Digital Transformation in Banking Janis Urste’s Practical Playbook

Digital transformation has become one of the most overused buzzwords in modern banking. Yet for many institutions, it still feels like an overwhelming, abstract concept—often discussed in boardrooms but rarely implemented with clarity or success. This is where Janis Urste, an experienced business and banking consultant, steps in with a practical playbook that turns lofty ideas into measurable progress.

By focusing on low-risk, high-return initiatives and aligning them with each client’s unique priorities, Janis has helped banks and financial service firms navigate transformation without unnecessary disruption. Her approach is less about following industry hype and more about designing transformation programs that deliver results customers can feel and leaders can measure.

The Starting Point: Aligning Transformation with Business Goals

Janis believes that before any bank invests in new technology, it must answer a simple question: What are we trying to achieve?

For some institutions, the goal is growth—acquiring new customers in competitive markets. For others, it is efficiency—reducing operational costs to protect margins. And for many, it is compliance readiness—meeting new regulations while avoiding costly penalties.

Janis emphasizes that digital transformation cannot succeed if it is treated as a standalone IT initiative. Instead, it must be tightly aligned with these core business objectives. She begins every engagement by mapping transformation opportunities against strategic priorities, ensuring that investments deliver visible value.

Focus on Customer-Centric Processes

One of Janis Urste’s most impactful principles is to start transformation at the customer-facing level. Why? Because this is where improvements are most visible and where value is realized fastest.

Some examples of quick wins Janis recommends include:

• Digital onboarding: Simplifying account-opening with e-signatures, real-time ID verification, and automated KYC checks.
• Self-service loan applications: Allowing customers to apply, track, and manage loans online without lengthy branch visits.
• 24/7 support portals: Deploying AI-powered chatbots to handle routine queries, freeing staff to focus on complex cases.

These solutions directly enhance the customer experience, reduce friction, and allow employees to focus on higher-value interactions.

Data Hygiene: Building a Single Source of Truth

Digital transformation fails without reliable data. Janis stresses the importance of data hygiene—creating a single, accurate source of truth for all customer and product information.

Many banks still operate with fragmented systems, where customer data is duplicated, outdated, or inconsistent across channels. This makes analytics unreliable and automation ineffective. By consolidating data and cleansing it for accuracy, Janis ensures that every digital initiative—whether predictive credit scoring, cross-selling, or fraud detection—is built on a solid foundation.

She often implements master data management frameworks and works with IT teams to integrate legacy systems into unified data platforms. The payoff is enormous: not only does this improve compliance reporting, but it also enables real-time insights that drive smarter decision-making.

Technology: Favoring Composable Architectures

In Janis Urste’s playbook, technology is an enabler—not the centerpiece. She cautions against costly “big bang” core replacements, which often take years, run over budget, and create organizational fatigue.

Instead, she promotes composable architectures—modular, interoperable services that can be introduced step by step. For example, rather than replacing the entire loan management system, a bank might first add an automated credit decisioning module, then gradually integrate digital repayment platforms.

This incremental approach reduces risk, spreads cost over time, and allows banks to test solutions before scaling. It also fosters innovation: small modules can be swapped in or out as technology evolves, ensuring systems stay flexible and future-ready.

Vendor Selection: Fit Over Flash

One of the biggest mistakes banks make is choosing technology vendors based on brand reputation or flashy presentations. Janis emphasizes that the right vendor is not necessarily the biggest name but the best fit for an institution’s needs.

Her evaluation framework includes:

• Integration capabilities: Can the solution connect seamlessly with legacy systems?
• Regulatory support: Does it align with compliance requirements in target markets?
• Total cost of ownership: Beyond the initial price, what are the ongoing maintenance, licensing, and scaling costs?

This disciplined approach ensures banks avoid the trap of investing in technology that looks impressive but delivers little real-world value.

People and Culture: The Human Side of Transformation

While technology gets most of the attention, Janis knows that people and culture determine whether digital transformation succeeds or fails. Employees often resist change because they fear job loss or lack confidence in new tools.

To overcome this, Janis designs role-based training programs that combine classroom learning with hands-on practice. She also creates cross-functional “squads” that bring together staff from product, risk, compliance, and IT. These squads not only accelerate problem-solving but also foster collaboration across silos.

By coupling training with real projects, employees build confidence while delivering measurable impact. For example, a squad piloting a digital loan portal might simultaneously receive training in agile methodologies, equipping them with both knowledge and practical experience.

Case Example: Modernizing a Mid-Sized Bank

One mid-sized retail bank sought Janis’s help after years of struggling with customer retention. The bank’s digital channels were clunky, onboarding took too long, and competitors were capturing younger customers with slick mobile apps.

Janis began with a diagnostic, identifying pain points in onboarding, customer service, and product delivery. She recommended three initial initiatives:

1. Redesigning digital onboarding with real-time KYC checks.
2. Automating common customer queries with a chatbot linked to the bank’s knowledge base.
3. Consolidating customer data into a unified CRM system.

Within nine months, the bank reported:

• A 40% reduction in account-opening abandonment rates.
• A 25% increase in digital customer engagement.
• A noticeable decline in customer complaints related to delays.

These quick wins built confidence and laid the foundation for larger transformations, such as digital lending and predictive analytics.

Sustaining Momentum: Measuring and Iterating

Transformation is not a one-time project—it’s a continuous journey. Janis Urste ensures sustainability by creating scorecards and KPIs for every initiative. Metrics such as account-opening times, loan approval turnaround, or customer satisfaction are tracked regularly.

She also advocates for iterative improvement. Instead of declaring victory after launch, Janis encourages clients to collect feedback, test variations, and refine solutions. This agile mindset helps institutions stay competitive in rapidly changing markets.

Looking Ahead: The Future of Digital Banking

Janis sees several trends shaping the next decade of digital banking:

• Embedded finance: Banking services integrated directly into non-financial platforms, such as retail apps or gig-economy platforms.
• Real-time data usage: Instant credit scoring and fraud detection powered by streaming data.
• Sustainability-linked digital products: Green loans, carbon calculators, and ESG-focused investment platforms.

Her advice to banks is simple: start small, build on quick wins, and create a culture of continuous learning. Those that follow this path will not only survive disruption but thrive in it.

Conclusion

Janis Urste’s playbook for digital transformation cuts through the noise and provides banks with a clear, actionable roadmap. By aligning initiatives with business goals, focusing on customer-centric processes, ensuring clean data, adopting modular technology, and empowering people, she turns the abstract concept of transformation into measurable reality.

For financial institutions caught between legacy systems and future ambitions, Janis Urste offers a blueprint that is practical, sustainable, and effective. In a world where digital disruption is constant, her approach proves that transformation doesn’t have to be overwhelming—it can be strategic, structured, and successful.