Hong Leong Bank Berhad (“HLB” or “the Bank”) continues to chart significant digital milestones by introducing a virtual assistant named HALI, to help it improve operations efficiency by 60% over the course of the year. 

HALI, a first for Malaysia, is powered by Hyperlab which specialises in artificial intelligence (A. I.) powered chat, voice and search products. The chatbot developed for HLB is set to assist two main core support functions – Human Resource and Branch Operations. It will take over in answering staff queries on policies and procedures, a function previously undertaken by staff members from the two divisions.

By learning and automating the thousands of queries asked every month by bank staff, HALI vastly improves efficiency. Through personal digital devices, such as smartphones and tablets, Bank staff can make enquiries with regards to HR policies & procedures (Medical Benefits, Staff Loans, Leave Policy, Payroll, etc.) 24/7 through virtual conversations with HALI.

Through HALI the Bank seeks to improve internal operations efficiency by 60%, which would be driven by reducing repetitive and manual operations such as answering emails and internal telephone enquiries. As a result, more time can be spent on building relevant training programs based on the data HALI collects.

Domenic Fuda, Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of HLB emphasized that the Bank is constantly looking at ways to leverage on technology to increase efficiency and productivity, reduce turnaround time and improve overall compliance to policies and processes.

“HALI has allowed us to automate time-consuming and routine tasks. This allows our staff to focus on greater productivity and efficiency towards improving the overall customer experience. Innovative digital initiatives such as this will help us create a more engaging and rewarding employee experience,” he said.

The launch of HALI comes on the heels of the introduction of an e-learning mobile application called ‘SmartUp’ which enables the Bank’s employees to access bite-sized learning content via their mobile devices.

View how HALI works: