FIs Must Fix Data Fragmentations and Disconnected Systems

By Roy Urrico

“Fintech core systems improve workflows, but they don't solve data fragmentation. Banks and credit unions still end up with disconnected systems, inconsistent definitions, and too much manual reconciliation, which keeps margins under pressure,” said Brian Pillmore, Founder and CEO of Visbanking, in a conversation with Finopotamus. Pillmore, a former Wells Fargo executive, also broke down why leadership needs to move beyond just buying software and focus on building a unified intelligence layer.

 Brian Pillmore, Founder and CEO of Visbanking.

While the AI-powered fintech market is projected to reach $83.1 billion by 2030, per a Marketsandmarkets report, many financial institutions learn that simply collecting software licenses does not improve margins. Visbanking suggests most FIs still approach technology as a ‘shopping exercise,’ buying disconnected tools for lending, payments, and compliance, while their teams continue to work from stale spreadsheets and fragmented data.

The reality for 2026 is that fintech is no longer a side strategy; it is core infrastructure, Pillmore advised. However, this “fintech imperative” is only valuable when it sits on top of a reliable data foundation that turns market signals and regulatory filings into auditable action.

Visbanking, headquartered in Oklahoma City, developed the Bank Intelligence and Action System (BIAS) to help FIs turn fragmented regulatory, financial, and market data into a single decision layer, explained Pillmore. “The goal is to reduce manual work and give teams faster, clearer insight so they can act sooner. One of the key areas we are helping banks and credit unions with is their identification of their next best commercial prospect and also commercial customers that are likely to churn in their portfolio. We call that service ‘Prospect by Visbanking.’”

Stagnant Margins and Disconnected Data

“Some 80% of U.S. community banks using fintech providers for core systems still struggle with stagnant margins and disconnected data, according to Visbanking. “The same dynamic shows up in credit unions as well, though we don't have a clean credit union percentage to cite offhand,” Pillmore told Finopotamus. He further explained “core systems are good at what they do but often do not integrate with loan origination systems (disconnection on the front end) or have robust reporting capabilities (disconnection on the back end).”

Pillmore sees opportunities for interconnectedness between systems using low-cost, high availability, rapidly scalable and rapidly developed systems. “We just completed a client information system implementation for a customer which bridged all of their systems including a third-party core system, brokerage/custodian system, and a few other ancillary systems. The result is a single, real-time view of all customers and prospects with an AI-level providing advanced capability to grow and manage the bank's portfolio.”

Becoming Market Leaders Instead of Market Reactors

“When FDIC and NCUA call reports, HMDA (Home Mortgage Disclosure Act) and other sources are connected and analyzed together, the value shifts from hindsight to foresight,” said Pillmore. He explained that is because predictive analytics lets institutions spot trends earlier, allocate capital more intelligently, and make better decisions before the market has already moved.

Eliminating manual data assembly allows lenders to find high-quality prospects and act on openings faster than peers, proposes Visbanking. “Eliminating manual data assembly reduces lag and error. That means lenders can identify high-quality prospects sooner, prioritize outreach faster, and move before peers who are still stitching data together,” Pillmore noted.

Visbanking Setup

Visbanking integrates through application programming interfaces (APIs) and can work alongside existing proprietary and third-party systems, said Pillmore. “It is cloud-based, with the flexibility to fit into current operating environments.”

“The main results we see are less time spent assembling data, faster access to trusted information, and better decision-making across the organization,” Pillmore said about credit unions and banks currently using Visbanking’s BIAS.