ADVICE: Virtual sales assistant for the complete customer service process in digital markets

• Unité de recherche: PCRD EU
• Numéro de projet: 00.0056
• Titre du projet anglais: ADVICE: Virtual sales assistant for the complete customer service process in digital markets

Mots-clé (Allemand)

Interface Agent Technologie; verteiltes Wissensmanagement; Mensch-Computer Interaktion

Autre Numéro de projet (Anglais)

EU project number: IST-1999-11305

Programme de recherche (Anglais)

EU-programme: 5. Frame Research Programme - 1.2.2 New methods of work and electronic commerce

Description succincte (Anglais)

See abstract

Partenaires et organisations internationales (Anglais)

Coordinator: FhG (D)

Résumé des résultats (Abstract) (Anglais)

ADVICE -A virtual sales assistant supporting the complete customer relationship life cycle in digital marketsThe ADVICE project has set highly ambitious goals with respect to the Technical Annex. Realization of only a part of those goals will result in a highly demanded product in the key business segments of PPMMK. Key features of this result should have been:o User interface with integrated dialogue based, intelligent consultancy component.o Development of a personalization component.o Seamless switching of user interaction mode between clicking links and typing questions.o Enhancement of legacy shop system through support of a consultancy component by minimal customization effort.o Appealing avatar character.Clearly the consortium has fallen short on accomplishing a software product providing these features and therefore the project had to be stopped. For PPMMK the following outputs are important:Design Study on Avatar Characters:PPMMK did a survey on types of avatar characters. Type of avatar character means if the avatar is a human-like or a comic figure, an animal or a tool or object of utility. PPMMK's art directors developed ideas and concepts on the design of a user interface containing an avatar character. The survey included conclusions on which type of character is suited for which type of shop environment. The results directly flew into PPMMK's conceptual prototype. For the time being this design ideas are put into practice in commercial projects.Conceptual Prototype:At an early stage of the project PPMMK developed a representative conceptual prototype demonstrating basic features and the look and feel of the ADVICE system. This mock-up was presented at the 1st Review Meeting and is used by PPMMK's sales force in presentations for customers.Shop Connector:In addition to the software module the lessons learned from the development will be consolidated into a document that describes a strategy for enhancement of legacy shop systems. This is the goal of a follow-up project.Exploitation Plan:While the Exploitation Report II didn't contain concrete figures on the return of investment, PPMMK sees extremely promising exploitation potential for a consultancy component that is seamlessly integrated into the user interface. This is verified by the feedback PPMMK's sales force receives from customers when presenting the concept and a show-case of the ADVICE system.

Références bases de données (Anglais)

Swiss Database: Euro-DB of the
State Secretariat for Education and Research
Hallwylstrasse 4
CH-3003 Berne, Switzerland
Tel. [phone]
Swiss Project-Number: 00.0056