Demystifying AI: 5 Applications That Make Our Jobs Easier and Delight Our Customers
Artificial Intelligence is not fiction anymore. The technology is already helping our colleagues at work and improves the Porsche experience for our customers worldwide. Here are five examples that show how AI supports us today.
Artificial Intelligence has become a buzzword in almost every industry. AI fires the imagination, but already today there are many tangible applications for the technology — also at Porsche. In 2019 we initiated the AI@Porsche program, which acts as an umbrella for all AI activities in the company. The goal is to optimize corporate processes with the help of artificial intelligence — and above all to inspire and educate colleagues and customers.
1. A sustainability radar for the supply chain
In a collaborative project, Porsche, Audi and Volkswagen have recently started to use AI to identify sustainability risks such as pollution, human rights violations and corruption in the supply chain. This does not only include direct business partners but also reaches deep into Porsche’s supply chain.
The monitoring is based on an intelligent algorithm developed by the Austrian startup Prewave, that identifies and evaluates supplied-related news from publicly available media and social networks in more than 50 languages and over 150 countries. The service can be used as an early warning system, which sends notifications as soon as risks become apparent.
Compared to conventional monitoring, the key benefit of the technology is the speed it provides and the intelligence that can automatically bundle the news.
2. A chatbot that leaves no question unanswered
The abrupt switch to the home office and the temporary standstill of production soon after the outbreak of the COVID-19-pandemic triggered questions from many Porsche employees about the effects of the virus, working hours, or hygiene measures. Within a very short time, an AI@Porsche team launched an internal chatbot that answered the most frequented questions of all Porsche employees.
The quick reaction became a success: 98 percent of the questions were answered correctly, and more than 20,000 Porsche employees used the service. Now the team is planning to expand the capabilities of the bot. The central vision of the developers: to give employees and customers more time for their core tasks by making the knowledge of the company easily available. For example, if you query your remaining vacation days, you could use a short command to apply for vacation.
The chatbot could also be used for external communication: A further development step will be the integration of manuals and repair instructions of different Porsche models. For example, customers could quickly inquire how the Taycan’s windscreen wash can be refilled.
3. Personal training recommendations
We all make use of algorithms when it comes to discovering new music, series, or podcasts. A recommendation engine can predict what we might like based on what we have liked in the past. The same principle is used within the internal learning platform for Porsche employees.
Due to the large number of learning offerings on the platform, it was difficult to find modules that suited the needs and skill level of the individual. Thanks to AI, the platform will now recommend which module you might want to watch next. For example, when you complete the “Agile Working” module, the engine will recommend the module on “Artificial Intelligence”.
This advancement makes it easy for employees to follow a unique learning path and supports the idea of lifelong learning.
4. KATE knows when the new Porsche is going to be delivered
Anticipation is half the fun — but it is even better when you know exactly what date you can look forward to. Our AI KATE (Kunden-Auftrags-Terminierungs-Engine, English: customer order scheduling engine) can predict when a Porsche will arrive at the car dealership — even when the car still needs to be shipped to another continent.
The artificial intelligence forecast is based on past data and can narrow down the arrival date to the week. This makes planning and scheduling easier for Porsche dealers worldwide.
5. Personalised recommendations in the Car Configurator
A new AI-based function that was added to the Porsche Car Configurator offers customers tailored suggestions on how to configure their new vehicle. The recommendation engine uses the technology to determine unique and suitable options for billions of possible combinations.
The tool is based on several million data points collected by the Car Configurator. To implement it, our AI engineers trained more than 270 machine learning modules. Those neural networks are used to find patterns in the data and therefore make it possible to provide options to the customer based on their own choices.
Already today, the recommendations are accurate more than 90 percent of the time and since the engine will self-optimize, the rate will improve even further.
Artificial intelligence is already used in many internal and customer-facing products today. Many processes get faster and more efficient due to this technology. We can’t wait to see what our colleagues will develop next.
