Compare progressive hollowing-out and full-replacement strategies against a bank's risk appetite and product complexity.
Finance & Banking
Core Banking Modernisation from Progressive Hollowing Out to Full Replacement
Plan core banking system modernisation, comparing progressive hollowing-out and full-replacement strategies, vendor selection and cutover risk management.
🗓️Duration5 training days
📚Content4 modules · 8 sessions
🎓On completionAccredited attendance certificate
About the programme
Course Overview
Core banking modernisation programmes are among the highest-risk initiatives a bank undertakes, and boards approving them need confidence that the delivery approach matches the bank's risk appetite, not just a vendor's sales narrative. This course compares the two dominant modernisation strategies: progressive hollowing out, where new digital and product capability is built around a legacy core that is gradually decommissioned function by function, and full replacement, where the legacy core is retired in a single cutover after parallel running. Participants examine the conditions that favour each approach, including data migration complexity, product portfolio size and tolerance for extended dual-running costs. The course covers vendor selection criteria specific to core banking platforms, including configurability versus customisation trade-offs, API architecture and cloud deployment models, and works through the migration testing, reconciliation and cutover rehearsal disciplines that determine whether a go-live succeeds. Sessions also address the change management and staff retraining that modernisation demands, and the regulatory engagement required when a core system change affects customer-facing service continuity. Participants leave able to build a modernisation business case and roadmap suited to their institution's scale.
Expected Learning Outcomes
Assess vendor core banking platforms against configurability, API architecture and cloud deployment criteria.
Build a data migration plan addressing legacy data cleansing and reconciliation requirements.
Design a parallel-running and cutover rehearsal plan that minimises customer service disruption.
Plan staff retraining and change management for teams moving to a new core banking platform.
Prepare regulatory engagement materials addressing operational resilience during core system transition.
Build a modernisation business case comparing total cost of ownership across strategic options.
Who Should Attend
Chief information officers and technology directors planning core banking transformation.
Programme and delivery managers running core banking replacement initiatives.
Enterprise architects assessing modernisation strategy options for a bank's technology estate.
Vendor management and procurement teams running core banking platform selection.
Operations leaders responsible for cutover planning and business continuity.
Regulatory affairs and operational resilience specialists overseeing transformation risk.
Course Modules
Select any module to see its sessions and points.
01Modernisation Strategy Options
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1Progressive Hollowing Out
- Explain how progressive hollowing out builds new capability around a legacy core using an integration layer.
- Assess which product lines are best suited to early migration in a hollowing-out sequence.
- Evaluate the extended dual-running costs and technical debt risk of a prolonged hollowing-out programme.
- Build a decommissioning roadmap retiring legacy modules as new capability proves stable.
Session 2Full Replacement and Big-Bang Cutover
- Assess the conditions under which a full-replacement strategy is preferable to incremental modernisation.
- Evaluate the parallel-running period required to validate a new core before legacy decommissioning.
- Compare the customer and operational risk profile of a single cutover against a phased approach.
- Build a contingency and rollback plan for use if a full-replacement cutover encounters critical defects.
02Vendor Selection and Platform Architecture
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1Evaluating Core Banking Vendors
- Score candidate core banking vendors against configurability, customisation cost and upgrade path criteria.
- Assess API architecture and open banking readiness as part of vendor technical evaluation.
- Evaluate cloud-native versus on-premises deployment models against the bank's regulatory obligations.
- Review vendor implementation track record through structured reference site visits.
Session 2Contracting and Implementation Partner Selection
- Negotiate implementation partner contracts with clear milestone-based payment and delivery accountability.
- Define service level agreements covering platform availability and incident response during transition.
- Assess total cost of ownership across licensing, implementation and ongoing support components.
- Build an exit and data portability clause protecting the bank if the vendor relationship ends.
03Data Migration and Testing
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1Data Cleansing and Migration Planning
- Assess legacy data quality issues that must be resolved before migration to a new core platform.
- Build a data mapping specification translating legacy account structures to the target platform schema.
- Plan a phased data migration approach sequencing customer segments by complexity and risk.
- Design reconciliation controls confirming balances match between legacy and target systems post-migration.
Session 2Testing and Rehearsal Disciplines
- Design a test strategy covering functional, performance and end-to-end regression testing phases.
- Plan cutover rehearsals simulating full migration weekends before the live event.
- Build defect triage processes prioritising issues by customer impact during testing cycles.
- Prepare a go or no-go decision framework used by the steering committee ahead of cutover.
04Change Management, Cutover and Regulatory Engagement
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1Staff Readiness and Customer Communication
- Plan staff retraining schedules aligned to system cutover dates for branch and contact centre teams.
- Design customer communication plans covering service changes and potential temporary disruption.
- Build a war-room support model for the immediate post-cutover stabilisation period.
- Prepare frontline scripts addressing customer queries during the transition window.
Session 2Regulatory Engagement and Resilience Reporting
- Prepare operational resilience submissions demonstrating impact tolerance planning for core system transition.
- Brief the regulator on cutover timing, contingency plans and customer protection measures.
- Build a post-implementation review reporting lessons learned to the board and audit committee.
- Design ongoing stability monitoring metrics tracked for the months following go-live.
What the participant receives
4 course modules
A structured syllabus
8 training sessions
across 5 days
32 detailed points
Applied, detailed content
Accredited attendance certificate
On completing the programme
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