SARA is an Interactive Chat Assistant that answers citizen's questions 24 hours per day at the municipal website of the Swedish city of Malmö. It is a "digital support person" that understands normal written language and has already answered over 450.000 questions. SARA is part of the CSO (Customer Service Optimization) concept.
Description of target users and groups
Malmö (Sweden) citizens.
Description of the way to implement the initiative
Multi-channel issues: SARA helps us to assist our citizens in multiple channels with a smooth handover from one channel to the other. We currently use automatic chat (SARA), chat with a real person and e-mail. SARA is also able to answer with her own voice (text-to-speech).
Technology solution
Artificial Solutions developed the CSO (Customer Service Optimization) concept with the CSO Language Processing as a base. This technology is proven and can be used by many public entities and private companies in over 20 languages. The CSO concept is supported by applications such as Interactive Chat Assistant (SARA), Agent Based Chat, CSO E-Mail Processor, Interactive Speech Assistant, CSO Knowledge (knowledge management for all channels) and CSO Analysis (analysis of the log files from all channels). The knowledge used in the various channels is maintained in one single web based application.
Main results, benefits and impacts
- SARA has freed a lot of time from the service agents who can now spend more time on complex issues. - The citizens feel that they get better service. - Implementing SARA is the first step in building a more citizen centric service platform. Innovation: Allowing the citizens to ask questions in their own way, with their own language directly on the web 24 hours per day is a great service. Using state of the art technology and service concepts allow us to give excellent citizen service but in a stable environment.
Return on investment
Return on investment: Not applicable / Not availableTrack record of sharing
Many Swedish cities (about 20) have followed the Malmö initiative and also implemented Interactive citizen assistants. We are also closely cooperating with other public entities and private companies building on the CSO concept.
Lessons learnt
Lesson 1 - Great solutions do not need to be expensive and complicated. Lesson 2 - Direction must come from the top but the individual departments must take on the responsibility for the on-going work. Lesson 3 - Creating a partnership relation with the supplier makes everything much easier.
Scope: Local (city or municipality), National, Regional (sub-national)