Finastra has launched OperatorAssist, an AI-powered add-on for its payment hub interface designed to automate exception handling.
Following this announcement, Finastra has launched OperatorAssist, an AI-powered module available as an addition to its payment hub user interface, aimed at reducing manual effort in payments exception handling and lowering operational costs across the payments lifecycle.
The tool automates error analysis, generates repair recommendations, and guides operations staff through resolution workflows. According to Finastra, early results indicate potential efficiency gains of upwards of 20%, with manual investigation time reduced by between 20% and 30%, saving users an estimated 1.5 hours or more per day.
Targeting a persistent operational challenge
According to the official press release, payment exceptions, referring to transactions that fail straight-through processing and require manual intervention, represent a significant cost centre for financial institutions. Delays in resolving exceptions affect transaction delivery times, increase per-transaction costs, and can degrade the customer experience. The challenge is compounded by the complexity of modern payment rails and the volume of cross-border and high-value transactions subject to ISO 20022 messaging requirements.
OperatorAssist is built on a cloud-native, ISO 20022-native architecture and is available to banks using Finastra's Global PAYplus and Payments To Go platforms. The solution is positioned as an optional add-on rather than a replacement of existing workflows, extending the capabilities of Finastra's existing payments infrastructure with AI-driven functionality.
Beyond exception handling, the tool was also designed to support faster onboarding for new operations staff by acting as a guided reference system, and to reduce reliance on manual tracking and reporting in day-to-day payments operations.
An analyst at Celent noted that the rate of straight-through processing is a critical metric for banks, and that complex exception processing can consume a significant share of operational capacity, contributing to higher costs and slower payment delivery. AI-based productivity tools have the potential to address these structural inefficiencies.
Finastra, which provides software to financial institutions across retail banking, transaction banking, lending, and treasury, has been expanding its payments portfolio in recent years as banks face pressure to modernise infrastructure in line with ISO 20022 migration timelines and evolving real-time payments requirements across multiple markets.
