Dive Brief:
- In Q4 2016, roughly 79% of businesses were not engaging with chatbots, according to a report by eft. Yet by Q2 2017, 51% have embraced the technology, PYMNTS.com reported Tuesday.
- Chatbots enable a business to share information like delivery costs and inventory levels to both corporate and consumer customers.
- For now, chatbots will probably remain relatively simplistic. However, consumer-interactive chatbots are being developed in order to handle growing complexities within the supply chain and other industries like banking and accounting.
Dive Insight:
Blockchain may be the tech buzzword, but chatbots are quickly gaining popularity in supply chain networks.
In March 2017, SAP Ariba revealed plans for an AI-powered chatbot, named Procurement, intended to serve as a processing intermediary within the supply chain. Prior to that, chatbots have already appeared on Facebook via Messenger and at cosmetics retailer Sephora. In October, eBay added a personalized shopping assistant, known as ShoptBot, which suggests gifts for the hard to please.
As technology within the supply chain advances, chatbots may stand out as an intermediary between a company's online presence and the customer. Customer experiences while shopping online can be arranged with a chatbot to seem friendly rather than dispassionate. Chatbots could also assist retailers with omnichannel options, serving as a helpful, though simulated staff to online shoppers.
