Agile ways of working are now common across financial services. Scrum teams, PI planning, OKRs, tribes and squads are familiar terms in most banks. On paper, many organisations look more dynamic than they did only a few years ago. Yet the practical impact often falls short. Products still take months to reach customers, coordination effort goes up, and teams experience more meetings rather than more autonomy.
So the real question is no longer whether banks are working in an agile way. It is why all this activity rarely translates into structural, organisation‑wide impact.
Why agile methods alone are not enough
Across many transformation programmes we see the same pattern. Agile ways of working are introduced in specific areas, often within IT or digital teams. These teams typically deliver faster. But the wider organisation evolves more slowly. Budgets remain annual. Decisions pass through several committees. Responsibilities stay organised by function. Risk and compliance review work late in the process. The result is familiar: an agile layer sits on top of a traditional control structure.
This inevitably creates friction. Interfaces slow teams down, ownership stops at departmental boundaries, and decisions take longer than the implementation itself. Agility is added, but the organisation does not truly become more adaptive.
For years, these limitations were frustrating but manageable. Today they threaten competitiveness.
For years, these limitations were frustrating but manageable. Today they threaten competitiveness. Customer expectations continue to rise, shaped by digital platforms. Innovation cycles shorten. Regulatory obligations grow steadily, with examples such as the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) and the upcoming European Union Artificial Intelligence Act (EU AI Act). Data‑driven and AI‑supported models accelerate decision‑making.
Banks must therefore remain stable while becoming significantly more adaptable. Traditional functional structures were not designed for this type of change. Agility is no longer a question of methodology. It is a question of organisational design.
What next level agility means in practice
At Projective Group, we describe this shift as next level agility. It is not another framework. It is an operating model that embeds adaptability throughout the organisation. Structure, technology, regulation and culture all play a part. The aim is not to make a single team agile, but to help the organisation respond effectively to change.
Next level agility is not another framework. It is an operating model that embeds adaptability throughout the organisation.
1. Structure: organising around value
Responsibilities move away from strict functional silos. Instead, work is organised around clearly defined value streams. Stable, cross‑functional teams bring together expertise from business, IT, operations and risk. These teams shape and deliver products or processes with end‑to‑end accountability.
Handoffs reduce, not because the work disappears but because the right people sit together. Decisions can be made where the expertise sits, without needing multiple layers of approval.
2. Steering: measuring impact rather than activity
Many organisations still track activity: projects delivered, releases completed or budgets consumed. Adaptive organisations measure outcomes. They look at customer value, lead times, cost efficiency and risk effectiveness.
This shift changes conversations. It encourages learning, clarity and focus instead of task completion.
3. Regulation: integrating risk and compliance early
Risk, security and compliance are typically downstream control functions. In an adaptive operating model, they play a different role. DevSecOps practices, automated controls and policies as code bring compliance into the flow of work.
Continuous checks prevent late surprises, reduce waiting times and strengthen reliability. Regulation becomes part of a stable system rather than a bottleneck.
4. Technology: creating the right foundations
Modern engineering platforms, standardised tooling and automated deployments are essential. Without them, teams remain dependent on central approvals and manual steps.
Technology is not the driver of agility, but it is a critical enabler of continuous delivery and rapid learning.
5. Leadership: shaping the system rather than managing tasks
The biggest constraint is often leadership. Adaptive organisations need leaders who design the system, not those who manage every detail.
Leaders set clear priorities, define boundaries and remove obstacles. Their role is to create the conditions for teams to make decisions confidently and independently. This shifts agility from a set of practices to a way of operating.
Where banks stand today
Banks are at different stages of this journey. Some are experimenting within a few product teams. Others have run several transformation programmes and approach new initiatives with caution. A smaller number are already rethinking their operating model in a more fundamental way.
Despite these differences, the pressure to evolve is shared across the industry. Complexity increases, regulation intensifies and the pace of change accelerates.
How Projective Group supports the journey
At Projective Group, we work side by side with clients without predefined blueprints. Our strategy and implementation teams bring deep Financial Services expertise and help design operating models that fit the reality of each organisation.
Transformation becomes meaningful not through theory but through changes that improve outcomes for customers, colleagues and the organisation.
We shape strategy, translate it into practical structures and processes, and work day‑to‑day with teams to make the change real. Instead of imposing frameworks, we build solutions that work in practice and stand the test of time. Transformation becomes meaningful not through theory but through changes that improve outcomes for customers, colleagues and the organisation.
A propos de Projective Group
Established in 2006, Projective Group is a leading financial services consultancy.
We are recognised across the European industry for turning complex challenges and emerging themes into clear, pragmatic solutions. With deep roots and trusted relationships in financial services, we bring hands-on expertise across key domains. We support the full journey of change: shaping strategy, delivering complex transformation or building long‑term capability through managed services, staffing and training. Our purpose is simple: to empower financial services to shape the future of wellbeing, prosperity, and innovation.
