PeopleSoft eSupplier Connection enhances the Credentialed user experience on the Secure area of the Supplier Portal by providing two new Supplier Skills. Utilizing the Supplier Digital Assistant with PeopleSoft Intelligent Chatbot ASsistant from Oracle also known as PICASO, the Collaboration Skill will provide users with secure access to the transaction information with answers to their questions in a simple conversational interface. The General Information Skill allows the Supplier to inquire about less sensitive information such as Company Announcements, Calendar Events, FAQs, and more.
Once a Bidder or Supplier has been approved by the Buying or Hosting Organization and provided with access to the secure area of the Supplier Portal, the login will bring them to the area where the collaboration and transaction activity details are displayed. The information provided here is specific to the Supplier’s business with the host organization. This can be Purchase Orders/Quotes, Sourcing Events, Receipt History Information and more.
The hosting organization of the Portal determines which capabilities are offered with the Digital Assistant and can tailor PICASO to respond with specific content. Most often the content offered on this page would contain specific collaboration details between organizations.
Some of the information the credentialed user can use the Digital Assistant for are:
- Inquiries about shipments that have passed their scheduled shipment date
- Purchase Orders that have not yet been acknowledged
- Rejected Receipts on Purchase Order shipment
Example of BST Enterprises Secure Supplier Portal Home Page, with PICASO waiting to assist.
Once the Supplier provides their UserID and Password, they are taken to the Secure Supplier Portal Page and see the Tiles they have access to. The Supplier can click on each tile to discover the information it contains or can invoke PICASO to use a text-based conversation instead.
If the User elects to instead ask PICASO for assistance, they can access the Supplier Digital Assistant by clicking on the PeopleSoft PICASO button that appears in the bottom right-hand corner of the page.
Since the Supplier Digital Assistant realizes this is a credentialed User with a valid UserID and Password, they are greeted by name and provided with a short message as to what activity PICASO can help with. You will notice there is a right arrow on the first “card” of options being displayed. That indicates there is more the Digital Assistant can offer.
The Secure Supplier Portal Home Page offers 2 Digital Assistant Skills
The PICASO General Assistant Provides the User with Access to Additional Information
The user is given the option of using one of the buttons to navigate to the information or can type something in the message line if they want specific information.
The PICASO Collaboration Assistant Provides Answers to a Supplier’s Transaction Activity Questions
PICASO Returns the Data Requested by the User in a Summarized Display.
Clicking on the “Take Me There” button on the listing opens a window with more details about the Overdue Shipment. The Supplier can then decide what action to take to resolve the issue.
The conversations with PICASO can continue for each area of the Secure Homepage by the user simply entering text in the message line or clicking one of the blue buttons. At any time, if the user becomes lost, they simply can type “Help” in the message line and be given a new set of instructions on how they may wish to interact with PICASO.
If the user needs to get back to the beginning or becomes lost on the portal, a simple “help” will get them back on track.
You can continue to ask questions of PICASO around the content provided by the Portal Hosting organization. The blue buttons are always available for use as a “shortcut” to get directly to the information on the Portal.
When you have finished with your interaction with PICASO, you can simply stop the conversation, by entering a simple “thanks” or “thank you”, or by closing the window using one of the upper right corner icons.
The interaction with the PICASO Digital Assistant provides an easy conversational interaction without the user having to click each tile and interpret or understand the PeopleSoft user interface.
This allows a familiar text-based interaction with an intelligent assistant that offers easy 24/7 access for users to the Supplier Portal content.
If you are interested in a Video Feature Overview for the Guest Visitor to the Public Supplier Portal, please click on the hyperlink to view the content on the PeopleSoft Video Channel.