The "Transformation Ceiling" is Organisational, Not Technical
Photo by Simon Kadula on Unsplash
The mid-January 2026 bank earnings highlights a continuation of massive investment in AI. However, as Gartner, Jan 2026, notes “AI adoption is fundamentally shaped by the readiness of both human capital and organisational processes, not merely by financial investment”
The "same old, same old" approach is a direct path to obsolescence:
Siloed Organisations: Departmental boundaries fragment end-to-end delivery, diffuse accountability, multiply risk exposure, and erode client satisfaction - exactly what AI should eliminate, not amplify.
Disconnected Departmental Data: Fragmented ownership with no enterprise-level accountability means critical data remains siloed and unfit for AI that needs to work across boundaries.
Leadership Gap: Transformations fail, often because leadership treats AI as a "tech problem" rather than a fundamental overhaul of culture and business models.
Legacy Decision Models: Outdated habits and slow approval processes are blocking the speed that AI now makes possible.
Capability Building Challenge
The real inflection point isn't whether to optimise or re-engineer—it's building the organisational capability to do both simultaneously.
Optimise core operations to maintain competitive position
Re-engineer where AI fundamentally changes the business or operating model
Develop the governance, metrics, and leadership disciplines to orchestrate both continuously
The challenge isn't choosing one path. It's knowing where to apply each, in what sequence, and how to manage the tension between them. Organisations that master this capability, making deliberate, context-specific choices about where and how fast to transform, will pull ahead.
The traditional consulting approach is good for yesterday's problems.
● Methodologies Built for a Plannable World: Their frameworks assume you can spec requirements upfront and execute linearly. AI doesn't work that way, it requires iterative experimentation where insights from data reshape the operating model
● Scale as Liability: The same standardized delivery models and "best practice" libraries that served them well are now sources of inertia. When the rules are being rewritten, institutional muscle memory becomes institutional resistance.
The fundamental mismatch: large consulting firms tend to treat AI like infrastructure deployment when it's actually organisational rewiring.
A different client experience - bespoke, not off the peg
At koralli, we don't promise to transform your organisation in 6 weeks. We’ll give you the map and compass to do it right.
Our interdisciplinary teams, through research-led sprints, deliver what actually matters for your organisation: clarity on where friction is blocking value, and confidence to move forward.
Your unique context: Your requirements, priorities, strengths and constraints - keys for AI adoption in the real world, your real world.
Your future operating and adaptation model: tailored to your context, risk appetite and culture, with ongoing learning and adaptation.
Your exploration toolkit: Practical mechanisms for making confident bets as you venture forward, reading early signals, learning and adapting.
Ambition + Open Mind = Get in touch
If you have the ambition to build this capability and the willingness to work differently to get there, please get in touch.