Many financial institutions are no longer asking whether they need automation. Instead, they’re asking which platform can prove it works. When multi-million dollar investments hang in the balance, decision-makers demand confidence through live validation rather than speculation based on feature lists. The stakes are too high for theoretical capabilities alone. Executives responsible for enterprise-wide technology implementations seek demonstrations that verify performance against their specific legacy systems and operational realities.

Enterprise banks face a fascinating paradox. You have the resources, expertise, and infrastructure that smaller institutions can only dream of. But when it comes to automation implementation, community banks and credit unions move faster and achieve quicker wins.Recent research reveals why this happens—and more importantly, how you can turn your scale into the competitive advantage it should be.

Innovation is part of our DNA at nCino. We've built a culture where experimentation thrives, from our weekly Innovation Fridays, where teams present cutting-edge ideas, to our Intelligence at Work sessions where employees discuss their AI-driven innovations directly with CEO Sean Desmond.

You’ve read the case studies. You’ve attended the webinars. You’ve heard the promises. Yet, despite recognizing automation's transformative potential, you remain stuck in extended evaluation cycles, unable to move from pilot programs to meaningful implementation.

The numbers tell a troubling story. While 87% of financial institution leaders recognize intelligent automation's transformative potential, only 32% have moved beyond pilot programs to meaningful enterprise-wide implementation. That's a 55-point execution gap—and it's costing the industry billions in unrealized efficiency gains.Most executives blame the technology. But they’re wrong.

Credit unions are quietly rewriting the automation playbook in financial services. The latest research reveals a strategic insight that challenges conventional wisdom: 67% of credit unions prefer fintech partnerships for automation implementation—the highest adoption rate among all institution types.This isn't about being tech-forward for technology's sake. It's about credit unions recognizing something fundamental: the right automation partnerships can amplify their member-first mission rather than compromise it.

Community and regional banks have built something remarkable: the ability to be a true financial partner across the entire lifecycle of your market's success stories. You're there when the entrepreneur opens their first small business account. You finance the equipment when they're ready to scale. You provide the working capital that gets them through growth spurts. You manage the wealth when success comes, and you're structuring the complex credit facilities when they become the major employer in town. This full-spectrum capability—delivered with personal attention at every stage—is your superpower.

nCino's CEO discusses industry optimism, AI transformation, and the path to automated banking workflowsIn this episode of Banking on Intelligence, nCino's Brandon Lokits sits down with Sean Desmond, CEO of nCino, to explore the current banking landscape and how financial institutions are embracing a new era of technology-driven transformation.

You know AI is essential for staying competitive. But here's what we're seeing: too many institutions jump into automation without the visibility they need to make it count. In today's challenging environment—economic headwinds, evolving regulations, rising customer expectations—you need more than speed. You need precision.