How Smarsh built an AI front door for regulated industries — and drove 59% self-service adoption

How Smarsh built an AI front door for regulated industries — and drove 59% self-service adoption

Smarsh Revolutionizes Customer Support with AI-Powered “Archie” Agent, Achieving 59% Adoption Rate in Highly Regulated Industries

In a groundbreaking move that’s sending shockwaves through the customer service industry, Smarsh, the global leader in cloud-native, AI-driven compliance solutions, has unveiled “Archie” – an intelligent AI support agent that’s not just changing the game, but completely rewriting the rulebook on how regulated industries handle customer service.

The Challenge: Navigating a Labyrinth of Complexity

Smarsh found itself at a critical juncture. As the company continued its impressive acquisition streak, expanding its portfolio of products and services, customers were drowning in a sea of options, documentation, and compliance requirements. The traditional support model was buckling under the weight of complexity.

Rohit Khanna, Smarsh’s Chief Customer Officer, paints a vivid picture of the challenge: “We kept asking ourselves, how can we become a better support organization for our regulated industry customers? We have so many products to support, and the knowledge we possess internally is vast. The real question was how to harness that knowledge and present it to customers in a way that makes our teams more efficient and customer service more effective.”

The Solution: Archie – A Human-Centric “Front Door” to Support

Enter Archie, the AI support agent that Smarsh has been meticulously crafting. But this isn’t just another chatbot. Archie represents a paradigm shift in customer support, acting as a single, intelligent entry point into Smarsh’s complex ecosystem.

Khanna explains the philosophy behind Archie: “We’re not just automating for the sake of automation. We’re creating an intelligent, human-centric ‘front door’ that’s trained on our proprietary knowledge. This system centralizes the support journey, distilling complex AI infrastructure into a simple, practical experience.”

The results speak for themselves. Customers can now bypass complex navigation trees and describe what they need in plain language. Archie then directs them to the right solution, dramatically reducing the friction of traditional self-service models.

The Technology: Salesforce’s Agentforce 360 Platform

Smarsh didn’t just build Archie on any platform – they chose Salesforce’s Agentforce 360 Platform, a decision that would prove crucial in their journey. By deploying Agentforce rather than a bespoke DIY solution, Smarsh ensured that Archie could plan and execute work across systems for smarter self-service and faster resolutions.

This approach allows Smarsh to move work forward automatically across data and workflows, achieving greater efficiency without compromising the strict compliance rigor required by their industry. The numbers are staggering:

  • 20% increase in customer self-service success rates
  • 25% faster issue resolution compared to traditional self-service search and browse methods
  • 30% boost in service representative productivity

The Data Challenge: Clean, Secure Data as the Foundation

Both generative and agentic AI are rewriting the customer service playbook, but the technology’s nascency can create intimidating hurdles. Smarsh, however, had a secret weapon – they had anticipated the data challenge nearly half a decade ago.

Khanna reveals, “A lot of people run into challenges and don’t complete their AI projects because the data’s not ready and it’s not there. We started out strong, right out of the gate because our data was already clean and locked down, and today we’re in production with a service agent as we speak.”

This foresight gave Smarsh a significant competitive advantage, allowing them to move from concept to production at a pace that left competitors struggling to catch up.

Regulatory Compliance: The Non-Negotiable Priority

For Smarsh, operating in highly regulated industries means that data security and compliance aren’t just important – they’re absolutely critical. The company regularly faces audits not just from regulatory bodies but also from the banks and financial institutions that rely on Smarsh’s services.

Khanna emphasizes the gravity of the situation: “We’re custodians of archival data for all of our financial institutions, and our data is so sacred that we don’t give it away. We have to be very cognizant of security and identity as we open up our systems to agentic AI.”

To address these concerns, Smarsh worked closely with Salesforce to obtain Model Risk Management (MRM) approval for their customers. This collaboration ensures that Smarsh can confidently explain to regulatory bodies what and why Archie is answering, providing the transparency and accountability that the industry demands.

The Adoption Challenge: From Confusion to 59% Success

Even with a revolutionary product like Archie, customer adoption wasn’t instantaneous. When first introduced, some customers were confused by the new text box in the center of their screen and didn’t immediately understand how to interact with it.

Khanna admits, “We learned the hard way that we needed better change management, and to make sure our industry customers understood they could simply ask questions in natural language.”

The key to unlocking adoption? Personalization. Once customers understood how Archie could be used for more efficient self-service, the adoption rate skyrocketed to an impressive 59%. Khanna notes, “Personalization was very critical for us. Now we see the uptake, and we hope to see that continue when we roll out Archie to the rest of our products.”

The Future: Scaling Archie Across the Product Line

With Archie’s initial success, Smarsh is now looking to the future. The company plans to roll out Archie across its entire product line, potentially revolutionizing customer support across all its offerings.

This expansion represents not just a technological advancement, but a fundamental shift in how regulated industries approach customer service. By combining cutting-edge AI with rigorous compliance standards and a deep understanding of customer needs, Smarsh is setting a new benchmark for the entire industry.

Conclusion: A New Era of Customer Support

Smarsh’s journey with Archie represents more than just a successful AI implementation. It’s a testament to the power of foresight, the importance of data integrity, and the critical role of human-centric design in technology adoption.

As industries continue to grapple with increasing complexity and regulatory demands, Smarsh’s approach offers a blueprint for success. By putting the customer at the center, leveraging clean and secure data, and partnering with the right technology providers, companies can not only meet the challenges of today but also position themselves to lead in the AI-driven future of customer service.

The message is clear: in the world of customer support, Archie isn’t just an option – it’s becoming the new standard. And for Smarsh, this is just the beginning.


Tags: AI customer service, Archie AI agent, Smarsh innovation, Salesforce Agentforce, regulatory compliance AI, customer support automation, enterprise AI adoption, data security in AI, personalized customer experience, AI in financial services, model risk management, AI-driven productivity, cloud-native solutions, intelligent support systems, human-centric AI design

Viral Sentences:

  • “Archie isn’t just changing the game – it’s completely rewriting the rulebook on customer service!”
  • “59% adoption rate? Smarsh just proved that AI and humans can work together seamlessly!”
  • “Clean data was their secret weapon – while others struggled, Smarsh was already in production!”
  • “Forget chatbots – Archie is the intelligent ‘front door’ that regulated industries have been waiting for!”
  • “Smarsh didn’t just implement AI; they revolutionized an entire industry’s approach to customer support!”
  • “Personalization was the key – once customers understood Archie, adoption skyrocketed!”
  • “In a world of increasing complexity, Archie offers a simple, human-centric solution!”
  • “Smarsh and Salesforce: A partnership that’s setting new standards in AI-driven customer service!”
  • “Model Risk Management approval? Archie isn’t just smart; it’s compliant and trustworthy!”
  • “The future of customer support isn’t just automated – it’s intelligent, personalized, and Archie-fied!”

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