Luca Corsini, head of global transaction banking, UniCredit
The era of digitalisation is well and truly here. Banks have been investing heavily in digital innovation for several years, to the point where digitalisation is no longer a differentiator. The devil is in the detail and the key is doing things a little differently, being a little more disruptive. At UniCredit Global Transaction Banking, we provide a comprehensive digital offering, built from the ground up for – and with – our clients, from SMEs to multinationals, to meet their Trade Finance, Cash Management and Working Capital needs. It’s an approach we've doubled down on since the pandemic accelerated the urgent need for effective digitalisation.
It’s also a decision that has paid off. For instance, our e-banking and digital document signing tools have given clients much-needed control over their finances, cash positions, payments and liquidity allocations while working remotely. Alongside our advisory support, helping clients identify and address the challenges in front of them, these tools have helped clients centralise their cash management processes to ensure the treasuries have a full overview of all activities and accounts.
This blend of digital and advisory support was also critical in helping businesses secure liquidity, with clients often requiring creative working capital solutions, underpinned by digital tools for techniques such as supply chain finance and dynamic discounting. Meanwhile, innovative solutions such as our client platform, Trade Finance Gate, and Trade Finance OCR, a back-office tool for digitalising paper documentation, have helped lower the barriers to traditional forms of financing and risk mitigation.
Looking ahead, banks will need to continue supporting businesses through the ongoing economic uncertainty with further digital innovation and advisory support. At UniCredit, we are equipping clients with the tools they need to react quickly and effectively amidst the uncertainty, while paving the way for new tailored solutions to support our clients as the economy recovers. As The Banker's 'Best Transaction Bank in Western Europe', UniCredit has clients' best interests at the heart of everything it does and is dedicated to finding the best solutions to meet their needs.
