If you’ve ever been in charge of setting up a large meeting, you know that the checklist of things to do seems to grow faster than expected. Unlocking the door, turning on lights, adjusting the air conditioning, fine-tuning screen settings, and much more. What if there was a way to have everything happen at the push of a button – or just a simple voice command? Well, you’re in luck! We’ll walk you through all the ways a virtual assistant will make your workplace life more manageable and how to get started.
Select Your System
Regardless of what digital assistant your office selects – Apple’s Siri, Amazon’s Alexa, Google’s assistant, or another system – the primary role as a technology leader is to ensure that the products you choose work with the existing technology your company uses every day. This applies not only to hardware but also to the software utilized in day-to-day operations. Finding a cohesive addition can be tricky, especially if your team has a “BYOD” (Bring Your Own Device) policy, so it’s crucial to weigh all options carefully. Furthermore, each system has different interfaces to utilize in your meeting rooms and software offerings, so bear these in mind when considering what system to invest in. Regardless of which system you choose, don’t limit the capabilities of your device by programming them improperly. Establishing your system’s workflow will be one of the main deciding factors in your user’s experience with the digital assistant.
Make it Repeatable
No matter when a meeting is taking place and who is attending, specific tasks are done every single time. While this includes in-room functions like turning on lights, adjusting the air conditioner, powering up cameras, and more, this now contains tasks like starting a meeting recording, sending agenda items in the video chat, transcribing the meeting in real-time, and more. A digital assistant – from Apple, Amazon, Google, or another provider – can do all of these tasks at the sound of your voice. But before you set out to program your assistant of choice, a plan needs to be in place.
To effectively program your assistant, your plan needs to have the individual steps outlined and what additional equipment you’d need to accomplish those steps – smart outlets, software integrations, control system programming, and employee training. When outlining your steps, ensure that you’re not thinking only about how you’d do things but what makes the most sense for an intelligent assistant that multiple people use. For example, you might try to turn on a computer, do other tasks, and then cameras – even though those are from the same power source. Your digital assistant will probably try to turn on every device powered by the same outlet, which could create problems if you program things “out of order.”
(Voice) Power it Up
The most powerful part of any digital assistance is making tasks voice-activated. In addition to being convenient, voice assistants also ensure that employees don’t need to take time out of their schedule to learn new systems and procedures. Especially if your digital assistant is integrated with your entire business software, this tool can reduce employee frustration with technology and empower them to accomplish their tasks quickly and efficiently.
Voice-activated assistants also improve the culture of your meetings – they allow your personal tech to recede into the background. Your office’s digital assistant preparing the room, starting the video meeting, taking notes, and recording the gathering will allow those attending the meeting to focus on the topics at hand. A digital assistant will allow your employees to create more meaningful connection moments, which will also help them do more effective work in and out of the meeting.
Not sure where to start with programming a digital assistant, or even the best one to select for your business? Reach out to our team of experts. We Got You.
