Where is my package? Ask Pio, a new assistant who mastered 12 dialects

Although Pošta Slovenije’s services are based on physical services, it is intensively adapting to the future and developing trends in the field of delivery and process automation. In doing so, he always has in mind the best user experience. One of the major projects, which is also strongly echoing in the public, is the Pia Interactive Assistant Pia, who improves the operation of the contact center and the user experience with artificial intelligence. « Pie people often do not even recognize as artificial intelligence, which is proof that it works extremely naturally and efficiently, » he says Slavko Ovčina, Director of ICT Solutions in Pošta Slovenije. In the interview, she reveals what else brings the digital transformation of the company.

What has marked the last two years at ICT in Post Office Slovenia and what year do you expect this year in this area?

The post office is at one of the most important turning points. For the last two years I would divide into two parts. For the first year, we designed a new strategy at Pošta Slovenije, as the world is changing into a digital direction, and there is a lot of physical services at Pošta Slovenije. Last year, we launched many strategic projects from the confirmed strategy and dealt with them throughout the year, and this year we are already seeing results. The first project we are very proud of is Postal Interactive Assistant Pia. We will upgrade the Mojupošta app, renovate the first and last mile of delivery, automate the middle mile of delivery, establish the CRM system and pilotly launch autonomous delivery. We pay a lot of attention to improving the user experience as well as optimizing and automating internal processes.

You continue to develop in the field of digitization and innovation. Among the tools introduced by Pošta Slovenije is the interactive Pia assistant at the call center. How was it accepted and how will it develop?

We have been talking a lot about our PII, which is part of a larger platform, supported by UI technology lately. Pio accepted Pio really positively. A lot of them don’t even know that they are talking to artificial intelligence. We are also very pleased to have it, as it accepts and processes a lot of calls and thus relieves our employees. We no longer have unresolved calls at the call center. Also, all electronic communication is regulated daily due to the use of artificial intelligence. It takes much less time to answer because artificial intelligence takes care of their pre -work. In the future, we want to upgrade the system so that it is able to complete certain business events, such as orders, complaints.

Pia speaks 12 Slovenian dialects. Who participated in its development?

For a while before we came to the idea of ​​Pii, we tested various solutions in the field of artificial intelligence for the processes of the contact center. There was no real success with the voice interface until we got to the partner we are currently working with – Loop AI. With them, we also quickly developed a voice agent, which naturally talks in 12 Slovenian dialects, which is a great advantage. There is Slovenian knowledge in the background. In the end we gave the agent a name Pia; With the help of artificial intelligence, it digitizes or automates electronic communication and chat communication.

The MyPosta app already has over 50,000 users. Photo: Post of Slovenia

Last year, the Mojapošta app started operating, which became a key channel for users. How did residents accept it?

The first version of Mojsto has some basic functionality. We are not quite pleased with the user interface, because it is the first version, which has proven to be very positive, as it already has more than 50,000 users. We are currently renovating it and adding new functionalities that will come to life before summer. It will act as a mobile and web application. Towards the end of the year or autumn, we will add additional functionality to it. Pošta Slovenije already has quite a few digital services, which are currently not yet connected through a single user experience. In addition, we are also striving to renovate the backlog of the hinterland platforms for the more efficient operation of online services.

It has become an indispensable tool for many users. What improvements or new functionality can users expect in the future?

The goal is to completely digitize and unify the user experience in all Pošta Slovenije services. All that is physical today will be Myas offered in digital form. We will be able to follow the packages, divert them, trigger various services. In the next phase, this year is also coming e-develops, which means that as users, we will be able to get a letter in digital form and store in a certified e-arable of Pošta Slovenije. So, we want to be the last mile of delivery for all physical mail in digital form.

Delivery is an extremely dynamic area, how do you make your digital tools from using the delivery routes as optimized as possible?

One of the strategic projects we launched last year is the optimization of the first and last miles and the automation of the middle mile. These are two projects, many of which are expected this year. The optimization of the first and last miles also touches our customers. It will allow us to communicate with our customers much more in real time. The key thing to this system is to optimize internal processes, ie delivery routes, resources, vehicles and people. In the package area, the business is growing, so we invest in updating sorting machines that must be as automated as possible.

Last year, they launched many strategic projects at Pošta Slovenije and dealt with them throughout the year, this year the results are already visible. Photo: Leon Vidic

At Pošta Slovenije, you invest a lot in expanding the capacity of your data centers. Why do businesses choose your data centers?

Our classic service, which is traditionally our ICT, market, are data centers that are increasingly important. Ours are certainly the most modern, and also in terms of security the most sophisticated. Businesses do not invest in their own data centers, as it is difficult to provide such a level of security and quality as it can as a professional provider of this service. We have a lot of demand for moving equipment to our data centers, where we take care of the safe environment and the customer from there to manage the equipment. We also offer equipment management if necessary. Data centers are very important to us. This year we are investing in the construction of additional capacity at both locations – in Maribor and Ljubljana.

How do you ensure the sustainability of these data centers as such systems are large energy consumers?

This area is very complex, energy consumption depends on the location and equipment that is installed in these data centers. Our data centers were very modern at the time of construction. With each subsequent construction of these systems, we upgrade and try to integrate the energy part into other infrastructure elements, such as heating, etc. For the following investments, we also plan to solve the issue of so -called supercomputerers who need a lot of electricity to power, as demand for these is increasing significantly. This, however, again requires a very good concept in efficiency management.

When we talked last year, we were in the middle of t. i. cyber wars. What is the situation in cyber security today?

The situation in this area is more complex every year. Post of Slovenia It also invests quite a bit in this area. We are also involved in a project funded by the European Union and which aims to use artificial intelligence in the field of cyber security. With our own development of artificial intelligence, which is designed to identify cyber threats, we establish a cyber security center. We participate in a consortium of five companies, as we need to connect locally and globally in cyber security. We will always work with strategic partners.

The key thing about optimizing the first and last miles and the automation of medium -mile is the optimization of delivery routes, resources, vehicles and people. Photo: Post of Slovenia

An important part of last year was development projects such as Trace and Admiral. You try to control the carbon footprint with Admiral. How do you succeed?

Admiral is a huge European project with 20 consortium partners. Each partner has its role, our key goal is to establish a whole system that will allow us to control and monitor key data and to develop a calculator for monitoring and calculating the emissions we create. It is always important where you capture the information, how you structure and organize it so that you can include it in such a calculator. This year we have been engaged in how to collect t. i. data points. ESG-ORPORTATION has taken us a lot of energy this year, because this area is extremely complex and regulations are rather inexorable to companies such as Pošta Slovenije. The next goal is to automate the data points and the establishment of a system that will allow us to fully control the emission area and the introduction of corrective measures.

At what stage is the Trace project designed for delivery with robots?

Trace plows ice in several areas – in the field of legislation, method of work in delivery and technology. It tests technology in the first and last miles in the field of autonomous delivery. As part of this project, we invested in an autonomous delivery vehicle (robot). We are currently talking to one of the major municipalities for a controlled area where this robot could also be implemented and tested in the right environment. A major challenge for this is the legislation in the European Union, which is not fully in favor of such projects. We are trying to prepare the set for change of legislation. The robot is already tested in the Post Office of Slovenia. The technology is already very safe today and we do not expect problems in the user experience, on the contrary – we expect it to be very well received. The entire user experience will certainly be supported by our central system My Mail, which, as stated, will be an unified user experience for our customers.

There are 8,000 employees in the Pošta Slovenije group who have a lot of ideas. This year, they launched a project to introduce a constant improvement system in the company. Photo: Leon Vidic

Pošta Slovenije and your employees have many ideas. How do you realize them?

In a group Pošta Slovenije is 8,000 employees. Our employees are in contact with the wider surroundings and the business as such. They have a lot of ideas, but we do not know how to hunt and collect them, so this year we have laned the project of introducing a system of constant improvement in the company. We have already tested this system and got a lot of ideas. We have already implemented most of these ideas into practice, which brings a lot of satisfaction to people. Employees were also very involved in the implementation of the PIE assistant in work processes. They feel involved as they have contributed a lot. We expect to improve communication within the company, which is also one of the challenges in such large systems as Pošta Slovenije. Through the project of introducing a system of continuous improvement in the company, we want to stimulate the development of the company.

Pošta Slovenije has more and more business in the package area, so they invest in updating sorting machines that must be as automated as possible. Photo: Jože Suhadolnik

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