For the lending workflow, yes. Finastra is a broad vendor whose products include core banking and lending. Covenant Desk covers lending only: origination, servicing, collections and AI, beside your core or as the lending core.
Asia · Comparing lending software
Alternative to Finastra, Temenos and nCino for bank lending in Asia
Cores, origination platforms and an AI lending system are different tools. This guide shows what each is for, so a shortlist compares like with like.
In brief
Compare by job, not by logo
Banks in Asia usually shortlist from three kinds of vendor. Banking cores, such as Finastra, Temenos and Infosys Finacle, run the bank's accounts and ledger across products, with lending as one part. Origination-led platforms, such as nCino, concentrate on the workflow that takes a loan from application to approval. Covenant Desk is an AI lending system: agentic AI built around the lending workflow, with its own core banking engine for lending, so a bank can run it beside its existing core or as the lending core.
The right choice depends on the decision in front of the bank: replace the core, improve origination, or add AI and servicing to the lending business without replacing what already works. Product scope changes, so check each vendor's current documentation. Product names are trademarks of their owners.
Asia
What each kind of vendor is for
- 01
Banking cores
Finastra, Temenos, Infosys Finacle and Oracle FLEXCUBE run deposits, payments, the general ledger and the product catalogue for the whole bank. Choose a core when the decision is to replace or modernise the bank's core.
- 02
Origination-led platforms
nCino and similar platforms focus on the loan journey from application to approval, usually on top of a core. Choose one when the gap is mainly in front-end origination.
- 03
Covenant Desk, the AI lending system
Agentic AI, SME, personal and mortgage lending workflow, servicing, repayments and collections on one record, integrated with the bank's own systems. Choose it when the aim is AI-led lending work without replacing the core.
- 04
Where Covenant Desk does not compete
It does not replace deposits, payments or the bank's general ledger.
- 05
Where the categories overlap
Many banks run a core, an origination platform and a servicing layer. Covenant Desk can be any of the lending layers, beside the core or as the lending core.
- 06
Built around the bank, not the product
Covenant Desk is custom software integrated with the bank's systems and IT. Products, approval limits, documents and reports follow how the institution lends.
Covenant Desk
What Covenant Desk brings to a lending shortlist
All of this is available, built to your operation and delivered as part of the implementation.
- 01
Agentic AI
AI agents for documents, intake, credit analysis, monitoring, collections and staff questions, with credit officers approving every decision.
- 02
A core engine for lending
Loan accounts, ledger and postings, interest and fees, repayment and collections, and disbursement, so it can serve as the lending core or run beside yours.
- 03
One record from application to collections
Origination, servicing, repayments and collections on the same borrower record.
- 04
SME, personal and mortgage lending
The SME workflow covers application, document collection, spreading, credit memo, approval matrix, facility letter, collateral and guarantees, covenants and monitoring.
- 05
Integrated with your systems
Custom software built to your products and approval process and connected to your core, ledger, bureau and payment systems with your IT team.
- 06
Local rules and languages
Each market's rules, language, currency and payment rail are built into your deployment and tested by your team before go-live.
Evaluation
Questions to put to every vendor on the shortlist
- 01
What decision is this project making?
Replace the core, improve origination or add AI to lending. Vendors answer different questions.
- 02
Who owns the loan ledger afterwards?
Ask for the answer per product and how the other systems stay in step.
- 03
How long until the first workflow is live?
Ask for one workflow with real records and real staff, not a full-scope date.
- 04
What does the AI do, and who approves?
Ask for the actions per role and the control around each.
- 05
Which local rules, languages, currencies and payment rails are built in?
Ask for the markets you operate in, not the markets on the slide.
- 06
How do we exit?
Ask for the data export, deletion and what happens to the integration.
FAQ
Questions banks and lenders ask
Temenos is a banking core vendor. Covenant Desk does not replace a core for deposits, payments or the general ledger. It can run beside Temenos for lending, or serve as the lending core.
nCino is known for cloud loan origination for banks. Covenant Desk also covers servicing, repayments and collections on the same record and adds agentic AI across the roles around the loan.
Mid-sized and enterprise banks, and lending companies with 50 or more staff, in Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and wider Asia.
With one workflow, a personalised demo built around your own loans, then a phased rollout agreed with your IT team.
Related
More for banks and lenders in Asia
- Loan origination system for banks and lenders in Asia
- Loan management system for banks and lenders in Asia
- The AI lending system for banks across Asia
- Custom lending software, built around your process and integrated with your systems
- An AI lending system that runs beside the core banking system you already have
- Deployment, data residency and AI governance, answered before your vendor review asks
- AI lending agents for banks, by role, with credit officers approving every decision
- AI lending system across Asia
- Loan origination system, Hong Kong
- Loan management system, Hong Kong
See it on one of your own loans.
We set up a personalised demo around your own products and workflows, then your team tries it before you decide.
Book a personalised demo