Setting Up for Banking

Banking portfolios combine long-horizon regulatory programs with fast-moving digital and revenue growth initiatives. Configuring StartConsole to reflect both of these dimensions makes it easier for your ExCo and CRO to see the full picture in a single portfolio view.

Recommended pillar structure

A typical bank's strategy can be captured in five pillars:

• Regulatory Capital & Compliance — Basel III/IV, IFRS 9, stress testing, regulatory reporting, AML/KYC programs
• Customer Experience — branch transformation, complaints reduction, onboarding improvement, NPS programs
• Digital Banking — mobile and online channel development, open banking, API platforms
• Risk & Controls — operational risk, cyber security, third-party risk, model risk management
• Revenue Growth — new product development, fee income programs, cross-sell initiatives

If your bank has a significant wealth or corporate division, consider adding a sixth pillar — Wealth & Markets or Corporate & Institutional — to keep those portfolios visible at the top level rather than buried in themes.

Recommended theme names

Themes group initiatives within a pillar by business line or focus area:

• Under Customer Experience: Retail Banking, Corporate Banking, Wealth Management, SME
• Under Digital Banking: Mobile, Open Banking, Core Platform, Data & AI
• Under Regulatory Capital & Compliance: Basel, IFRS, AML/KYC, Reporting

Keeping theme names short and consistent makes the portfolio filter bar readable during board-level reviews.

Typical initiative types

• Regulatory programs — Basel IV implementation, IFRS 9 model refresh, stress testing framework upgrades, AML system replacements. These initiatives almost always have external deadline constraints and should be flagged immediately when delivery signals turn Amber.
• Digital channel programs — mobile banking feature launches, open banking API development, digital onboarding. These benefit from OKR linkage — connect them to key results tracking digital MAU or digital adoption rate.
• Product modernisation — core banking system migration, product factory replacement, payments infrastructure upgrades. Typically Tier 1 with full gate governance.
• Risk & control programs — cyber resilience, third-party risk management uplift, model inventory remediation.

Gate approvals in a banking context

Gate reviews map cleanly to your existing investment governance process. Use gate mode for any initiative requiring Board or ALCO approval. For regulatory initiatives, the gate approval step can document the regulatory mandate alongside the business case — useful for audit purposes.