Smartphones have taken over, haven’t they? Digitalisation is booming, without an end in sight. Julius Baer is no exception: the private bank continues to digitize operations, most recently with a software platform its relationship managers use to, well, manage relationships.

“At Julius Baer, we believe that it is paramount to leverage technology to innovate. We constantly enhance how we serve and delight our clients,” states Rajesh Manwani, Head Markets & Wealth Management Solutions Asia Pacific.

DiAS – our FinTech assistant

Today, advisors are expected to provide personalised proposals, navigate complex cross-border regulation, handle administrative tasks, and respond to real-time expectations – all while meeting the need to serve even more clients in fast-moving financial markets.

This is where our FinTech-assistant steps in. “There are three ways in which DiAS makes an impact,” explains Rajesh. “First, DiAS offers customised investment content, so that our advisors can meet the needs of their clients more easily. Secondly, it enables client-facing staff to navigate complex regulatory requirements and offers compliant advice effectively. Thirdly, the assistant automates administrative duties. It saves time and improves efficiency.”

Agile development

The software, which has been rolling out across the bank since 2017, was created in-house at Julius Baer. “This technology is too critical to our operations to be left to an outsider,” notes the sponsor of the development team, Nicolas de Skowronski, Head of Advisory Solutions. The bank wanted not just great software, but a better mastery of ‘agile’ development and cutting-edge tools. At times the team touted as many as 100 members, whose work was long and hard. “They were under great pressure with tough deadlines,” de Skowronski adds. “I’ve lost count of the number of late-night pizzas required to keep them going.”

The impact of digital disruption

At the end emerged a system that can be described as the relationship manager’s FinTech assistant. As digitalisation transforms our industry, changing market conditions will affect client portfolios significantly. Integrated platforms like DiAS assist to manage portfolios efficiently and free up time for what matters most: understanding the individual life circumstances of our Asian clients.