Using Conversational UI in Data-Intensive Financial Applications

A Hybrid Approach to Reconciliation and Close Activities

Timothy Kolke
2 min readOct 3, 2024
Photo by Everyday basics on Unsplash

In today’s fast-paced financial environment, large enterprises grapple with the complexities of managing vast datasets during reconciliation and close processes. Traditional full-screen interfaces offer comprehensive tools but can be overwhelming and time-consuming. Enter the hybrid model: a fusion of traditional interfaces and conversational UI that streamlines complex tasks and enhances user engagement.

The Hybrid Model: Marrying Tradition with Innovation

By integrating conversational UI into traditional financial applications, organizations can offer users a more intuitive and efficient way to interact with large datasets. This hybrid approach allows users to:

- Quickly query data: without navigating through multiple screens.
- Handle variances: through guided conversations that suggest potential actions.
- Automate repetitive tasks: while maintaining control over critical decisions.

Principles for Implementing Conversational UI

To effectively incorporate conversational UI into financial applications, consider the following principles:

1. Contextual Understanding: The conversational agent should understand the user’s context within the financial process, providing relevant information and actions.

2. Data Security and Compliance: Ensure that the conversational UI adheres to financial regulations and maintains data confidentiality.

3. Seamless Integration: The conversational UI should complement, not replace, traditional interfaces, allowing users to switch between modes effortlessly.

4. User-Centric Design: Focus on the user’s needs by providing clear, concise responses and options to simplify complex tasks.

5. Scalability: Design the conversational system to handle increasing data volumes and user interactions without compromising performance.

Exploring Use Cases

- Variance Analysis: Users can ask the conversational agent to identify and explain variances in account balances, receiving instant insights without manual data mining.

- Automated Reconciliation: The system can guide users through reconciliation steps, prompting for confirmations or additional information as needed.

- Financial Close Checklists: Users can interact with the conversational UI to complete close activities, mark tasks as done, and receive reminders for pending actions.

Embracing the Future

Adopting a hybrid model empowers financial professionals to navigate complex datasets more efficiently, making reconciliation and close activities less daunting. By thoughtfully integrating conversational UI, large enterprises can enhance user experience, improve accuracy, and accelerate financial processes.

Thanks for reading!

P.s. I had ChatGPT write this for me, below is my prompt

Please write a short blog post on how to use conversational UI in data intensive financial applications for accounts performing reconciliation and close actives within large enterprises.

Let’s introduce a hybrid model that uses traditional full-screen interfaces and conversational UI to accomplish complex tasks and act on large data sets including handing variances.

Give a few principles on how to use conversational UI in this context. And a few examples of we might explore.

Thanks!

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Timothy Kolke

Curious about design, research and humans / Design manager @ Workday