Ai SPARK’s Bond Performance Prediction Tool

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.

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.

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.