Digital transformation in the banking sector has been accelerating strongly in recent years, boosting results in organizations of different sizes, from fintechs to large banks.
With the growing demand for efficiency, personalization, and compliance, financial institutions need to rethink their operating models. In this context, the keyword for market leaders is orchestration.
In the most recent episode of NT Talks, Glauco Lupi, Principal Software Engineer at Itaú Unibanco, shared his experience leading projects in one of the largest financial institutions in Latin America.
The conversation addressed not only technology but also the impact of organizational culture, discipline, and clarity of purpose.
Listen to the full episode here (in Portuguese):
Automating is not enough: you need to orchestrate
Automating isolated tasks has its value, but it does not solve the complex challenges banks face daily. The real differentiator lies in building orchestrated flows, with end-to-end visibility, flexibility for real-time adjustments, and the ability to connect technical and business areas functionally.
This is where the Camunda platform takes center stage. Using BPMN as a modeling language, Camunda allows processes to be visualized, understood, and optimized by different areas of the organization. By offering a clear representation of journeys, the platform reduces friction, improves communication, and accelerates decision-making.
As a Camunda Platinum Partner, NTConsult has been directly involved in implementing solutions that transform complex operations into agile, auditable flows aligned with business goals.
Artificial intelligence with governance and purpose
Glauco highlighted the importance of the strategic use of artificial intelligence in large organizations.
Generative models and assistants based on natural language are already part of day-to-day operations, but their use requires preparation, technical criteria, and governance of costs and data.
The conscious adoption of AI helps avoid the mistakes many companies made during the transition to the cloud. The parallel is direct: uncontrolled use without clear criteria generates unnecessary costs and operational risks.
On the other hand, when well-integrated into orchestrated processes, AI becomes a real lever for productivity and personalization.
The combination of AI and Camunda allows organizations to dynamically choose the most suitable models for each stage of the journey, optimizing resources and delivering more effective experiences.
How to turn orchestration into results: prioritization and metrics
For the topic to move from the conceptual level to measurable gains, it is worth anchoring orchestration in two decisions: where to start and how to prove value.
1) Where to start: prioritization that avoids low-return effort
A good criterion is to look for journeys that combine high volume, high risk, many handoffs and high dependence on legacy systems.
In banks, this usually appears in fronts such as onboarding and KYC, credit and formalization, disputes/chargeback, renegotiation, business account opening and compliance flows, among others.
The goal is not to automate more isolated steps, but to reduce the cost and risk of “the middle of the process”, where exceptions and rework usually occur.
2) How to prove value: metrics and control
Orchestration makes it possible to measure and improve indicators that tend to be critical in the sector:
- End-to-end cycle time (from the initial event to the completion of the journey)
- Straight-through processing (STP) rate: how much flows without human intervention
- Rework and exception rates: where the process “breaks”
- MTTR for process incidents (time to recover when it fails)
- Risk and compliance: occurrences/audits, evidence trail, traceability
- Quality of experience: first-contact resolution, NPS/CSAT per step
And the topic becomes even more relevant when AI enters the conversation. There are estimates that “generative AI alone could add up to US$ 340 billion per year in value to the banking sector”, but the market discussion itself emphasizes that “putting AI on top of the current process” tends to create technical debt and limited results.
In practical terms: AI needs to be applied where there is context, governance and visibility of the flow.
Source 1: McKinsey & Company
How to turn orchestration into results: prioritization and metrics
Another point discussed was the influence of practices such as martial arts and music on the development of technical leaders.
Glauco related the discipline required in Krav Maga and the collaboration present in a musical band to the challenges of modern software engineering. These are practices that demand preparation, consistency, active listening, and precision, which are essential characteristics in high-performance corporate environments.
This perspective reinforces the idea that technology is built by people, and that technical delivery capacity is directly related to how teams organize themselves, learn, and share knowledge.
Orchestrate and be ready for the future
The way major banks prepare for the future of business involves a combination of factors: robust platforms, modern engineering practices, artificial intelligence applied responsibly, and teams guided by purpose.
Process orchestration with Camunda has proven to be a fundamental component in this equation.
By transforming operational flows into visible, adaptable, and value-driven journeys, Camunda enables financial institutions to respond with agility and security to market demands.
