Techcombank partners with Databricks to drive data and AI transformation

This initiative forms a key part of the bank's 2021-2025 digital transformation strategy, aimed at leveraging data and AI to enhance customer experiences and drive faster, more profitable growth.

Over the past three years, Techcombank has been consolidating data from various sources across the bank and migrating to the cloud to create a comprehensive "data brain." The adoption of the Databricks platform will streamline this effort by unifying data from over 50 systems, improving governance, optimizing operational analytics, and utilizing advanced analytics and AI to offer more personalized customer experiences.

Santhosh Mahendiran, Chief Data and Analytics Officer at Techcombank, emphasized the importance of data in the bank's operations. "With over 14.4 million customers and 315 branches, we process vast amounts of data to make customer-centric and data-driven decisions. Databricks provides the technological foundation to unify all our data and advance our analytics and AI capabilities."

Santhosh Mahendiran, Chief Data and Analytics Officer at Techcombank. Photo courtesy of Techcombank

The Databricks platform, built on a lakehouse architecture with open data formats and governance, offers Techcombank the flexibility to maintain full control of its data. It powers the bank's "customer brain," a customer 360 tool that centralizes data to offer comprehensive insights for tailored marketing strategies and product offerings, enhancing customer engagement across multiple channels.

Techcombank is now operating more than 45 machine learning models, using tools like MLflow for model lifecycle management and Unity Catalog for centralized data governance. These models are instrumental in predicting customer needs, improving fraud detection, and assessing credit risks.

Additionally, the bank has rolled out key AI-powered solutions through Databricks, such as the internally developed "Lead Allocation Curated Engine (LACE)" and "GeoSense." These tools optimize lead management and assist frontline staff with insights for engaging small businesses and merchants.

With the Databricks platform, nearly 1,000 employees at Techcombank now have access to data for informed decision-making, marking a significant step in the bank's journey to democratize data and AI across the organization. The bank is also committed to upskilling its workforce, having already trained the highest number of learners in ASEAN through Databricks Academy. Plans are underway to further enhance the AI and data skills of more than 1,000 employees in the coming years.

Cecily Ng, Vice President and General Manager of ASEAN and Greater China at Databricks, remarked, "Unifying company data across numerous systems is crucial for applying AI and driving data intelligence. Techcombank's efforts position them as a leader in Vietnam's banking sector, setting a new benchmark for customer-centric, AI-driven banking."

Databricks, known for its data and AI capabilities, supports over 10,000 organizations globally, including 60% of the Fortune 500. The company, headquartered in San Francisco, is behind innovations such as Lakehouse, Apache Spark, Delta Lake, and MLflow.

With this partnership, Techcombank is poised to lead Vietnam's digital banking transformation by unlocking the potential of data and AI to provide enhanced, personalized banking experiences.