There’s a lingering assumption in financial services that core banking transformations take 12 to 24 months, especially for mid-sized institutions. But these long timelines don’t have to be inevitable, they’re the result of outdated project models, rigid implementation approaches, and vendor-first mindsets. In fact, analysts say that as few as 30% of core banking system transformations succeed in fully migrating products and ledgers, often due to poorly aligned governance and scope creep.
What if we told you it’s possible to launch a modern, cloud-native core in just 90 days?
That’s exactly what happened when lender Esquire partnered with Oradian. With strategic alignment and a platform built for the cloud, they went live in three months (not years) and unlocked rapid scale and agility directed at SMEs.
This article will show you how they did it, why those long timelines aren’t a fixed rule, and what it takes to pull off a 3‑month core deployment that delivers true growth.
Why long timelines don’t have to be inevitable
Core banking transformations have a reputation for being slow, and that’s not without reason. Many implementations follow outdated project models rooted in waterfall delivery along with vendor-driven gatekeeping, which often leads to sprawling timelines and scope creep.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. The truth is, most traditional implementations take 12–24 months because of how they’re approached:
- Rigid tech stacks require heavy customisation before anything works
- Siloed responsibilities between business and tech teams delay decision-making
- Vendor bottlenecks mean even small changes require long lead times and coordination
- On-premise infrastructure adds layers of provisioning, setup, and risk mitigation
Worse, the longer a transformation drags on, the harder it becomes to measure its success or recover if things go off course.
In contrast, modern cloud-native platforms with pre-integrated modules and flexible APIs enable financial institutions to compress timelines without sacrificing quality. Rejecting legacy assumptions about what a transformation has to look like and focusing instead on speed and strategic fit is the first step towards a fast implementation.
What enables a 90 day rollout
Here are five critical enablers that make a 90-day rollout possible:
Cloud-native architecture
A true cloud-native platform eliminates infrastructure delays from day one. Provisioning environments, scaling infrastructure, and enabling real-time updates all happen with zero hardware overhead and minimal hand-holding, which means there are no major version upgrades down the line and no time spent on manual patch cycles or vendor-managed downtime.
Configuration over customisation
Our client, Esquire, took advantage of prebuilt, configurable modules. This meant things like cheque issuance, rebate logic, and rediscounting were tailored without custom-code from scratch. The flexibility to configure without coding helped them slash rollout time and set their business up for faster iteration later.
Embedded implementation support
Too many vendors drop the system in your lap and walk away. We took the opposite approach: embedded regional support from scoping through to go-live.
This meant faster issue resolution, direct access to technical teams, and a rollout plan grounded in local market understanding, all of which removed common blockers before they got the chance to slow progress.
Clear ownership and alignment
Esquire came to the table with strong leadership and a clear mandate. That meant:
- Decisions didn’t get stuck in committee
- Training and adoption started early
- Teams stayed focused on execution, not perfection
This clarity of purpose was a major accelerator.
A willingness to reimagine
Esquire didn’t fall into the trap of trying to use new technology to replicate old processes. Instead of digitising paper-heavy workflows as is, they took the opportunity to rethink them, automating where possible while simultaneously stripping out what no longer served their business.
Together, these enablers made 90 days realistic.
Moving fast doesn’t have to mean cutting corners
A three-month core banking rollout sounds ambitious, maybe even impossible, until you realise that most transformations are held back by outdated assumptions. Esquire’s journey proves it can be different.
By combining a clear mandate and a cloud-native platform designed for configuration, they turned what’s typically a multi-year transformation into a three-month launchpad for growth.
Since going live, they’ve tripled their loan portfolio, gone fully paperless, and accelerated loan approvals from days to hours. They’re also reported to currently be seeking a valuation of $1 billion and they did it all without opening new branches or rewriting their business model.
If your institution is facing legacy drag and the belief that change will take years, Esquire’s story is proof that transformation doesn’t have to be slow or painful.
📎 Want to see how they did it? Read the full Esquire case study here.
