SpareBank 1 SMN saw an opportunity to enhance both efficiency and job satisfaction among its employees by leveraging artificial intelligence. But how can a bank with 1,700 employees provide access to information through AI assistants without losing control or violating regulations? The solution: custom copilots, which have significantly improved employees’ workdays.

SpareBank 1 SMN serves 250,000 customers across private and corporate markets. To deliver high-quality service and support, employees rely on effective tools. However, with information scattered across multiple platforms and systems, finding necessary details was often time-consuming. Additionally, compliance with statutory documentation requirements led to a heavy manual workload.

Computas has been instrumental in our AI journey. Their expertise has been critical to our progress, delivering AI solutions across the entire organization.

Endre Helgesen Skjetne, Head of Digital Development at SpareBank 1 SMN.

A strategic approach to artificial intelligence

Recognizing the potential of generative AI early on, SpareBank 1 SMN embarked on a broad exploration phase to identify relevant use cases across its business areas—real estate, accounting, private and corporate markets, and support functions such as HR. To turn these ideas into reality, they sought a partner with deep technical expertise in the Microsoft platform, a solid understanding of generative AI’s possibilities and risks, and a local presence in Trondheim. Computas emerged as the ideal choice.

– With many promising applications for generative AI, we needed a robust development and testing environment. Together with Computas, we identified the best technical solutions and designed the right architecture, says Endre Helgesen Skjetne, Head of Digital Development at SpareBank 1 SMN.

After identifying potential AI applications, the bank prioritized initiatives that would generate enthusiasm and immediate value for employees, ensuring easy adoption. They decided early on to align closely with standard services, making Microsoft’s platform a natural choice. Using Microsoft Copilot Studio and Azure AI Services, they trained AI models with multiple data sources and seamlessly integrated them into existing systems and workflows. This approach delivered significantly higher accuracy and relevance than off-the-shelf tools like M365 Copilot.

The custom copilots function as AI assistants embedded directly into the bank’s systems, with user-friendly interfaces within Microsoft Teams, ensuring seamless access and adoption.

AI-Powered Support for Enhanced Productivity

One of the most popular solutions so far is an AI assistant that provides quick access to internal routines and process information. Named Korsn Copilot—a nod to the local dialect—it efficiently navigates a system containing over 1,000 pages of structured information stored across various hierarchies and data formats in SharePoint.

– Korsn Copilot has become the colleague you can always ask. Instead of searching through the Korsn library, employees now get immediate answers from a digital subject expert, available 24/7, says Line Lauvsnes Oddekalv, Communications Manager at SpareBank 1 SMN.

Since launching in October 2024, Korsn Copilot has been adopted by 1,337 out of 1,700 employees, who have made over 30,000 queries. Based on these figures, SpareBank 1 SMN projects an annual efficiency gain of over NOK 3.5 million—just from this one AI assistant.

Measurable AI Innovation with Immediate Impact

SpareBank 1 SMN actively monitors its AI initiatives, leveraging Power BI dashboards to track copilot adoption rates and expected cost savings. These tools provide insights across business areas and help implement targeted measures to drive adoption.

– There are many banking processes that can benefit from generative AI. The biggest advantage comes when employees integrate AI into their daily work. Custom copilots are our first step, helping us build expertise to take even bigger leaps in AI, says Ola Haseth Balestrand, Business Developer at SpareBank 1 SMN.

Computas has played a key role in various phases of AI development, from exploration and testing to deployment. In addition to Korsn Copilot, several other solutions have been implemented or are in development. One notable project involves an AI agent that automatically drafts statutory meeting minutes, ensuring structured, clear, and client-friendly documentation. This assistant also helps customer advisors by asking relevant follow-up questions to capture all necessary details, resulting in significant time savings. Another promising development is a voice-controlled GPT solution to help employees practice handling complex customer conversations.

– Computas has been instrumental in our AI journey. Their expertise has been critical to our progress, delivering AI solutions across the entire organization, says Helgesen Skjetne.

He emphasizes that SpareBank 1 SMN remains committed to AI innovation, having gained valuable experience by adopting AI solutions early rather than waiting for pre-packaged tools.

– There is a wide range of possibilities between standard copilots and fully customized AI solutions. Tailored copilots allow us to address industry-specific needs effectively. By starting early, we’ve built invaluable experience that positions us well for future AI advancements, concludes Helgesen Skjetne.