Modern homes use Alexa to play their music in the living rooms or finding out what the weather is going to be that day. But did you know that Alexa can also be used at the workplace?
Alexa has many skills that make employees more productive at the office, helping them focus and meet your business goals.
Here are 6 Alexa skills making employees more productive.
Making Appointments
Firstly, Alexa can be used to make appointments. Whether it’s for team meetings or employees attending client site, Alexa quickly adds important dates to the calendar without distracting staff from their current task.
The skill is easy to use; simply connect Alexa to your calendar with the app (it has many integrations so no matter what you use to plan your day, Alexa can sync with it.)
From here, tap Settings > Alexa Preferences > Calendar, and sign into your service.
Once you have granted Alexa the required permissions, tell it to create an appointment by saying something along the lines of “Alex, set up a meeting for [date] at [time]”.
Alternatively, you can just ask Alexa to create an appointment and it will then follow up with a request for the time and date of the meeting.
If your employees walk into the office and they can’t remember what they have on that day, they can simply ask “Alexa, what’s on my calendar?” and it will feedback the schedule.
In terms of internal meetings, according to The Ambient, if other multiple employees have shared their calendar information with Alexa, it can cross check and see when everyone is available. If they’re not, it’ll recommend a better time.
Remembering Important Information
While Alexa is great at making appointments, it’s also useful at making sure your employees remember them. This will help them stay productive and on-track.
If they need to remember something important, they can ask Alexa to remember it for them so when the time comes, it will read out the reminder.
Employees can take advantage of this Alexa for Business skill by saying “Alexa, remind me at [time] to [event]”.
Alexa can do more than just remind your employees about a meeting they may have too. If they are told some important information in a rush, they can ask Alexa to remember it so it doesn’t get forgotten.
This skill is easy to use. Simply say “Alexa, remember [information]”.
When it comes to getting that information back, your employees should ask Alexa to recall it using some of the important terms and phrases you gave it.
Furthermore, your employees can keep their to-do lists on Alexa. Via the app, it can be synced to a number of list applications from the App Store or Play Store. From here, ask Alexa to read back the day’s to-do list.
If they can’t remember, they can then just say “Alexa, what’s on my to-do list today?”
Collecting Employee Data
To keep employees productive, it’s useful to collect data in relation to their output. For example, for the sales team, you can use it to track how many calls they are making per month or how many deals they actually close. For the customer service team, you can use it to see how long customers are being kept on hold.
All this data can then be used as part of a data-driven marketing plan. According to ComboApp, data-driven marketing is the most efficient way for your employees to personalize the customer experience, making them more likely to purchase from you.
Alexa can then feedback these results to appropriate line managers and executives so your business can make better, informed business decisions.
Use As A Speakerphone
For businesses that need to make phone calls with employees, Alexa can be used as a speakerphone. This is especially beneficial for when team meetings are scheduled.
Of course, this keeps employees productive because they will be able to hear all the information loud and clear and take appropriate action.
To use this skill, open the Alexa app and tap the speech bubble. From here, follow the instructions and enter your phone number (it will need to be verified before it can be used).
Once set up, you’re good to go. To call someone using Alexa, say “Alexa, call [contact/phone number]”.
To make sure this is the action you want Alexa to take, it will repeat your request, including the contact name or phone number. Confirm it and Alexa will then make the phone call.
Playing Background Noise
Some employees work better with background noise playing at the office. Whether it’s the latest music or the calming sounds of the ocean, Alexa can play it all and improve their productivity.
Alexa comes with sounds already built-in. To get them to play, say “Alexa, play [music]” and it will play it for an hour.
If you have access to Spotify or other streaming services, they can be synced to Alexa so you can play your own music or sounds. Open Settings from the app and navigate to Music & Media to add your account.
For offices with a policy to allow music to play while working, there is an added benefit that employees don’t become distracted by their mobile phones, YouTube video or other media devices.
Searching For Answers
The final Alexa skill that can make employees more productive is that it can search for answers on your behalf. After all, asking Alexa to search for something in Google is quicker than typing it in themselves.
For example, you may need your employee to pull up some numbers to help with the latest marketing campaign.
To use this skill, just ask Alexa the question and it will reply with the most relevant answer. This is usually the first result from Google.
For example, Mayo Clinic uses Alexa in healthcare to give patients quick access to first-aid information from reputable sources.
Conclusion
These 6 Alexa skills make employees more productive. It can make appointments so they don’t miss important events, set reminders so they actually attend and improve performance by collecting valuable data
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