Vietnam Maritime Bank (MSB) has achieved a 200 per cent improvement in loan approval speed using FICO‘s intelligent decisioning capabilities, implemented in partnership with regional technology specialist Blitz in ten months. Loan turnaround time has been cut from 30 to 15 minutes, reshaping how MSB serves more than eight million retail customers and nearly 100,000 business clients.

The intelligent decisioning system combines AI and machine learning models with rule-based decisioning to automate and standardise credit approval processes across MSB’s 260 branches, dramatically reducing manual error rates and enabling the bank to bring new digitised lending products to market faster.

A Scalable Decisioning Foundation

For a bank operating 260 branches, nearly 400 international correspondent banking relationships, and a workforce of over 7,000 employees, the ability to make consistent credit decisions at scale represents a significant operational shift. FICO’s approach standardises policy rules across the institution, ensuring every loan assessment reflects the same logic and risk appetite regardless of channel or product type.

MSB is already exploring extending the platform into customer management and debt collection as the next phase of its transformation.

“The bank can now approve loans with a level of speed and accuracy that was previously unattainable. The ability to adapt quickly as market conditions evolve gives MSB a real competitive edge.” — Nguyen Quang Man, Deputy Chief Risk Officer, MSB

Regional Implications

The deployment is particularly relevant across Southeast Asia, where financial institutions face pressure to modernise lending operations without compromising on risk controls. FICO’s ASEAN North leadership cited MSB as an example for regional peers looking to enhance competitiveness through intelligent automation.

“MSB set out to solve a real business problem: how do you grow your lending book and serve customers faster without compromising on risk? The outstanding results demonstrate the power of advanced analytics and decision management technology in revolutionising banking operations.” — Timothy Choon, Senior Director, ASEAN North, FICO