Customer story

Artificial Intelligence for speed in calculations and clarity in instructions – HypoGPT service helps the staff of the Mortgage Society of Finland to improve efficiency

Pekka Turunen, Technology Director at Hypo

Evitec Solutions implemented four generative AI-based solutions for its long-term customer Hypo, the Mortgage Society of Finland, that harmonise data from different documents into an easily analysable format, create a basis for more efficient operational planning and clarify official regulations and the company’s own instructions.

The project was implemented during autumn 2023 and spring 2024 together with Hypo, taking into account the needs and wishes of the customer. An easy-to-use browser interface was implemented for each service using Azure App Service, ensuring effortless access for all end users within the company.

Three of the solutions are AI assistants built as Ask Hypo services, enabling Hypo’s internal users to ask questions in natural language and get answers when information is needed. The answers are based on pre-loaded documentation for the assistant. The AI assistants answer questions on three different topics: guidance, regulatory and operational planning. The fourth implementation is an analysis tool that processes the data in the pdf documents into a structured format, significantly reducing manual computation need.

AI has quickly delivered verifiable business value. For example, it is being used to automatically reorganize bulk data from documents – a task that previously had to be done manually.

– We have implemented the AI analysis tool developed with Evitec Solutions into our day-to-day work, as it clearly improves the efficiency of bulk data processing. Data consistency speeds up analysis and the use of data in the business process. In turn, the Ask Hypo AI service supports our staff in finding regulatory guidance and our own guidance, says Pekka Turunen, Technology Director at Hypo.

The AI services were implemented in Microsoft Azure and using the Azure OpenAI Service. All data used by the AI is stored in the company’s own Azure environment in the cloud. The AI has no connection to the public internet, so all data is securely stored in the company’s own environment. The data is stored in the company’s data system, from which Open AI retrieves information. Once the data is stored in Azure Blob Storage, it is indexed, i.e. organised in a certain way. This indexing allows the AI to perceive context and words. When new data is added, it is also automatically indexed.

When a user provides input to an AI assistant to search for example for the right government agency, the AI processes the input, searches for information, and connects the dots. It also provides references to the files where the answer has been searched. Providing the sources of the answers is important so that the user can confirm the accuracy of the information provided by the AI assistant, as is part of responsible AI development. If the AI assistant does not find a complete answer, it will tell the user so. Similarly, in an analytics tool, one of the steps of automating the computation is to verify the result produced by the AI.

Working together on a journey towards new discoveries

Hypo and Evitec Solutions have been working together for many years, for example through the development of Hypo’s mortgage bank ERP system and mobile banking. Developing modern services together is familiar and effective. The current project was an excellent opportunity for both parties to explore and jointly find applications of AI that genuinely create value for the company.

– We hear a lot of praise for AI solutions nowadays, but we wanted to see the benefits in practice. Together with Evitec Solutions, we set out at a brisk pace to iteratively explore and test different solutions. We quickly saw the results of how AI can be used to make operations more efficient and add tangible value. The journey continues and we are already working together on the next applications, says Turunen.

The AI solutions built were tested extensively before they were deployed, as, for example, when using natural language, the diverse users of the service must be considered. The way a human formulates a question to an AI assistant can depend on the job role and perspective, for example. The service needs to understand different question formats and, if necessary, direct the questioner to a logical place in case of a problem.

The AI services now being created open new possibilities, for example in speeding up action plans. The journey on the cutting edge of modern technology continues.

– Adopting new technology always requires a bit of new thinking, and this requires a combination of technical expertise, business knowledge and good communication. The journey of exploring new ways of doing things is a combination of good groundwork and the courage to try different options. With insights come enthusiasm and confidence. With Microsoft’s Azure environment and cloud, you can be confident, says Sesilia Merimaa, data and analytics consultant at Evitec Solutions.

After the initial training, developing new AI assistants for other needs is effortless.

– The biggest work is setting up the infrastructure, after which it is reasonably easy to develop AI assistants for a variety of purposes, Merimaa continues.

Mortgage Society of Finland
Hypo is the only national credit institution in Finland that focuses on housing. Hypo offers its customers all the loan services they need to finance their housing: mortgages and mortgage-backed consumer loans for home purchases, home replacement and renovation.

Evitec Solutions is a Nordic developer of financial software solutions, a provider of consulting services and a bold innovator in the industry. It also provides analytics and data management services to a wide range of industries. Evitec Solutions is a Microsoft Solutions Partner in the areas of data and AI, digital and application innovation. This recognition highlights the company’s commitment to partnering with our customers and creating new solutions and best practices in close collaboration.