Make a list of the plethora of tools you use to manage your company's resources. It's a lot of work and hassle. Now, imagine having a single platform that can handle all of those functions seamlessly.
That's an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system for you. Statista reports that the ERP platform market will reach $49.38 billion by 2023. It's easy to see why.
What if we tell you there's a way to bolster this already powerful tool? Enter the ERP AI chatbot. It's not just a fancy addition; it's becoming a necessity. Read on to find out why.
An ERP AI chatbot is an artificial intelligence-powered program that uses natural language processing (NLP) to interact with users. It's designed to assist and automate various tasks related to enterprise resource planning systems.
Let's explain this with an example. Suppose you're an e-commerce company. Someone in the marketing department wants to know how much you spent on advertising last month. They could log into the ERP system and ask the AI chatbot, ''What was our advertising expenditure last month?''
The chatbot will use NLP to understand the question, process the data from the ERP system, and provide relevant responses. It's like having a virtual assistant who can handle all your ERP queries. You no longer have to spend hours searching for relevant information in your ERP software.
AI chatbots can do many tasks including retrieving, producing and testing data, analyzing reports, and making recommendations.
In business operations, successful implementation of automated chatbots in ERP systems improves efficiency. This configuration enables quick user interaction and maintains data integrity and security which is important to companies.
Chatbots as part of ERP systems can only be effective based on underlying data. Incorrect or incomplete information may limit accuracy and cause hallucinations to the AI.
Here are the steps you can follow to integrate your AI chatbot:
Why do you need an ERP AI chatbot? Isn't the search function enough? Well, no.
Here's why.
ERP chatbots increase profitability and introduce cost savings through:
Unlike the search function, where you have to read through results and then make decisions, the AI chatbot provides instant answers.
Do you want a list of vendors you've worked with in the past year? Ask the chatbot. Need to know how many products you've sold in a specific region? Ask the chatbot. You get the point.
Quick data access means swift decision-making. Plus, you can get everything you need in a single click. That's what makes informed decision-making possible, even on the go.
Speaking of being on the go, an ERP AI chatbot is available on your mobile device.
There's no need to be tied down to a desktop or laptop for accessing your ERP system. With the chatbot, you can manage and monitor enterprise processes from anywhere at any time.
AI chatbots have the capability to integrate seamlessly with both existing and new ERP systems. It is designed to enhance a business process management system rather than to replace it.
These integrations involve linking the Chatbot to several ERP Modules (such as finances, human resources and marketing), ensuring a consistent and efficient operation with existing ERP infrastructure.
An ERP AI chatbot assists with resolving issues in the following ways:
AI-backed ERP systems can automate many repetitive tasks, including but not limited to:
As AI chatbots get smarter, they become better at handling customer queries and providing quick solutions. The good news is customers don't mind. 69% of them are ready to talk to a bot for simple issues due to their conversational interface.
Your customer support team can also leverage chatbots to handle high-volume repetitive tasks, freeing up time to focus on complex issues and providing personalized support.
ERP AI chatbots are useful in many settings. Here are some examples:
In retail, you can use an ERP chatbot to:
Businesses in the manufacturing industry can use AI-backed ERP systems for:
Finance organizations can manage their expenses by using ERP AI chatbots to automate tasks such as:
Advanced chatbots can also generate performance reports, revenue trends, and budget variances. They can identify financial irregularities and anomalies, too.
Supply Chain Management
ERP AI chatbots drastically enhance supply chain management, by helping out in routine tasks such as:
If companies can leverage AI chatbots in these areas, they can achieve a more efficient and resilient supply chain.
ERP chatbots have a huge potential in the healthcare industry. They can:
When it comes to choosing an ERP AI chatbot for your business, there are a few key factors to consider. Let's tackle them individually.
Why do you need an ERP chatbot? Your needs may be administrative, financial, or operational. Understand what tasks you want the chatbot to automate. Then, look for those specific features in chatbots. This helps reduce manual effort, and leads to predefined workflows.
If you want the chatbot to help patients schedule appointments, but all it can do is answer questions, it may not be the right fit. Make sure the chatbot you select has the AI capabilities you need.
Does the AI chatbot integrate with your existing ERP system? Ideally, it should. Don't forget to ask this question when interviewing potential chatbot providers.
User privacy should be your utmost concern, especially in sectors like healthcare, where Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliance is mandatory.
Ask the chatbot provider about their security measures and data privacy policies regarding sensitive data. Also, enquire about their crisis management plan in case of a security breach.
Unless you're building a chatbot from scratch, you'd want a certain level of customization to make it fit your needs. So, the chatbot you select should have room for customization.
Once you've selected a chatbot, you're all set for the next step: using it. Let's see how you can use it to provide stellar customer service.
Side note: You'd be doing your customers a favor because 58% of them have already been using chatbots for simple queries.
One way you can use ERP AI chatbots for customer service is by providing personalized assistance. The chatbot will tell you everything you need to know about the customer.
Let's say Customer X has questions about your upcoming sale. How can you ensure they have the best experience? Put the chatbot to work.
For instance, the customer support agent can ask the chatbot questions like:
Armed with this information, the support agent can provide tailored assistance to the customer, leading to a better customer experience.
An ERP AI chatbot can also keep track of orders — a task that takes hours to do manually. You don't even have to search for an order number. Simply ask the chatbot at which step of shipping Order #12345 is, and it will let you know.
You can then relay this information to your customers without having to spend time searching for it yourself. It's quick, just like customers want it.
Intercom's 2023 customer service report found that 77% of business leaders will invest more in knowledge bases, FAQs, and other self-service support channels moving forward.
Why is that? Because self-service avenues allow customers to resolve problems in real-time. They don't have to wait for a support agent to ''get back'' to them.
Part of the reason customer support agents need time to resolve queries is that they do not have real-time information. But customers don't like that. 33% of them get frustrated when they have to wait on hold, while another 33% dislike having to talk to multiple support reports.
ERP chatbots lets support reps find information faster. They may not even have to do any search themselves. By relying on the chatbot, they can give customers quick answers and resolve issues faster. No more frustration!
Using an ERP chatbot is all well and good, but it's even better when combined with a customer support tool like JustReply. Since it supports Slack integration, your support team can answer customer queries directly from Slack. Plus, the smart editor and minimalistic inbox make information-sharing a breeze. Get started today to learn more.
