Artificial intelligence (AI), chatbots and data analysis enable Bualuang Securities (BLS) to distinguish its services and better match customer needs.
"All the innovative securities services are developed in-house by our team of financial engineers based on customer needs," said managing director Bannarong Pichyakorn. BLS is the first securities company to create its own financial software, he said, boasting the largest financial engineering team in the business.
BLS uses chatbot technology to serve its derivative warrant (DW) customers, offering short replies in real-time.
Called Nong-Bua chatbot, the service is the first of its kind in the country, enabling DW investors to get information faster.
Before buying DWs, customers need to cross-check and learn basic information about warrants, learning their prices and understanding the risk and profit tendencies. Normally this information would be found on BLS's website.
"It's important to have customers get the information quickly, and that's why we use chatbot technology," Mr Bannarong said.
Thais spend a lot of time on social media, Facebook in particular, so the company made the chatbot service available on Facebook Messenger.
DW news and information is available at www.facebook.com/blswarrant and via Line ID, which anyone can access to ask chatbots questions.
BLS introduced the real-time chat messaging service earlier this month and the feedback has been positive, said BLS president Pichet Sithi-Amnual.
Within two weeks, the DW01 Facebook fan page received more than 4,000 likes, with more than 1,000 messages for chatbots per day.
DW is a niche market, so 4,000 likes in two weeks is quite a lot, Mr Pichet said. DW was introduced in Thailand seven years ago.
"If the market is growing, technology will definitely be applied more to services," Mr Pichet said. The strength of chatbot technology is that the company can develop further functions on top of it.
Securities companies invest a great deal in IT, averaging 50-100 million baht per year per firm on servers and systems, for both in-house development, leasing and staff.
Mr Bannarong said BLS is also focused on investor education and innovation.
"We were the first one to broadcast streaming seven years ago," he said, "offering a briefing by analysts to investment consultants via 3G technology, enabling customers to get information faster."
The company has introduced 10 innovative services catering to its customers.
Bualuang iTracker enables customers to know the percentage profit or loss of their investments and offers them advice.
"It's like a mirror reflecting the result of their investments," Mr Bannarong said. "It's a good tool for them to learn how and what they should adjust. This technology offers a pattern of financial analysis."
Another popular tool is Connex, an online digital communication tool that notifies customers based on their settings, such as buy and sell orders that eventuate when certain triggers are met.
"Technology makes the impossible possible," Mr Bannarong said. "It will turn services into revenue for the company. More importantly, customers win and we win."