Oracle recently announced the launch of PICASO – the new PeopleSoft Digital Assistant. Prior to announcing PICASO, the original PeopleSoft Chatbots offered measurable benefits and value to businesses, but they were limited in their abilities. These chatbots were separated into their individual business functions and lacked the ability to cross-communicate with one another. The functionality was there and on their own, they worked well, making the only barrier to users the time-consuming task of finding the correct chatbot to use.
The new PeopleSoft Digital Assistant offers a solution. This is essentially a consolidation of the many PeopleSoft Chatbots into a single PeopleSoft Digital Assistant, meaning users will have one chat interface for all the chatbot functionality. The consolidated digital assistant feature is known as the PeopleSoft Intelligent Chat Assistant or PICASO.
For those who aren’t familiar – Chatbots are a programmed utility that conducts a natural language conversation with a user to provide information or execute a task. You can automate simple requests entirely which can reduce workload. You’ve likely interacted with chatbots in a customer service setting on web pages in order to access customer support. They are a helpful tool for guiding customers towards solutions.
PICASO combines all PeopleSoft digital assistants that are published by PeopleSoft, including the Employee Digital Assistant and the Supplier Digital Assistant. The Employee digital assistant allows you to use the absence skill to ask questions regarding absences in natural language conversation. You’re also able to complete transactions like adding or canceling absence requests.
The functionality of all the other Employee Digital Assistant skills is also included in the new PICASO capabilities. PICASO combines these Employee Digital Assistant skills so that you have one interface/chatbot in which to interact with, and the same is true for the Supplier Digital Assistant whose functionality is combined within PICASO. You’re able to use PICASO as you would the supplier skill, to make inquiries about business opportunities, and also accomplish different tasks such as user registration or even bidding events.
According to The State of Global Customer Service Report in 2018, 66% of customers will attempt to use self-service before seeking customer service help. Chatbots can meet this customer preference.
PeopleSoft PICASO is able to be placed on any PeopleSoft dashboard, homepage, or component and acts as a single destination for interacting with PeopleSoft conversationally.
Without configuration, or out-of-the-box, you’ll find PICASO in the lower right corner of your PeopleSoft homepage. Users are able to type and chat questions to PICASO regarding things like vacation balances, where specific pay slips are, and ask for things like your most recent expense. PICASO then processes your question and routes it to the appropriate PeopleSoft skill, using prompts for further information if needed.
PICASO can be found in the Oracle Digital Assistant Skill Store. In order to use PICASO, an Oracle Digital Assistant license is required. With your ODA license, you’re given the option of extending the delivered skills and the ability to build your own custom skills as well. Another key factor to keep in mind is that in order to leverage the capabilities of PICASO, your PeopleSoft applications must be up to date.
PeopleSoft Application requirements for enabling PICASO:
- PeopleSoft HCM Update Image 9.2.031 or higher
- PeopleSoft FSCM Update Image 9.2.033 or higher
- PeopleSoft ELM Update Image 9.2.020 or higher
- PeopleSoft CRM Update Image 9.2.018 or higher
- PeopleSoft Campus Solutions Update Image 9.2.015 or higher
- PeopleTools version is 8.57.07 or higher
Navigating all of the updates and changes required to leverage PICASO can be tricky if you’re not already on these images and versions. Elire is here to help. Reach out to [email protected] to discuss PeopleSoft Image updates and upgrading your PeopleTools. To learn more about PICASO, check out the Understanding PeopleSoft PICASO page of the Oracle website here. For more information on ODA, view our post on AI & Oracle Digital Assistant – The Basics here.
Emerging technology including chatbots and robotic process automation (RPA) can be exciting, but confusing for users. For assistance in deciding which technology is right for you, or which process to automate, Elire’s Strategic Advisory Services is here to help. View our services here.