ePlan Services explores AI-powered customer support with ITX
Proving readiness to deliver innovative, customer-first solutions
With a reputation for innovation and customer-first service, ePlan Services and its parent company Paychex, partnered with ITX to explore how generative AI could transform support operations.
The proof-of-concept AI agent reduced cost per service interaction by 20%, showing that with the right data, processes, and collaboration, companies can rapidly deploy AI solutions that deliver value.
ePlan Services, in collaboration with Paychex and ITX, has advanced its position as a leader in the retirement space by leveraging AI to enhance customer support. The combined expertise of ITX in AI development, together with the Paychex AI platform, has resulted in a scalable and reusable solution that can drive innovation across Paychex business lines. This partnership demonstrates how alignment of data, processes, and technology can deliver meaningful AI capabilities to improve client outcomes while maintaining ePlan Services’ commitment to accuracy, quality, and service.”
Raising the Bar on Customer Service
For more than 25 years, ePlan Services has been a trusted partner for small- and medium-sized businesses navigating the complexities of retirement plan management. Headquartered in Denver, the company’s reputation is built on service quality and compliance expertise — critical in an industry where accuracy and trust are non-negotiable.
But as ePlan Services grew in popularity, so did the volume and complexity of support requests. Customer Service and Sales teams were asked to deliver timely, nuanced answers about Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and Department of Labor (DoL) regulations, safe harbor provisions, and 401(k) plan details. Providing these responses often meant long research cycles, cross-referencing regulatory sources, and elevated wait times.
For a customer-first company, this pressure created risk: slower answers could erode the quality experience that defines the ePlan Services brand.
The leadership team wanted to know: Could AI help without compromising accuracy or trust
THE SOLUTION
Over the course of a 6-month engagement, ePlan Services partnered with ITX to design and deliver an exploratory proof-of-concept (PoC). The goal was not to launch a full solution, but to test whether an AI agent could be accurate, secure, and effective enough to improve support operations.
WHY ITX?
ITX has been a trusted partner to Paychex for over 15 years, chosen repeatedly for its ability to operate in open problem spaces with limited constraints. That trust allows the team to move quickly, collaboratively, and creatively.
Execution Highlights
- Eight agile sprints balanced experimentation with structure.
- Data engineering integrated regulatory content into a compliant, AI-ready foundation.
- Rapid prototyping delivered a branded AI agent interface connected to Salesforce and IRS/DoL resources.
- Model training was conducted using regulatory data to ensure compliance.
- Accuracy-first design used reflection loops, relevancy scoring, and tuning sessions with sales and service staff.
- Stakeholder alignment was ensured through timely demos, feedback loops, and compliance reviews.
The result was a working PoC that impressed a cross-functional evaluation team — not only for how quickly it came together, but for how well it handled complex, regulated content.
The Impact
The PoC didn’t just validate the technology — it built confidence.
- Value delivered quickly. The project reduced cost per service interaction by 20%.
- Proof of possibility. The project showed that a viable AI agent could be built today with the client’s existing data and platforms.
- Stakeholder confidence. Initial skepticism among Customer Service and Sales quickly turned into excitement as the tool’s demonstrated potential was revealed.
- Customer-first innovation. By aligning accuracy and efficiency with brand values, the client demonstrated that AI adoption can be both responsible and innovative.
The work the ITX team has done on the AI side has been inspiring. For the customer service team to go from trepidation to ‘When can we start using this?’ in the matter of a couple of weeks was truly impressive.”
Looking Ahead
The PoC was never meant to be the final word. Instead, it provided a critical answer: yes, ePlan Services is ready to use AI to enhance service quality.
Generative AI in financial services is still new, but the ePlan Services PoC demonstrates how to explore responsibly: moving fast, engaging stakeholders, and keeping quality at the center.
For ePlan Services and Paychex, innovation has always been about serving people better. This initiative shows that with the right approach, AI can be a natural extension of that mission.
Let’s Talk.
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