Ready for change?
We partner with ambitious professional services organisations who are looking to get things done and shape what comes next.
Ready for change?
We partner with ambitious professional services organisations who are looking to get things done and shape what comes next.
Industry
Professional services
HLB is a global network of independent professional services firms, providing audit, tax and advisory expertise in over 150 countries. Following rapid international growth, the organisation needed to simplify how employees accessed information and connected with central management.
As HLB’s network expanded, employee queries increased exponentially. A small central team was fielding hundreds of repetitive questions about events, HR policies and services – diverting attention from more strategic priorities.
The challenge was to design an intelligent, scalable solution that could handle varied employee requests across multiple languages and formats, without requiring constant manual updates.
Through consultation, TheTin identified that HLB’s internal communications needed a centralised, self-service model that could surface accurate information from existing documents.
After evaluating multiple chatbot frameworks, including rule-based and generative models, we determined that a Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) approach on Microsoft Azure offered the ideal balance of flexibility, accuracy and scalability. This model would allow the chatbot to retrieve real company documents and generate clear, contextual responses – grounded in HLB’s data.
Our roadmap focused on precision, security and user experience:
Data preparation: We cleaned, standardised and indexed HLB’s document library across multiple formats and languages.
Intelligent search: Using Azure AI Search, we configured a custom index to enable fast, relevant retrieval from HLB’s repositories.
Generative integration: The RAG model combined Azure OpenAI’s GPT-4o with vector embeddings to deliver human-like, accurate answers.
Design and deployment: We built an intuitive interface for staff queries and deployed the chatbot on Azure App Services, ensuring scalability and compliance with HLB’s infrastructure.
Testing and iteration with HLB teams refined usability and accuracy before full rollout. The chatbot is now being integrated into Microsoft Teams for seamless access within daily workflows.
The solution has transformed internal communication at HLB. Routine queries are now handled instantly, freeing leadership to focus on strategic initiatives. Employees can access accurate information anytime, improving efficiency, satisfaction and onboarding for new starters.
The project demonstrates how AI – when implemented with precision and purpose – can unlock operational efficiency and empower teams across a global network.