Modernizing Trade Finance with Agentic AI

Trade finance is the engine of global commerce, but legacy systems are stalling momentum with inefficiency and risk. Manual workflows, siloed operations and outdated platforms trap liquidity, delay processes, inflate compliance costs and expose institutions to risk at a time when inflation, geopolitical volatility and regulatory scrutiny are intensifying.

Incremental automation fixes are not enough. Banking leaders must now prioritize end‑to‑end transformation and build intelligent, integrated and resilient trade finance operations.

WNS, part of Capgemini, enables this shift with deep domain expertise and AI-powered customized solutions like Trade Pulse. Modular agents work as a connected pipeline, deployed incrementally to modernize operations. With domain‑led process redesign, human‑in‑the‑loop governance and codified compliance standards, we help banks build intelligent trade finance operations that deliver speed, accuracy and trust.

Faster processing, better productivity, lower cost of ownership

100% screening, stronger TBML detection and full audit traceability

Seamless transactions, smarter resolutions and consistent experience

Growth without added operational burden.

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Key Challenges We Solve

Escalating-financial-crime-risk

Escalating financial crime risk

And heightened AML, CFT and trade‑based money laundering pressures that demand stronger due diligence, screening and regulatory reporting

Inefficient processing and low STP

Inefficient processing and low STP

Of only 15–30% of workflows drains capital and slows turnaround

Margin compression

Margin compression

Because of LC fees that have compressed by 30–40%, squeezing profitability, while compliance and capital costs continue to rise

Paper‑based trade documentation

Paper‑based trade documentation

And multi‑stakeholder workflows across banks, corporates, insurers, and regulators create friction, delays and discrepancies

False Positives and fraud risk

False Positives and fraud risk

Stemming from high volumes of false sanctions alerts and counterfeit trade documents that require stronger verification and exception management

Why Leading Banks Rely on Us

200+

Specialists

50+

CDCS Certified

One of the Largest

Outsourced Teams in the Industry

USD 100Bn

Transactions
Managed / Year

In-house

Trade Finance Domain University

Tailored Services, Tangible Trade Finance Outcomes

Our services are designed to modernize the end-to-end trade finance lifecycle, delivering real impact in a dynamic environment.

Letters of Credit (LC)

Letters of Credit (LC)

  • Issuance
  • Amendments
  • Advising
  • Confirmations
Guarantees

Guarantees

  • Issuance
  • Amendments
  • Claim handling
  • Counter guarantees
Collections

Collections

  • Import collections
  • Export collections
  • Clean collections
  • Avalization
Structured Trade

Structured Trade

  • International leasing
  • Project finance
Financing

Financing

  • Pre-shipment finance
  • Supplier credits
  • Refinancing of supplier credits
  • Buyer credits
Trade-based Money Laundering

Trade-based Money Laundering

  • Name screening
  • Vessel tracking
  • International Maritime Bureau (IMB) checks
Document Check As a Standalone Service

Document Check As a Standalone Service

  • Document scrutiny
  • Document status advise (clean/discrepancies)
  • Refusal / Rebuttal
Customer Service

Customer Service

  • Helpdesk
  • Query resolution
  • Status checks
  • Complaints
Value Added Services

Value Added Services

  • Export-import insurance
  • Trade loans
  • Trade advisory
  • Export docs preparation
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Digital at the Core

Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence

  • Automated extraction, classification and validation of information
  • Automated document examination for compliance with UCP, ISBP, URC and other guidelines
Automation

Automation

  • RPA-based solution to automatically process due date payments for clean bills under LC
  • Automated name screening, TBML checks
Agile Operating Model

Agile Operating Model

  • Flexible pricing model
  • On-demand scalability to meet changing needs

Stories of Impact

AI-powered Workflows

AI-powered Workflows Cut TAT for a Leading Commercial Bank in the UAE

The Challenge

The client was struggling with non‑standard documentation, repeated rework and paper‑based workflows that slowed high‑priority cases.

What We Did

WNS introduced pre‑screening within one hour of receipt, standardized templates for applications, LCs and guarantees and deployed a dedicated team for urgent requests. By analyzing discrepancies and automating name screening and follow‑ups, we ensured top customers were serviced efficiently.

Value Delivered

  • USD 1.5 million in efficiency benefits
  • Document checked within two hours for high-priority cases
  • Exporters saved ~10 days in working capital by submitting compliant documents upfront
AI Agents Delivered 30% Faster TAT for a Global Bank in EMEA

AI Agents Delivered 30% Faster TAT for a Global Bank in EMEA

The Challenge

Fragmented, siloed processes on legacy systems (BPMS) were causing rework, errors, customer DSAT and excessive compliance handoffs for the client.

What We Did

Reimagined trade process with AI agents optimizing the maker’s role and automation handling data ingestion - human in the loop only for exceptions and key judgements.

Value Delivered

  • 60–70% productivity gain
  • 30% faster turnaround times
  • >85% improved CSAT score
  • 50% reduction in compliance handoffs
Intelligent Document Processing Doubled Trade Volumes for an EMEA Bank

Intelligent Document Processing Doubled Trade Volumes for an EMEA Bank

The Challenge

90% manual-intensive operations driving high operational risk, process losses and excess resource buffering.

What We Did

Deployed an intelligent document processing tool and Power Automate for workflow orchestration across CRM, SWIFT and Core Banking. Additionally, AI digital personas were delivered as modular SaaS components.

Value Delivered

  • 50% manual effort reduction
  • 40–50% faster turnaround times
  • 2X trade volumes handled - scalable blueprint for other LOBs
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Our Unique Differentiators

Our Unique Differentiators

01

Deep trade finance domain expertise combined with large-scale banking operations experience.

02

An AI-first transformation approach that re-engineers the operating model, not just automates isolated tasks.

03

Human-in-the-loop governance model that strengthens trust, compliance, explainability and auditability.

04

Ability to combine advisory, technology, operations and managed services in one integrated proposition.

05

Outcome-oriented commercial model aligned to efficiency, risk reduction, service quality and business impact.

FAQs

It's six modular agents designed to work as one connected pipeline, but they are deployed incrementally. You can start with the agent(s) that solve your most acute pain point (for example, document examination or compliance screening) and add others over time without re-architecting what's already live.

No. The agents remove the repetitive, rule-based and data-entry work like document sorting, screening, balance checks and message generation. Your team's time shifts to judgment calls, exceptions and customer relationships. Every agent output (discrepancy reports, referrals, compliance flags) is designed to be reviewed and approved by a human checker, not to bypass one.

We cover the full transaction lifecycle from intake to execution, including LC issuance, document examination, LG issuance, SBLC issuance and open account financing (OAF).

No. The agents are built to work with what you have — TI+, Oracle OBTF, or equivalent — via API where available, and RPA where it isn't. There's no requirement to replace core infrastructure.

That's specifically what the RPA layer is for. Where a core banking, credit, or collateral system has no exposed API, RPA bots interact with the system the way a human operator would, so you get the automation benefit without needing a system upgrade first.

The agents sit upstream of your screening provider, extracting and cleaning screenable terms before submission, which is what drives the false-positive reduction. We integrate with your existing provider rather than replacing it.

The agents are designed as decision-support and execution layers, not autonomous approvers. Compliance holds, credit breaches and document discrepancies are routed to a human for review and sign-off before any transaction proceeds — the agent surfaces the issue and the evidence, but doesn't make the final call on anything with regulatory or credit risk.

Document examination is run through a codified rules engine built on these standards, applying 200+ specific rules field-by-field and citing the exact rule reference for every discrepancy found. As a result, the checker can verify the agent's reasoning, not just trust a black-box output.

Yes. Every classification, screening decision, credit check, discrepancy finding, referral, and execution step is logged with full context, timestamps and (where applicable) the rule or rationale applied. This supports both internal audit and regulatory examination.

This depends on which agents you start with, how many systems need integration and whether APIs are available.

Are you ready to build trade finance operations that are ready to navigate today’s dynamic landscape?

Talk to Our Experts Today!