Month: June 2023

Partner Networking Event: Future Workshop 4.0

Posted on by medina

On June 28, 2023, Marcel and Patrick The Partner Networking Event of Zukunftswerkstatt 4.0. A very interesting event with a well-designed format, featuring open discussion and, above all, free from any individual “factions” or short-term interests. Mutual learning and the generation of new ideas were the clear and successfully achieved goals of the event.

Twelve topics were discussed during 20-minute speed-dating sessions. This allowed participants to quickly get to know innovators in each field and provided an opportunity for discussion. Topics included “Artificial Intelligence,” “Driver Assistance Systems,” and “Digital Applications in Customer Interaction.”

This was followed by “fishbowl focus sessions,” in which participants discussed various topics in larger groups. The pressing issue of the skills shortage was addressed by connecting students with industry representatives and service providers. Speakers such as Jens Nietzschmann from Deutsche Automobil Treuhand GmbH, Imelda Labbé from Volkswagen AG, and a barbecue afterward rounded out the event.

Wir möchten uns herzlich bei dem Team der Zukunftswerkstatt 4.0 für die Organisation des Partner Networking Events bedanken! Es war ein eindrucksvolles und interaktives Event, das uns die Möglichkeit gab, großartige Kontakte zu knüpfen und gemeinsam innovative Lösungsansätze zu diskutieren. Die Plattform des Netzwerktreffens war ideal, um sich mit anderen Teilnehmern auszutauschen und sich gegenseitig zu inspirieren.

Smart Office 2.0

Posted on by medina

On May 31, 2023, the project manager Florian introduced Smart Office 2.0, along with its enhancements, new features, and more intuitive user interface. Florian kicked off the presentation by making an outgoing call from Teams. The digital assistant SUSI immediately answered the phone and warmly greeted us. In a sample dialogue that new team member Emma and Florian had prepared beforehand, the first question asked was what the matter was.

SUSI realized that Florian wanted to make a table reservation and then asked for his name, the number of people, and other relevant information. She then forwarded this information in an email to the appropriate staff member, since we had called “outside of business hours.”

But behind this seemingly simple dialogue, which lasts only a few minutes, lies a powerful system: Smart Office 2.0. Even the previous version was quite impressive. It featured decision trees that could be customized to meet individual customer needs, personalized greetings, questions, and much more.

In Smart Office 2.0, internal phone numbers can be assigned names. Any number of phone numbers can be entered into the system, and each can be assigned a custom dialog. Phrases and actions are intuitively integrated into the dialog builder, allowing users to specify when a statement is made, an email is sent, an API call is executed, or a question is asked.

As soon as a question is created in the dialog tree, a field for user input appears automatically, which greatly simplifies the dialog creation process. Such automations help fill in logical gaps without hindering the user’s ability to customize the dialog.

Furthermore, Smart Office 2.0 now allows you to set custom endings for all possible call routes. This enables SUSI to say goodbye to the caller in different ways depending on the dialogue branch. These new features improve the organization of multi-number capabilities in Smart Office 2.0 and increase the level of customization for dialogue branches.

Leipzig Energy Forums 2022

Posted on by medina

Customer Care Center management is where the decision is made whether a customer stays or leaves. This is where the key touchpoints occur. The Energy Forums in Leipzig established a platform for energy suppliers where executives from customer service, customer management, and customer care centers can discuss current industry issues and challenges on an equal footing.

In 2022, Project Manager Florian, along with Christian Demmer from Stadtwerke Saarlouis and Dieter Hoffmann from ENCOMlab, attended the Energy Forums in Leipzig and presented the exciting use case of our Smart Office at Stadtwerke Saarlouis.

The energy supply business is heavily influenced by seasonal events. Price increases, bill mailings, or new energy rate plans cause many customers to contact the energy supplier within a very short period of time. With a shortage of skilled workers and an already enormous workload, it is not always possible to handle the volume of incoming calls.

Our AI solution, the digital assistant SUSI, brings the necessary skills and experience to the Smart Office environment to directly support energy utilities and other public utilities. She handles the entire call overflow and ensures that calls are routed based on the nature of the inquiry. For critical issues, such as a gas outage, our AI solution forwards the call directly to the emergency response center.

The Smart Office is known as E-Louisa at the municipal utility company. In a pilot project for meter reading, SUSI&James demonstrated the solution’s effectiveness: the processing time for customer inquiries dropped from 2–3 weeks to one day, service quality improved noticeably, and the workload on employees was reduced. E-Louisa was well-received by callers, leading to the solution being expanded to include additional services.

By automating the processing of meter readings, advance payment adjustments, and invoice changes, employees free up time that they can devote to more client-focused conversations with customers.

Risk and Resilience: SUSI&James at the 2023 VDA Congress

Posted on by medina

The VDA (German Association of the Automotive Industry) is the umbrella organization for German automotive manufacturers and suppliers. Every year, the VDA organizes a SME Day, where executives and board members from medium-sized member companies in the supplier industry, as well as manufacturers of trailers and bodywork, come together to network and exchange experiences.

The event will feature panel discussions and presentations on current topics in the automotive industry. Among those invited to speak this year are Christian Lindner, Federal Minister of Finance; Timotheus Höttges, CEO of Deutsche Telekom AG; and Dirk Große-Loheide, Member of the Volkswagen Brand Board of Management.

The main theme of this year’s SME Day was “Risk and Resilience.” The focus was on how the entire industry can identify and minimize risks and implement appropriate measures. These risks include, for example, natural disasters and political issues, as well as cyberattacks and IT outages.

There were also breakout sessions—small working groups that explored various topics. Managing Director Marcel Martini led a working group that focused on the topic “Successful Onboarding of Foreign Employees.”

Due to the shortage of skilled workers in some industries, German companies are relying on foreign workers to fill vacant positions. For most of them, however, starting a career in Germany is not easy: they face difficulties finding housing, opening necessary bank accounts, or even registering their change of address. This working group focused on developing strategies to make the transition to life in Germany as smooth as possible.

The event was rounded out by engaging presentations—such as those on the importance of digitalization in business and the call to embrace healthy entrepreneurial risk—by Deutsche Telekom CEO Timotheus Höttges and a video message from Finance Minister Christian Lindner, as well as a get-together and a morning run on the second day.

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