | API | Testing

Core Banking and Digital Banking transformations are the highest-stakes projects in finance, yet up to 55% of these programmes fail to meet their objectives, budget, or timelines. The problem is rarely the technology or application itself; it is the Assurance Model failing to control the systemic risk of integration, data, and governance. Testhouse has been embedded in recent large-scale core banking migrations, witnessing firsthand where the critical risks lie and, crucially, how to prevent them.

The UK remains a global powerhouse for financial technology, driven by the maturity of Open Banking and the competitive landscape of challenger banks. However, this growth has come under the microscope of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). For FinTech and payments firms, the challenge is clear – how do you maintain the rapid velocity of a digital native while upholding the rigorous standards of a highly regulated environment?

‍ Trust is the currency in FinTech - and in 2025, that currency is under siege. Cybercrime is accelerating. Global costs from cyber attacks are projected to hit USD 10.5 trillion annually in 2025, up sharply from about USD 3 trillion in 2015. Meanwhile, in the financial sector where your app may live, the stakes are even higher: the average cost of a data breach in financial services is pegged at USD 6.08 million.

Banking transformation is one of the highest-stakes projects many financial institutions undertake. Whether you are replacing or upgrading core banking systems, launching new digital channels or shifting to cloud-native operations, the risks are many – and the failure rate remains alarmingly high. Recent industry studies suggest more than 55% of banks cite legacy core banking limitations as holding back their digital goals.

Financial institutions face growing operational demands in an environment defined by regulatory complexity, legacy system inertia, and the rapid evolution of customer expectations. At the same time, IT leaders are under pressure to not only maintain infrastructure but also demonstrate value to their operations counterparts. The opportunity is clear: use technology to drive operational agility without disrupting existing systems. This is where Appian excels.

It's not even 9 AM, and the day's already started. A customer can't reset their password. The product team just found a bug in the app. A partner bank needs data synced ASAP. Oh, and the CEO wants to know when the mobile app can do instant loans. Sounds about right? Yeah, for banking leaders, this is just another Tuesday. Customers want everything to be easy and digital. Stakeholders want things done well, safely, and by the book. And nobody has time for old-school stuff.

The journey from disconnected data silos to self-service automation and predictive visibility is well underway for many finance organizations. But the million-dollar question remains: what’s the actual return on investment from this transformation? Beyond time savings and process improvements, modern finance transformation drives strategic value that directly impacts the bottom line. Adding AI into the mix turbocharges these benefits.