Voice assistants to improve and facilitate commercial actions
07-11-2023
Tekniker
The Tekniker technology centre has collaborated in the design of a solution that enables interactions between voice commands and business management systems developed by grupo ANER.
Changes in how human beings and machines interact with each other via spoken language have brought about a revolution in the way we interact with technology. Virtual assistants such as Alexa or Siri are like a new member of the family and make life at home more comfortable. In professional environments, however, there is still not an equally functional and versatile system available.
It is in this context that the Tekniker technology centre, a member of the Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA) and grupo ANER, specialised in developing business management software, have set up a collaboration to develop a software tool that can perform tasks via natural voice communications or other systems used in work environments.
The system is called OnyxVoice, a virtual assistant equipped with all the mechanisms required to operate with the different components of ANER’s Onyx business management platform. The solution allows users to communicate with the tools and different types of chatbots although, in this case, in a professional setting.
What this means is that the assistant improves user experience by providing browsing and data search capabilities. It can also be used to fill out forms by means of the natural voice as it can understand and process incoming messages.
Izaskun Fernandez, a Tekniker researcher, explains that “in order to allow the tool to understand and interpret orders given by operators, we have developed a service based on technologies that can process natural language. Consequently, the virtual assistant listens to natural vocal instructions and converts them into actions that OnyxComercial can understand and carry out.
Resilience and capacity to adapt
Although only currently available for Onyx´s commercial activities, if required, the assistant can be implemented on other platform modules without difficulty.
This resilience and capacity to adapt to future scenarios has been achieved thanks to a modular dialogue system that allows the tool to hold more complex dialogues with users whenever required. As occurs with other similar assistants, spoken answers can also be incorporated.
OnyxVoice, that kicked off in 2022 and finalised its execution stage in 2023, is a project carried out by ANER Sistemas Informáticos with funding from the Spanish Government through its 2020 call focused on technological developments based on AI and other digital enabling technologies within the framework of the programme for the strategic digital society and economy of the Spanish R&D&I plan addressing society challenges and the Spanish programme for business leadership in R&D&i.