The business world understands today that digital transformation is more than a compelling opportunity for success, but instead that it is gradually converting into a critical “condition of survival” in a fast-changing, hyper-competitive context. Increasingly, as we move towards turning heretofore temporary ways of working into permanent fixtures of companies’ modus operandi, organizations will feel the need for more business process automation and IT innovation.
In a digital-first world, hyper-automation combines various elements of successful process automation, integrating technologies and tools that amplify work automation to provide faster access to information, translating into improved productivity and cross departmental collaboration.
In the past years, the meaning of “business as usual” has been eminently changing. The new world of work is increasingly characterized by a distributed workforce, with at least part of the employees working remotely or in various geographical locations, as is the situation for Provident’s workforce. The company primarily serves customers who are often excluded from other financial institutions’ offers and couldn’t have access to financial services otherwise, thereby operating a singular business model that places sales representatives at the centre.
For Provident, salesforce mobility, speed, and independence to act are vital components of its success. This referred to over 1,400 sales representatives spread across an area roughly equivalent to that of the UK, who engage with customers directly at their homes, as well as another few hundred back-office teammates supporting them either remotely or from the office. For them, real-time access to information consolidated from various internal business systems and quick resolution of different administrative tasks could free up valuable time and positively impact productivity. This change came about in the form of EMA, a virtual assistant built to harness the full power of conversational AI technology to quickly connect to internal systems and streamline access to information and collaboration.
Redirecting time away from administrative tasks allows sales representatives to focus on high-quality interactions with clients, deliver tailored solutions for an exceptional customer experience, and ultimately, increase the revenue stream.
Moreover, with a simple query, EMA allows agents to seamlessly review their monthly objectives, closed contracts, upcoming bonuses, and even their standing compared to other colleagues for an extra energy boost. In addition, these valuable insights and reports act as realtime support for faster and better business decisions across the entire company. EMA also uses AI to simplify and automate HR processes, providing a self-service platform where employees can submit leave requests, automatically generate certificates, check payslips and extra-salary benefits, or request files from the electronic HR folder.
Companies face many challenges in today’s competitive market. Yet, perhaps greatest among all is the delicate balance between ensuring that teams are constantly operating at their maximum potential and remaining fully supported, fulfilled, and satisfied. Especially as workplace dynamics continue to change and the future of work increasingly appears under the guise of a hybrid working model, delivering an exceptional employee experience will morph into a crucial differentiator.
While technology cannot miraculously solve all problems or replace meaningful human interactions, conversational chatbots have the unique proposition of helping HR departments meaningfully communicate with their employees and get actionable insights for improved business decisions. Thus, HR teams retain control of all communications but can leverage AI to gain intelligence and drive informed decision-making for the benefit of the employees and customers.