Streamlining Employee Queries with Power Virtual Agents and Microsoft Teams Integration

You may know Power Virtual Agent as the llittle chatbot in the corner of a website, offering assistance and answering questions. In our organization, we needed a solution to help automate the process of answering employee queries which were previously directed to Rich Weller, consuming a significant amount of time. We realized that automating the process using Power Virtual Agent was a feasible option.

Creating an FAQ Bot for Our Organization

Instead of solely depending on the most knowledgeable person in your organization to answer every query, you could collaborate with them and compile a comprehensive list of frequently asked questions, along with their corresponding answers. This approach not only eases the burden on that individual but also ensures that the collected information is accurate and well-rounded, as it comes from a reliable source.

Once this valuable data is gathered, it can be loaded into the Virtual Agent, creating an easily accessible knowledge base for employees to utilize. This knowledge base can significantly reduce the response time for queries, as employees can quickly find the information they need without having to wait for a response from an expert within the organization.

External bots may offer a range of functionalities, such as problem resolution, bill payments, or purchasing items. However, when developing an FAQ bot for your organization, it is crucial to prioritize your internal needs and take into consideration the level of comfort your team has with implementing specific features. By focusing on the unique requirements of your organization, you can ensure that the FAQ bot is tailored to effectively address the questions and concerns most relevant to your employees.

Internal Chatbot Features vs External
Internal Chatbot Features vs External

Integrating the Chatbot with Microsoft Teams

Once integrated with Microsoft Teams employees can easily type in their questions and receive prompt, actionable answers. These responses may include direct links to relevant resources, such as training materials, schedules, or registration forms. This instant access to valuable information not only saves time but also empowers employees to take charge of their learning and development.

Using Chatbot in Microsoft Teams
Using Chatbot in Microsoft Teams

Furthermore, chatbots can facilitate more efficient follow-up actions for employees. In many instances, the chatbot can guide employees through processes, such as signing up for training, submitting requests, or updating personal information. By automating these tasks, employees can complete them more quickly and with less room for error.

Integrating chatbots also has the added benefit of encouraging employee self-service, reducing the workload on HR and support teams. With the chatbot handling routine queries, these teams can focus on more strategic and high-impact tasks, ultimately contributing to the organization’s overall success.

Leveraging Power Virtual Agents for Streamlined Communication

By leveraging Power Virtual Agent, organizations can successfully streamline the process of answering employee queries, making it more efficient. This not only saves time but also allows employees to focus on their tasks, knowing that they have a reliable source of information at their fingertips. Power Virtual Agents provide a no-code solution that enables subject matter experts, individuals, departments, and companies to create bots for their colleagues and employees to interact with, all within the Microsoft Teams platform. Though workflows can become complex, Power Virtual Agents are user-friendly and easy to use. These agents truly exemplify the potential of low-code and no-code solutions, making them an accessible and effective tool for organizations of all sizes.

Written by Rich Weller
Rich Weller is a Project, Program and Portfolio Management Solution Specialist.  He has nearly 30 years’ experience in planning and delivering successful project, program and portfolio management initiatives. He has been a college instructor nearly 20 years, teaching multiple courses in Business as well as Project Management.  He is also a frequent speaker at PMI, MPUG, Scaled Agile as well as other industry events. He has led multiple transformation programs and is currently spearheading the transformation program for MIGSO | PCUBED North America.  He has also acquired all three of the credentials for PMI Citizen Developer Foundation, PMI Citizen Developer Practitioner, PMI Citizen Developer Business Architect Rich has a Masters Degree in Business Administration (MBA) and holds many certifications ranging from Six Sigma, Project Management Professional (PMP), Scrum Master (SSM), Release Train Engineer (RTE), SAFe Program Consultant (SPC) and is a PMI Authorized Training Instructor. Rich is also well versed in many Project Management software applications including Microsoft Project (MCTS), Project Online / Project Server (MCITP), SharePoint (MCTS), Microsoft Planner, Microsoft Teams, Project For The Web, CA Agile (Rally), Jira Software, Jira Portfolio and many of the Power Platform products. His current passion is AI (Artificial Intelligence) in Project Management.
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