Auto Giant Launches AI Chatbot to Boost Productivity and Security

Challenges

The company was using ServiceNow, SharePoint, and Microsoft Teams for its key business functions across a very large user base. They constantly needed to access resources stored in ServiceNow and other SharePoint repositories. The challenge was to optimize internal support operations by providing employees with an efficient, self-service platform that would empower users to independently resolve queries and reduce dependency on the help desk. It required functionalities for continuous knowledge ingestion, indexing, and surfacing informative responses for user queries seamlessly. The knowledge base was to be accessed by specific user groups e.g., associates and contractors based on their permission levels, and it would encompass HR, IT, and policy-related information. The following are some of the issues that had to be addressed.

• Automatic identification and collation of information from documents hosted in multiple repositories e.g., SharePoint Online, ServiceNow, etc., in a single interface.
• It was important to implement role-based access controls to ensure that contractors and associates could only view relevant content, safeguarding sensitive data.
• Cross-functional workspaces for internal usage were difficult to secure e.g., information in ServiceNow.
• Information needed to be extracted based on additional metadata. For example, HR policy documents can be different in different state/country, and it had to be presented to the users based on their geo-location.
• Certain custom functionalities were needed during response depending on the type of information and the role of the user.

Solution

Netwoven undertook an in-depth study of all the components at play in designing the AI chatbot solution. The important solution requirements were as follows.

• User Interface of the Chatbot as an application in SharePoint and MS Team
• Knowledge base integration with ServiceNow and existing SharePoint content e.g. library, list (FAQ/glossary), and pages
• Connectors to extract content from ServiceNow and SharePoint
• Intermediate storage using Azure table storage and blob storage
• The chat interface to store the chat history of the last 30 days. Users able to open the chat from history and to continue from there.
• A feedback and rating system to gather user feedback for continuous improvement
• User roles and permissions across applications

The solution implemented the following key artifacts:

• Azure web API to pull data from ServiceNow and from SharePoint using system-managed identities
• Azure OpenAI for embedding the documents and prompts
• Azure OpenAI GPT4 model for generating the response
• Dynamic management of data between Azure table storage and Azure blob storage for continuous knowledge ingestion
• Azure cognitive search for the search index
• Python web API for handling additional metadata in search index.
• Azure Monitor for logging

Benefits

Netwoven developed the AI Chatbot solution with a quick turnaround time of only 8 weeks. The deployment of the AI chatbot represented a strategic investment that transformed business interaction and operational processes. The following were the major business benefits achieved.

• The solution improved overall employee satisfaction and increased productivity through rapid access to accurate information.
• A significant decrease in ticket volume was observed because of self-service using the Chatbot
• There was improved security for sensitive data since contractors and associates could view only relevant content
• Served as a successful proof point for the quick adoption of emerging AI technology
• The organization gained a solution at scale accessible from all end-point devices and felt confident with a clear roadmap for future enhancement
• Secure and optimized integration of disparate information(products) within the enterprise M365 environment indicating a path forward to achieve better ROI on existing Microsoft investment
• Provided deeper insights into user behaviors enabling continuous improvement
• Continued post-implementation support resulted in robust business continuity

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