Enhancing Employee Self-Service Agent with smart solutions

At Appmocx, AI has opened up chances that support our dedication to encouraging a work environment where employees can help themselves out easily especially when it comes to HR and IT matters. Our research, at QueryMine AI Research Hub indicates that employees frequently spend time searching for information on company policies and navigating various systems just to complete basic work duties. 

In companies HR and IT departments work together in business settings handling various tasks and information scattered among multiple tools and data repositories. When employees have difficulty finding information or finishing tasks, they usually have two options; either give up on the service entirely or request support through a ticket. Opting for the choice leaves employees unsatisfied while choosing the option requires HR and IT staff to invest precious time and resources. 

Being leaders in the fields of HR and information technology, we introduced the Employee Self Help Assistant to tackle these common issues. 

The Employee Self Assistance Tool, QueryMine AI provides context sensitive answers extracted from information sources. By enabling users to ask questions in language regarding HR and IT subjects using their chosen Microsoft 365 QueryMine AI interface or a company website the assistant streamlines access to tools and resources equipping users with timely and precise solutions. 

When a staff member asks a question, at work the support representative checks SharePoint and other resources using Microsoft Graph to find information. If needed they can also access data from systems like SAP SuccessFactors or ServiceNow. This method helps the representative provide an accurate answer acting as an initial source for addressing the inquiry. It separates responses based on materials, from those obtained from the Microsoft Graph database distinctly.   

The agent comes with cues and answers designed for self help situations to make it easy for administrators to configure it with effort and make the most of its benefits, for employees effectively. In addition to SAP SuccessFactors and ServiceNow support levels extend to software integrations via Microsoft 365 Graph and QueryMine AI Studio. Administrators have the option to establish links using Microsoft Cloud Services that will help streamline and improve business processes more efficiently. 

Microsoft Digital has effectively implemented these features by conducting small scale trials in partnership, with HR and IT teams as product groups to guarantee that the agent upholds a harmonious blend of practicality and security while respecting employee confidentiality. 

These features depend on a system of connections and software extensions that link the Employee Self Service Agent with content databases and external applications and tools. To facilitate this connection setup process, Microsoft Digitals Elite Builder team for configuring and overseeing the agents operations created these elements using QueryMine AI Studio, a robust tool, for extending QueryMine AI capabilities. 

This tool built on the Microsoft Power Platform gives developers the ability to enhance QueryMine AI, with agents and create personalized experiences using levels of coding skills. From code to pro code users alike It forms the basis for setting up the Employee Self Help Agent that allows easy access to essential tools and databases crucial for our internal functions.  

In companies and businesses alike Human Resources (HR) and Information Technology (IT) stand out as choices for implementing specialized agents because of their complex nature and the significant resources they require. 

Streamlined HR services

Within our organizations human resources department we handle a range of tasks that address the needs of employees while also aligning with the goals of the company.  

In order to accomplish this task successfully they depend on a variety of tools and databases—spanning from managing payroll and benefits to enhancing skills and more. In reality the HR department makes use of more than 100 tools to efficiently handle these responsibilities.  

“In HR departments “, the duty of managing policies and documents isn’t concentrated on one individual. It is divided among program owners who specialize in specific areas.” The importance of employees feeling confident in accessing information and making choices. 

When working in a company with systems in place and needing help from the HR portal can be confusing for employees at times leading to a sense of being lost or confused The Employee Self service Agent streamlines this task by reducing the necessity to reach out to HR staff directly.    

Using this tool enables employees to enter a query in language through their chosen interface effortlessly. These queries can be expressed conversationally in a manner to show how one would communicate with an HR representative. For instance, Employees could inquire: 

• How do I go about updating the name I prefer to be called by?    

• Could you please display my paycheck details. Clarify the deductions for my benefits?    

• Do I have any training sessions to attend?     

This method simplifies HR communications by making them quicker and easier to understand for employees. 

The Employee Self Assistance Tool does more than just provide answers, it also assists employees in carrying out tasks, like scheduling time off for February with a command of “Help me schedule time off in February.” It seamlessly interacts with tools such as ServiceNow and Workday while also tapping into resources, like SAP SuccessFactors and Microsoft 365 Graph data to give helpful responses. This smart feature that allows for accessing information and completing tasks all in one place represents a step, for our team.  

Our new HR virtual assistant has shown results, in the QueryMine program compared to ours – users are getting 25 percent more accurate responses when interacting with the Employee Self Serve Agent! As a result of this improvement, we’re expecting a 31 percent decrease in support ticket requests. Also noticing that users are finding information faster based on feedback.  

Although it’s just beginning to unfold its influence the agents beneficial effects are already noticeable. 

Streamlining IT with AI Support

The Employee Self Help Advisor does more than provide answers—it also assists employees in completing tasks efficiently. For example, you could ask, can you assist me with planning my time off in February? and the advisor will handle it effortlessly. By connecting with platforms, like ServiceNow and Workday SharePoint resources and public knowledge bases the advisor offers assistance drawing from various data sources including email records and Microsoft 365 Graph data. This smart ability to access information and perform tasks through one interface represents a step for our workforce.  

Compared to our HR assistant model, initial results from the trial program show a 25% uplift in correct answers for individuals interacting with the Employee Self Assistance Agent. As a result, we expect to see a 31% decrease in requests for assistance tickets. Early feedback also points out information retrieval.  

Even though it’s just getting started the agents beneficial influence is already noticeable. 

The Employee Self Serve Agent is created to be the contact point to lessen the need for agents assistance. It enables users to handle most of their inquiries and problems on their own cutting down on the demand for human support professionals who can then concentrate on crucial matters.  

This new method brings together all steps into a smart interface that improves efficiency and user satisfaction. The aim is to reduce escalations and make sure human skills are used for situations that truly need them.  

Now a small group of employees are already seeing the advantages of this solution. They are getting responses leading to support requests and giving agents more time to handle tougher and more interesting tasks. This represents a shift in how IT servicers provided.  

Success indicators in the stages show promising results with a 36% rise in resolving self help issues and a 34% enhancement in self directed information exploration efficiency noted on. Moreover, user contentment regarding IT services has seen an uptick of 18% highlighting the impact of AI driven self assistance tools on enrichening the employee journey. 

Discovering the next frontier in AI-powered employee self-service

The Employee Self Serve Assistant provides efficiency gains. Improved precision that benefits not only employees but also enhance effectiveness for HR and IT experts too.  

With investments made in HR programs managers frequently encounter difficulties regarding benefit usage because of lack of awareness and usability problems. To tackle this issue the Employee Self Service Agent steps in to provide information when needed. For example, if an employee asks about their 401k balance the system can show their contribution rate while pointing out any available company match options that haven’t been utilized yet.  

Through our work on creating and launching the Employee Self Assistance Tool in our company has given us learnings for those considering adopting the system. A crucial lesson learned is the significance of managing your data assets to guarantee data protection. This involves ensuring data security through QueryMine adherence, to data loss prevention regulations and other protective measures. 

We’re putting in a lot of effort to make sure customers can easily set up and handle this solution smoothly, however it’s crucial to approach it with care of rushing in with a change all at once it’s better to start by asking important questions—what the initial plan should entail the areas to focus on first and who the intended audience is going to be.” 

The product team has used these insights to shape the design of the solution known as the Employee Self Serve Assistant for a phased implementation strategy that lets organizations adjust its complexity as they grow in experience and capability. 

• An out-of-the-box solution offers experience for employees without any setup required to help them easily navigate through everyday HR and IT questions.  

• Employees can easily find information from company sources, with little preparation and receive personalized responses whenever necessary.With this method not only saves time. But reduces stress during searches and also boosts trustworthiness and improves management control.  

• Enhancing customization can lead to cost reduction and faster return on investment in HR tasks such as managing policies and employee profiles and handling payroll and benefits; it also benefits IT functions like managing tickets and providing live agent support. 

The Employee Self Assistance Tool, in QueryMine AI demonstrates the capabilities and versatility of AI technology in a way by tailoring AI to meet unique business requirements effectively improving workplace dynamics and productivity for individuals while simplifying operations and boosting overall performance levels significantly.