Case study: optimization of B2B e-commerce processes using Voicebot in a company from the FMCG sector

Description of the business need

The company, a leading supplier in the FMCG sector, decided to streamline and automate the process of accepting orders from partner stores by implementing voicebot. The main business need was to increase the volume of orders and implement a voicebot system that could collect all the information necessary to accept the order and conduct relatively short and focused dialogues on the order acceptance process, while remembering the intentions and context of the conversation.

Implemented solutions, i.e. functionality and modules

As a result of market analysis, the solution offered by yarrl S.A. (formerly Unima 2000) was selected. Agata voicebot was prepared, whose task was to automate the process of handling orders from partner stores.

Agata's Voicebot is based on the IBM Watson Assistant artificial intelligence conversation engine, the yarrl voice app and Techmo's solution including ASR (automatic speech recognition and TTS (text to speech) to transform speech into text and vice versa, enabling natural communication with customers. Voicebot Agata has been integrated with the ERP system (SAP), with the call scheduling system and the SMS system.

As part of the implementation, a dialogue tree was prepared, which took into account the collection of all the necessary information for the acceptance of the order. An important element of the process was the preparation of a dialogue scenario, allowing to shorten the process of conducting the interview as much as possible while taking care of the completeness of the collected information. Agata's voicebot made it possible to understand the intentions and remember the context of the conversation.

As part of ASR/TTS Techmo the challenge was the implementation of specific product naming supplied by a reputable manufacturer of food products, building collections and language models. In the process, the mechanism of control of the minimum order amount was taken into account, replenishment of the shopping cart with recommended, subsequent products. A dedicated report has been built with a summary of the connections made and the quantity and value of accepted orders.

The solution was made available in the form of a Voicebot service.

Hybrid architecture was used to build the solution. IBM Watson Assistant systems are available from the IBM Cloud. Techmo's TTS and ASR modules as well as the voice application and other elements of the solution have been installed in the external Data Center.

Benefits of implementation

Voicebot Agata helped optimize e-commerce processes in a company that is one of the leaders of the FMCG market in Europe.

• Fully automated order handling;
• It allowed to prepare an adequate process, limited to conducting a short conversation;
• Enabled placing orders 24/7;
• Provided full management of the contents of the cart and the value of the order;
• He gave the opportunity to receive product recommendations, aimed at increasing aftersales.

Special Prize

In 2021, Agata's Voicebot was awarded in the Best in B2B e-Commerce competition organized periodically by the Chamber of Electronic Economy.

‍About the company

The company provides accounting and IT services as a Shared Services Center for a group operating in the FMCG sector. This group is one of the leading producers of food products on the European market, offering a wide range of products to customers around the world.