Teslar Insights 2026 - Flipbook - Page 2
TECH IMPLEMENTATION
INSIGHTS
K EY ME TR ICS
56%
56% said their bank set clear
objectives for technology
initiatives.
41%
41% of bank leaders said
technology initiatives had fallen
short of objectives over the
prior 18 months.
Implementing new technology is a significant investment for a bank. Because of
that, it’s imperative that the board and management set initiatives up for success.
Source: Bank Director’s 2025
Technolog y Survey
There’s a scene in the movie “Office Space” where Peter Gibbons, a disgruntled programmer making updates to fix the Y2K bug for banks, points out that
KEY TAKEAWAYS
he doesn’t personally benefit if he works harder for his employer. “I don’t see
another dime. So, where’s the motivation?”
• Cultural resistance is one issue
banks can face when embarking on
a tech project. Management should
address internal acceptance by
clearly explaining why the entire
organization will benefit from the
change.
• Banks can prevent scope creep,
another potential roadblock, by
sticking to the purpose of the
initial project. Additional issues
that were uncovered during the
implementation can be addressed at
a later date.
• Integrating new technology into
another system can also be a
significant challenge. Management
can solve this by appointing a
project owner who understands the
vision and will be a champion for
the change.
Even though that movie is now more than a quarter-century old, its commentary roasting corporate cubicle-farm workplace culture can still provide lessons to
banks, including those looking to implement new technology. Like Gibbons, bank
employees may wonder what they will get out of adapting to new systems, especially if the software could make their jobs harder near term. “What incentive do
they have? That is where it is critical for management to paint the long-term vision of how this investment today will actually move them out of tedious and monotonous tasks to things that better use their talents while also driving them and
the company forward,” says Joe Ehrhardt, CEO and founder of Teslar Software.
The potential for cultural resistance is one of the three biggest hurdles banks
face when implementing a new technology project; other significant roadblocks
are scope creep and integration with other systems. Bank leaders can face these
obstacles through careful planning and execution.
Getting Everyone on Board
Employees rarely resist change out of stubbornness. More often, they’re deeply focused on their day-to-day responsibilities, and any shift that disrupts their
routine can be a tough sell. Ehrhardt shares a hypothetical example: In a bank’s
current system, loan information is automatically emailed to a title company.
After implementing new software, that same task might require manual effort.
Even if the upgrade ultimately doubles the organization’s efficiency, that single
added step can frustrate the employee affected — and in some cases, lead them to
push back against the broader adoption of the technology.
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