Custom AI System
Today's ESOP service providers—trustees, valuation firms, third-party administrators, attorneys—face growing complexity in managing their internal operations. By leveraging AI, firms can automate workflows, boost client satisfaction, and unlock insights in new ways only made possible with this technology.
For our Custom AI System offering, we work closely with your team to identify opportunities to implement AI in your organization's workflows and develop solutions tailored to your specifications.
Creating Your System
Every organization can benefit from using AI technology but not all solutions look the same. To navigate this, we work with your team to identify where and how your team can benefit the most from AI, brainstorm tailored and ESOP-specific ideas, and implement those solutions in small iterations while collecting feedback.
Outlined below are a collection of general AI capabilities that we can implement within your firm's context, along with examples of how they can be customized to your work based on the type of ESOP service you offer.
1. AI Search
A system-wide search engine that enables your team to use natural-language prompts to locate any information—documents, spreadsheets, archived emails, and any unstructured data—across your organization. AI Search can be implemented with a new, custom database or integrated with your existing systems (eg. OneDrive, Slack, on-prem server).
Example (Trustee)
A trustee types a request such as "Amendment details for SmithCorp's 2020 plan" and immediately receives all relevant documents and data points, including discussion threads and any related attachments.
Example (Valuation Firm)
An appraiser working on a new valuation report can find all documentation about their client's local market by typing "what information has ABC Manufacturing shared with us about their market over the last 4 years?". The system responds with onboarding forms, meeting notes, and reports containing relevant market context.
Example (Attorney)
An attorney wants to find a client's vesting policy prior to a recent plan amendment. They type "what was Mountain Steel Company's vesting policy in 2021?", and the system responds with a link to the prior version of the plan document and the specific vesting policy text.
2. Analytics & Insights
Create custom dashboards, visualizations, and analytical agents across firm-specific data sources. This capability delivers both high-level summaries and detailed drill-downs, accommodating a wide range of data sets—from annual plan metrics to participant demographics to industry data.
Example (Valuation Firm)
An appraiser compiles multiple years of financial statements and key performance indicators (KPIs) for each client in one environment. Instead of manually merging spreadsheets, the system standardizes the data and automatically calculates valuation multiples, highlighting anomalies like sudden revenue dips or inconsistent expense ratios. The appraiser can filter by client industry or plan size, eliminating days of data wrangling each quarter.
Example (TPA)
An administrator filters participants by age and years of service to identify individuals nearing retirement eligibility. A real-time chart displays upcoming diversification events over the next few plan years, allowing proactive planning and client communication.
Example (Trustee)
A trustee views a consolidated "Due Diligence Dashboard" that merges plan funding ratios, upcoming vesting events, and recent distribution activity into a single report. Any outliers or unusually high turnover rates are flagged for further investigation, enabling quicker, data-driven decision-making.
3. Process Automation
Recurring tasks often involve gathering data from multiple stakeholders, cross-checking completeness, and distributing finalized materials. An AI-driven workflow engine can be designed to automate specific tasks, reducing manual errors, accelerating timelines, and promoting consistency.
Example (TPA)
A third-party administrator runs annual compliance tests (e.g., non-discrimination and top-heavy tests) across multiple client plans. Rather than manually emailing reminders, the system automatically requests participant census data from each client, uses AI to identify missing or anomalous fields, and flags them for review, saving the TPA significant time and administrative effort.
Example (Attorney)
An ESOP-focused legal office handles a plan restatement that references multiple documents (trust agreements, past amendments, and compliance memoranda). The platform creates a structured workflow that collects relevant files, uses AI to compare key clauses against known compliance guidelines, and alerts the attorney to any conflicting language. After final edits, the system automatically circulates the restated plan for digital sign-off, collecting signatures and updating the firm database for documentation purposes.
Example (Trustee)
A trustee oversees annual valuation updates. The platform auto-generates a checklist that guides team members through data validation (e.g., confirming share balances, verifying new participants) and uses AI to detect inconsistencies—such as large fluctuations in participant balances. If no issues are found, the system sends an approval request to the trustee and schedules the next valuation step in advance, ensuring continuous compliance and organized recordkeeping.
4. Collaboration & Communication
A centralized environment for real-time messaging, document editing, and task management ensures everyone has the right context. Approvals, version histories, and relevant communications remain integrated within each project or client record, creating a robust audit trail.
Example (ESOP Attorney)
An attorney prepares a complex plan amendment referencing past agreements, official memos, and regulatory guidelines. The platform supports live collaboration with external counsel, while AI suggests relevant clauses or case precedents based on the discussion. All comments and updates remain attached to the exact sections, eliminating the need to sift through scattered email attachments.
Example (Valuation Firm)
A team of analysts co-authors a valuation report, each focusing on different sections such as financial modeling, market comparables, and risk factors. The system highlights any conflicting inputs and uses AI to flag potential inconsistencies—like a mismatch in the discount rate. Upon approval of the final version, every revision and approval step is captured in a single, time-stamped timeline.
Example (TPA)
A TPA's client has questions about vesting for new employees. The TPA opens a chat thread within the relevant plan documents, and AI-based context analysis suggests standard references for vesting schedules. All clarifications, reference links, and final resolutions remain attached to the plan record, preventing them from getting lost in email chains.
5. Client Portals
A secure, user-friendly portal provides external stakeholders—such as corporate sponsors, plan participants, or trustees' clients—with a dedicated interface to view ESOP-related data. Through embedded AI-driven search, these users can quickly locate relevant plan documents, distribution schedules, or compliance tasks without requiring direct assistance from the internal team. Customizable dashboards, role-based permissions, and single sign-on options ensure each external partner sees only the information they need, streamlining communication and collaboration.
Example (Corporate Sponsor)
A sponsor logs in to track the status of participant distributions for the current quarter. A visual timeline displays upcoming payouts, including any that are pending documentation or approvals. The sponsor can then open a chat thread to request clarifications from the TPA, or use AI search to confirm which plan rule triggers early distributions.
Example (Trustee's Client)
A trustee's client wants to verify compliance tasks have been completed on time. They access a task overview screen showing every item—such as annual plan testing or distribution notices—and each task's completion date. The portal also houses an archive of signed documents, so the client can easily confirm whether the most recent plan amendment is finalized.
Example (Valuation Firm's Client)
A client reviewing a newly posted valuation report notices a discrepancy in projected earnings. They highlight the specific figure in the report, add a comment requesting additional data, and the system keeps a record of the discussion linked directly to that valuation. If the client needs supporting documents, AI search locates archived appraisals or market analyses relevant to the discrepancy.
6. Security & Compliance
Robust security controls and automated logging maintain confidentiality, integrity, and regulatory readiness. Access rights can be restricted by role or individual user, while a continuous audit trail tracks every change.
Example (Compliance Officer)
A compliance officer examines user-access logs to confirm that only authorized personnel viewed sensitive plan valuations or participant records. Detailed timestamps and IP addresses are automatically captured.
Example (Attorney)
An attorney ensures legal memos related to plan structuring are encrypted both at rest and in transit, meeting rigorous confidentiality standards.
Example (Trustee)
A trustee undergoing an audit can produce a granular record of every version of a key document, including who signed off and when.
Tailored Solutions & Full Control
The Custom AI System framework is designed to accommodate each firm's unique vision. Whether it involves rebranding the interface to match corporate design guidelines, integrating specialized data sources, or defining custom workflows for tasks like plan restatements, the entire experience can be adapted to specific operational needs. Firms can automate niche processes with AI, configure user roles to reflect real-world responsibilities, and build dashboards or search parameters that align with daily routines—giving total control over how the system looks, feels, and functions.
Strategic Scoping & ESOP Expertise
Adopting an AI platform is about more than technology; it's a collaborative, context-driven process. It begins with requirements discovery, where teams outline workflows, critical pain points, and future goals. Pricing and scope are jointly determined to ensure they meet both budget and strategic priorities. Throughout the implementation, we use our ESOP knowledge and experience to ensure that solutions are tailored to your firm's ESOP specific context.