Guest blog: AI, ML and NLP – the new digital tools transforming regulatory reporting

Charlie Quaterman, Product Lead at Suade Labs, outlines how a data-driven approach to regulatory reporting is changing the landscape, offering building societies several key advantages.

Charlie Quarterman, SuadeIn today’s rapidly evolving financial landscape, building societies are under increasing pressure to comply with ever-changing regulatory requirements.

Traditional methods of regulatory reporting, often characterized by manual processes and disjointed data management, are becoming unsustainable. 

However, the emergence of digital processes and data-centric approaches is revolutionising how both big and small financial services organisations can handle these critical tasks. 

The data-driven revolution

Regulatory reporting has long been a significant challenge for financial institutions, including building societies. The complexity of ensuring compliance with stringent regulations, coupled with the volume of data that needs to be processed and reported, can be overwhelming. 

Now, a data-driven approach is changing the landscape, offering building societies several key advantages:

  1. Enhanced accuracy and consistency: By leveraging a standardised data models, building societies can ensure that the information reported is consistent across all reports and compliant with regulatory standards.

  2. Efficiency and cost reduction: Automating data collection, processing, and reporting significantly reduces the time and resources required to produce accurate reports. This not only lowers operational costs but also frees up valuable human resources for more strategic tasks.

  3. Improved risk management: With exceptional performance, building societies can quickly identify and address potential regulatory issues or unexpected changes by running metrics faster and more often to monitor key figures on a daily basis if necessary.

  4. Strategic decision-making: Access to accurate, timely data empowers building societies to make informed decisions that align with both their regulatory obligations and broader business objectives.

The impact of automation on building societies

For building societies, the transition to automated, data-centric regulatory reporting is more than just a technological upgrade—it’s a strategic imperative. The benefits extend far beyond compliance, influencing every aspect of the organization, from governance and risk management to overall business strategy.

By adopting advanced technologies like Natural Language Processing (NLP), Machine Learning (ML), and Artificial Intelligence (AI) for regulatory reporting it can allow financial services firms to adapt swiftly to changing regulations while maintaining high performance.

Benefits can include:

  • Streamlined operations: Automation reduces the manual workload associated with regulatory reporting, allowing teams to focus on value-added activities.

  • Scalability: As regulations evolve, automated solutions can adapt easily, ensuring continuous compliance without the need for constant system overhauls.

  • Competitive advantage: Greater data transparency allows for faster, clearer understanding of a firm’s risk profile and capital usage.

Mansfield Building Society’s transformation 

A key example of this transformation is Mansfield Building Society, which changed its regulatory reporting software in 2021 to automate its regulatory reporting processes. 

By utilising advanced technologies like AI, ML and NLP, Mansfield has reduced costs and improved reporting accuracy.

Dan Jones, Finance Director at Mansfield Building Society, says the adoption of new technologies provides a more granular view of their financial position in real time. This allows both internal teams and regulators to access up-to-date information easily, helping the society stay competitive and meet regulatory demands.

These tools have also transformed its overall regulatory reporting approach, allowing the society to adapt swiftly to changing regulations while maintaining high performance.

These new digital tools are turning regulatory compliance from a challenge into an opportunity for growth and innovation.

Don’t miss out: register for Suade’s webinar 

To hear more about Mansfield’s journey, you can join our webinar on 26th September where Dan will be sitting down with David Hulmes from Suade to talk about his experiences, followed by examples of how the technology can work in practice. Places are limited—register now to secure your spot!
 

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