IBM describes bank modernisation as a challenge of organising change as well as executing it. It proposes moving from one-off programmes to a managed, permanent capability embedded in the business operating model.
Key takeaways
- Technical debt is presented as a constraint on the business’s future ability to scale, rather than a purely IT issue.
- The key shift is to ensure that modernisation becomes a continuous function instead of ending with a programme.
- This requires permanent staffing, governance and accountability at a level comparable to risk management and regulatory reporting.
- For CEOs, this is a decision about the long-term operating model, not simply the next IT project.
What this means for CEOs
The article suggests embedding infrastructure modernisation in day-to-day management rather than isolating it in a separate programme. The practical lesson for CEOs is that lasting value emerges when system renewal becomes part of the company’s operating discipline.