SOUTHFIELD, Mich., Nov. 14, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Stefanini, a $1B global IT provider, and IDG, the world’s leading technology media, data and marketing services company, partnered to conduct a survey, “How Cognitive Technologies Will Transform the Customer Experience,” which identifies the specific factors that are driving interest in the use of cognitive technologies.
The in-depth study, with a total of 108 respondents, seeks to understand why enterprise organizations are adopting cognitive technologies. The study determined the top drivers for implementation, the percent of budget dedicated to cognitive technology investments over the next year, and the primary focus of planned investments. Furthermore, the survey examines the ways in which enterprises will use cognitive technology to enhance customer experiences. Lastly, the study measures the interest levels of having a virtual agent while uncovering some of the key use cases for this type of technology.
“Gone are the days when cognitive technologies were a mere futuristic possibility. Machines that trigger workflow, source information for users and auto-escalate are increasingly becoming in demand for many industries,” said Spencer Gracias, CEO at Stefanini NA and APAC. “If your organization is not on board, it might be time to start thinking about the ways cognitive technologies can be utilized at your own company.”
Results
Out of the 108 respondents, more than 70 percent are already using cognitive technologies for one or more purposes, 63 percent have implementation plans over the next year, and 26 percent plan to implement cognitive technologies for any purpose in more than a year from now. Five respondents, who are not included among the 108 qualified respondents, had no plans to implement cognitive technologies for any purpose due to no appropriate use case, a lack of internal expertise to implement/manage, and a lack of budget.
Moreover, customer experience improvement was found to be the top driver for the use of cognitive technologies at 54 percent, followed by user/employee experience improvement at 44 percent, and reduced operational costs at 40 percent. Improving accuracy and/or speed in decision-making and modernizing/transforming business processes are tied at 36 percent, while keeping up with industry competitors is the lowest driver at 34 percent.
CX Improvements
Improving customer experience is the top driver for the use of cognitive technologies. IDG’s study takes a look at the most valuable ways cognitive technology can help organizations enhance customer experiences. Better information management, personalization of the customer experience, and proactive problem solving are the top three most valuable ways. Other ways that can improve the customer experience that are not as popular, but still add value, are integrating with other applications to trigger and automate workflow, intelligent follow-up/auto-escalation, education and training, augment customer service agents, and human resource management.
Eight in ten respondents (80 percent) highly rate the value of a virtual agent based on cognitive computing and AI, with natural language capabilities. A more specific breakdown of this rating is as follows: somewhat valuable (20 percent), extremely valuable (31 percent), very valuable (49 percent). The study sought out the primary reasons why it would be valuable to leverage a virtual agent with cognitive computing, and AI with natural language capabilities.
Omni-channel Customer Experience
To meet the needs of an increasingly connected world and ever-evolving digital landscape, Stefanini offers a complete portfolio of cognitive technologies, including AI, machine learning, robotic process automation (RPA), and virtual agent solutions. Sophie, Stefanini’s AI platform, combines cognitive computing with self-adaption and interactive and contextual automation for self-learning and human-like interaction.
Fabio Caversan, research and development director at Stefanini NA, created Sophie five years ago and has expertise on how organizations can get the most out of AI systems. “To ensure the results that lead to better customer and user experiences, companies need to understand what AI can and can’t do,” said Caversan. “It needs to be integrated with other systems to get data, it needs to be taught how to analyze and use that data to create micro-personalized experiences, and it needs to be capable of delivering those experiences across the channels that your users prefer.”
Sophie is able to assist across different business scenarios and interact with various personas with her innovative design. In addition, our omni-channel virtual assistant can provide tailored customer experiences by integrating with different channels. Sophie can also assist with tasks such as triggering workflow, auto-escalation, and other business processes to provide a personalized, omni-channel customer experience.
To download the whitepaper prepared by IDG, click here.
About Stefanini
Stefanini (www.stefanini.com) is a Brazilian multinational with over 30 years of experience in the market, investing in a complete innovation ecosystem to meet the main verticals and assist customers in the process of digital transformation. With robust offerings aligned with market trends such as automation, cloud, Internet of Things (IoT) and user experience (UX), the company has been recognized with several awards in the area of innovation.
Today, the company has a broad portfolio of solutions that combine innovative consulting, marketing, mobility, personalized campaigns and artificial intelligence services for traditional solutions such as service desk, field service and outsourcing (BPO).
With a presence in 41 countries, Stefanini was named the fifth most internationalized company, according to the Dom Cabral Foundation ranking of 2017.
Editorial Contacts
Vanessa Morais
Vanessa.morais@stefanini.com
+1 248 263 8612