Ai SPARK Bond Performance Prediction Tool

The client

Our client, Ai SPARK, provides instant and continuous risk rating results for the commercial mortgage-backed securities and commercial real estate industry.

Their flagship artificial intelligence software, a machine-learning algorithm called TARA™, produces clear and objective risk assessments in real-time by leveraging decades of knowledge and experience.

TARA™ provides unprecedented accuracy, higher returns with less work, increased productivity and ensuring precise risk analysis with reduced human bias.

The brief

At the time of the brief, TARA™ was running and displaying the results of its data analysis through a custom-built tool that was specifically designed to work within the Microsoft Excel environment.

This plugin presented a number of issues that would need to be addressed with Realm’s tailored solution:

Accessibility: To access the Excel-based solution, users needed the necessary software (including the correct version), and the required plugin. This restricted the number of users who could access, and made it difficult for a wider audience to benefit from the tool. Additionally, the add-in had to run on a desktop, which meant it was not accessible from multiple devices simultaneously. This limitation made it less suitable for live demo purposes and hindered its adaptability in various use cases.

Functionality: The Excel add-in was slow in retrieving information and running scenarios, resulting in reduced productivity and efficiency. As consumers increasingly prefer web and cloud-based data solutions, this performance issue put the Excel-based tool at a disadvantage.

Visualisation & Design: Excel’s interface was clunky and non-reactive, and not user-friendly or visually appealing. Graphs and charts within the plugin were small and difficult to share with others. Unlike a web-based solution, users could not simply send a link to share the visualisations. This made collaboration and information sharing more cumbersome.

Security and compliance: Using an Excel plugin for handling sensitive data could lead to unauthorised access and inconsistencies in data. The Excel plugin could also lack regular security updates, compliance with industry-specific standards, and robust encryption features.

These issues highlighted the need for Ai SPARK to transition from their Excel-based application to a more versatile and accessible solution.

The solution

After performing a deep analysis and discovery phase, it was evident that a sleek, API-driven web application would be the preferred approach, allowing for the tools and functionality required. Ai SPARK partnered with Realm Digital to design and build a flagship web application that would be accessible to a broader audience through a browser, enabling users to access the platform from any device.

The application would need to provide some specific outcomes:

Accessibility: Migrating from the Excel-based plugin to a web-based tool would address the accessibility limitations of the initial solution. The new platform was developed to be easily accessible through any device with an internet connection and a web browser, removing the need for specific software, versions, or plugins. As a result, users no longer needed access to a desktop computer or specialised software in order to access the tool, and multiple users could access the platform simultaneously from various locations.

Functionality: The frontend application should integrate with the TARA™ API and return analytical data based on the user’s input. The new tool should replicate or improve the functionality and outcomes of the existing proprietary Excel-based software. The solution should overcome the limitations of Excel, such as slow data retrieval, inefficiencies, and lack of shareability.

Visualisation & Design: The application should enhance data modelling and visualisation, and charting capabilities, providing users with an improved experience and more intuitive interactions with represented data outputs. By delivering real-time visualisations of industry-specific data, the tool should ensure that users can easily understand and analyse the information presented, within a customised user interface that is modern and clean.

Security and compliance: The solution should ensure the security and compliance of proprietary information in an enterprise-level, cloud-based solution.

The result

The launch of the new TARA™ application received positive acclaim from stakeholders and clients alike, showcasing the successful modernisation and expansion of Ai SPARK’s initial Excel-based solution.

With the introduction of the updated platform, Realm Digital and Ai SPARK achieved some positive results:

Accessibility: With the improved accessibility of the web-based tool, Ai SPARK has successfully reached a wider audience who can now easily access and benefit from TARA™. The tool’s increased accessibility enables more seamless collaboration, live demos, presentations, and adaptability to various use cases.

Functionality: The integration of the TARA™API with the front-end application enables users to input their data and obtain analytical results based on machine learning. The platform allows users to view and modify their portfolios based on pricing, yield, or returns, and allows them to determine if their portfolio is meeting expectations or lagging behind. Additionally, users can apply “stressors” to their portfolios and resubmit them to generate new predictions.

Visualisation & Design: Utilising React and Next.js, Realm Digital created a visually appealing and responsive interface that dynamically adjusted to users’ actions. Advanced grids and charts were employed for flexible data representation, enabling users to easily understand the AI-generated analysis based on their financial configurations.

Security and compliance: Leveraging .NET Core as the backend technology ensured secure access and integration between various services, including machine learning tools. By utilising AWS as the cloud infrastructure provider and Terraform for managing cloud resources, the platform benefited from improved scalability, guaranteed uptime, edge-locations, availability zones, and enhanced security measures.

“The company launched the app to highly positive acclaim. Stakeholders were happy with its features, and clients were eager to try it out. Realm Digital delivered fantastic work that exceeded the company’s expectations. They managed the project well and kept everything on track through and through.”

– Mark Jackson, Head of Strategic Alliances at Ai SPARK

With client satisfaction as our primary goal, we are proud of what has been achieved with Ai SPARK and TARA™. To read a full review of this project from Ai SPARK’s Head of Strategic Alliances, please CLICK HERE.