Redesigning core transaction banking processes for scalable automation

The bank’s transaction banking unit had experimented with several GenAI pilots and chatbots, yet most initiatives stalled in early test phases and rarely reached productive use. AI was being layered onto human-centric legacy processes, yielding only marginal gains. Management recognised that the real potential lay in fundamentally rethinking core workflows (“Redesign for AI”), not just adding AI to existing steps. The challenge was to transform two prioritised use cases – (1) trade document checking / goods-flow verification and (2) AI-supported relief of the customer hotline – into AI-native, scalable end-to-end processes. This was a core Operational Excellence and Process Optimization case with strong Data & AI implications.

The approach followed a process‑first optimization logic, deliberately redesigning workflows for maximum automation potential before selecting or configuring AI capabilities:

• Agentic process design: In intensive co-creation workshops, we deconstructed the two use cases into a “Universal Process Grammar”, eliminated sequential, human-only dependencies and redesigned the flows for radical parallelisation and AI-led execution
• Process-as-code blueprints: We produced machine-readable process blueprints (standardised building blocks such as Check, Confirm, Gather Info, Action) as direct input for orchestration engines, plus interactive mock-ups showing the new logic end-to-end
• Tech & governance framing: Defined a technology-agnostic middleware architecture leveraging the bank’s GenAI platform, identified data sources and APIs, and outlined guardrails, human-in-the-loop controls, audit trail and compliance requirements for later implementation

The bank obtained two fully redesigned, AI-native process models for trade document checking and customer hotline support, each captured as executable process blueprints ready for implementation. The new designs significantly reduced manual checks and exception handling, enabling autonomous or semi-autonomous processing with targeted human oversight. A technology-agnostic architecture sketch defined how to realise the blueprints on the existing GenAI platform, avoiding vendor lock-in. Governance concepts, including embedded compliance rules and full auditability, de-risked future rollout. While exact KPIs are confidential, simulations indicate substantial reductions in handling times and manual effort, with a clear roadmap for piloting and scaling AI-driven operations. Beyond technology readiness, the redesigned processes significantly reduced manual touchpoints and exception handling, enabling faster cycle times and higher throughput with the same operational footprint. The bank now holds a scalable foundation to absorb volume growth without proportional increases in operational cost.

The client is a leading German wholesale bank with a strong position in corporate and transaction banking. Serving large corporates, financial institutions and public-sector clients, the bank processes complex trade and payment flows and is investing in AI to increase efficiency, quality and scalability in its core operations.