From legacy system integration to record-speed digital onboarding: how financial institutions deliver measurable value in under 100 days.
The Value Clock in Banking: How Long Does It Take for Technology to Deliver Returns?
Apps have accustomed us to expect results in seconds. But in banking, the story is different — digital transformation is measured in months, sometimes even years.
And that’s not by chance. Banks operate under strict regulations, high security standards, and critical legacy systems that cannot fail. In this context, the concept of Time to Value (TTV) — the time it takes for a technological initiative to generate real, measurable impact — takes on a special meaning.
What the Numbers Say
The complexity of financial projects makes their timelines very different from those in other industries.
High-complexity implementations involving integrations, migrations, and thousands of users can take 60 to 120 days to deliver full value.
Far from being a delay, these timelines are realistic and necessary in an environment where security and stability matter as much as speed.
Real-World Cases That Illustrate the Challenge
- BBVA reduced its digital onboarding process from several days to minutes.
- BBVA Bancomer rolled out biometric signature technology in 12,000 branches in just five months.
- Bendigo Bank (Australia) took 13 months to unify more than 30 legacy systems.
- DBS (Singapore) and BCP (Peru) transformed not only their technology but also their digital culture.
- NAB (Australia) migrated to the cloud to gain agility and resilience.
Each case highlights the same reality: speed is achievable in specific modules, but full transformation takes time.
The N5 Case: Results in Weeks
Across Latin America, several banks embarked on a digital transformation journey with N5, setting an ambitious goal: to launch digital products in less than three months.
The initiative earned N5 the Microsoft Partner Award for “The Fastest Implementation in the Market (from 100 days).”
In just four weeks, banks had a digital onboarding process live in production.
At 60 days, they added credit scoring and risk management.
And by 90 days, results were already visible: more account openings, faster validations, and happier customers.
“We showed a pilot within weeks and then added layers of value,” explained one executive.
“This way, the board saw early returns while we continued building.”
A phased approach that proves speed and robustness can coexist.
Two Key Moments in Time to Value
- Basic Value: the first observable benefit, achievable within days or a few weeks.
- Extended Value: when the solution reaches its full potential — typically between 60 and 120 days in complex banking projects.
Realistic Expectations, Sustained Confidence
Banking doesn’t compete with startups on speed — it competes with its own need for security, compliance, and reliability.
The challenge lies in showing incremental progress that sustains confidence among teams and boards, proving that every step of the journey delivers value.
In a world obsessed with immediacy, the financial sector teaches a clear lesson:
⚡ Speed matters — but resilience matters more.
