Acuvate Delivers Conversational AI Services to NYC Department of Environmental Protection using Microsoft technology Stack

We are delighted to announce that we have been recognized in a recent Microsoft case study about how the company, in partnership with Acuvate, empowered the NYC Department of Environmental Protection employees embrace digital transformation.

Leveraging BotCore, Acuvate’s AI powered employee experience chat bot, the department is supplementing the employee call center with 24/7/365 support to respond to a variety of employees’ HR and IT related queries.

Prior to BotCore implementation, the IT and HR service desks at the department operated only during regular business hours. This meant high call volumes and long response times that negatively impacted employee satisfaction. With these processes now automated, thanks to BotCore, the employee experience at the department has radically enhanced. The AI powered chat bot is also driving operational efficiencies with 24/7 support and availability.

Named “Ask BIT”, the round-the-clock IT chatbot is connected to the agency’s IT service management tool to enhance employee access to support, efficiently address queries, manage and resolve tickets, and avoid the cost of responding to after-hours requests. The department has also developed a similar chatbot for employees to check in on HR queries. The HR bot “Ask AQUA” offers 24/7 responses to a variety of HR questions on policies, and pay and benefits, allowing call center staff to handle urgent employee issues instead of high volumes of repetitive inquiries.

The HR and IT bots, powered by BotCore, are a first for any US government agency to incorporate custom-built chatbots in Microsoft Teams. Between September 2020 and April 2021, over 4,300 department employees have engaged with this new offering. The chatbots, in turn, have responded to more than 15,000 queries with a much faster resolution time.