A call to action for banks in the AI age

Intelligent platforms and partnerships can help reduce treasury pain points across sectors

In today’s volatile economy, corporate treasurers face increasing pressure to manage liquidity, optimize operations, and provide strategic value. Despite working with multiple banking partners, a significant 70% of treasurers say their cash-management needs aren’t fulfilled.

This gap isn’t just a service failure – it’s a strategic opportunity. To stay relevant, banks must evolve from traditional service providers into smart, platform-based partners capable of handling the complex demands of modern treasury operations. The most successful firms will move beyond traditional setups to become more intelligent, secure, and user-centric. They will empower relationship managers and senior bankers with advanced tools and technologies to thrive in a competitive and evolving digital landscape.

Evolving expectations and unmet needs

The financial landscape has shifted significantly due to inflation, supply chain issues, and rising interest rates. As a result, corporate treasurers now expect more from their banking partners. They seek real-time insights for better cashflow management, automated processes to reduce manual work and errors, seamless Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) integration for faster onboarding and improved efficiency, and strategic advice tailored to their sector’s specific challenges. However, according to Capgemini’s World Payments Report 2023, most banks are falling short, leaving treasurers disappointed and underserved.

Manual processes create pervasive pain points

Rooted in outdated, manual processes, pain points are widespread across treasury functions. In accounts payable (AP), 63% of payment executives still rely on paper-based invoices, which slow down processing and increase the risk of errors. In the automotive sector, 74% of AP workflows remain manual, while insurance firms face a 27% exception rate at $22 per invoice.¹ Retailers aren’t immune either, reporting a 38% exception rate due to a lack of automation. On the accounts receivable (AR) side, the picture is equally concerning. Only 10% of AR processes in retail are automated, and 69% of retailers struggle with multichannel reconciliation due to the proliferation of payment options.²

System fragmentation and a lack of visibility

Beyond AP and AR, a lack of interoperability between a bank’s technology and a corporation’s systems creates significant challenges, including analysis gaps in exposures, credit, and counterparty risks, as well as compliance and reporting.

Reconciliation remains a largely manual task for many financial firms, with half still relying on outdated processes due to missing data and poor system integration. Non-standard payment formats and weak ERP connectivity further complicate the process. Cash forecasting is another critical area plagued by fragmentation and inaccuracy.

60% of payment executives cite real-time cash visibility as a major challenge with significant consequences, ranging from unnecessary borrowing to missed investment opportunities.³ Most corporations manage over 27 banking relationships, making it difficult to gain a unified view of their cash positions. This lack of visibility has sector-specific consequences. For instance, insurance companies often maintain overfunded reserves, retailers struggle with inventory and working capital management, and automotive firms face poor oversight of dealer and supplier payments.

The high host of inaction

Disconnected systems and manual processes disrupt the cash management chain, leading to inefficiencies and silent attrition, where clients gradually shift volumes away without formal notice. Over 70% of payment executives believe that partnerships with fintechs can help accelerate technology adoption, enable faster market entry, and improve IT cost management. Banks that don’t act risk losing relevance in a rapidly changing financial ecosystem.

The AI-powered solution

Artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a strategic imperative for corporate banking. According to the 2025 CFO Survey Report from cloud-based liquidity performance platform Kyriba, 53% of CFOs are enthusiastic about AI’s potential to transform finance by automating routine processes and enhancing investment analysis. An overwhelming 96% of CFOs now prioritize the integration of AI.⁴

While enthusiasm for AI is high, a significant trust gap warrants attention, as 76% report major security and privacy concerns, according to Kyriba’s global insights from 1,000 CFOs and senior financial decision-makers.

AI can directly tackle many treasury operations pain points. It enables anomaly detection in cashflow mismatches, predictive forecasting based on real-time and behavioral data, and the smart routing of payments, as well as exception handling. These features not only improve operational efficiency – they also give treasurers the insights they need to make informed decisions.

Kyriba’s white-label platform lets banks deploy AI-driven services under their own brand quickly. Services include predictive liquidity forecasting, scenario modeling for risk and cash visibility, and AI-driven reconciliation. The platform’s pre-integrated modules make it easier for banks to offer advanced capabilities to corporations without starting from scratch.

To fully capitalize on this opportunity, banks can adopt a three-layer strategy, as outlined in Capgemini’s World Payments Report 2023.

1. Simplify: Retire fragmented legacy systems and migrate to API-ready, cloud-native treasury platforms that enable Straight Through Processing (STP).
2. Perform: Deploy advanced features such as virtual accounts, AI-based forecasting, and working capital analytics, all with seamless integration into ERP and Treasury Management Systems (TMS).
3. Engage: Co-create strategic solutions directly with corporate clients. This approach not only addresses disintermediation concerns – an outcome that worries 67% of bank executives – but also unlocks new revenue streams, with 57% citing gains from cross- and upselling.

Additionally, banks can enhance communication with corporate clients by upgrading senior bankers’ tools and workstations, focusing on the value of AI in a fast-changing environment. What’s more, the adoption of cloud computing and desktop virtualization lets banks access computing resources on demand, streamline operations, improve scalability, and facilitate remote work and collaboration.

Corporate treasurers are ready for a change and actively seek partners that can help them navigate complexity, unlock value, and drive strategic outcomes.

For banks, the message is clear: the future of corporate banking is about transformation, not just transactions. By embracing intelligent platforms, AI-driven insights, and collaborative partnerships, banks can redefine their role and secure their relevance for years to come.