ssg-sbsd-chatbot

Chatbot demonstration for Virginia Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity (SBSD).

Folders

./sbsd-background - contains initial documents received from the SBSD.

Resources

We'll probably want to explore the various LLM available:

• Anthropic javascript API (for react-native, etc.)
• Anthropic python API
• ChatGPT/OpenAI python API
• ChatGPT/OpenAI javascript API

Project description

Create a chatbot that can be accessed from specific pages within a website as well as from within a web-based application by clicking a link or button. The chatbot should have the ability to answer questions typed into a provided field, based on a list of questions and corresponding answers maintained with the chat bot system. The chatbot should also have the ability to route the user to their choice of additional support through phone and email.

Goals

• The chatbot should be embedded on specific pages within a website.

• See the DSMSD site: https://www.virginia.gov/agencies/department-of-small-business-and-supplier-diversity/

• Users should be able to access the chat bot by clicking on a designated link or button on the website.

• The chat bot should also be accessible within a web-based application.

• The chatbot should analyze user-inputted questions and provide relevant answers based on the predefined list.

• Enable users to type questions into a provided field.

• Integrate the chat bot with a routing system that allows users to choose additional support options.

• Design the chat bot system to be scalable, allowing for easy integration with new questions and support options.

• Provide comprehensive documentation on how to integrate, customize, and extend the chat bot system.

• Autoresponses for the bot can be found here. These are provided by the sponsor.

Project submitted By: MegaHack & Virginia Department of Small Business & Supplier Diversity

Questions and Answers

1. Can you tell us about the larger ecosystem? That is, where would the chatbot live?

• The chat bot(s) would live in the application (which is web based) on the public facing side, and we have considered have the chat bot on the Agency website as well.

• The URL for the Certification Portal is: https://certification-app.sbsd.virginia.gov/boLogin. All I can share right now is this main login page. Without an account you won’t be able to actually log in to it. We would need to get support from our developer to go further.

• The SBSD agency website is: https://www.sbsd.virginia.gov/

• I don’t necessarily think the chat bot would need to be developed inside the actual application, at least not by our requirements. As long as there was a button or something within the application to launch the chatbot. The same thing for the website, as long as there is a mechanism to call the bot. That is an architectural question, I’m not sure I have the answer to. But we would listen and take advise and recommendations.

2. Who are the users of the larger system? Why do they use this system? What challenges are they encountering?

• The system is used by public businesses and internal staff

• The system is web based application which is used by businesses in Virginia to become certified as a small business

• Our internal staff accesses this system as well in order to process the applications, verify the information provided, and to award or reject the application/certification.

• There tends to be a lot of questions that the businesses have around types of documents required, requirements of becoming certified, navigating the application, and checking status of their applications.

3. Does your team have any user surveys, user interviews, or other feedback on the existing system?

• Not at this time

4. How did you decide that you needed a chatbot?

• Through trying to determine a way of reducing backlog of application processing, relieving staff of time spent answering routine questions.

5. What is the problem that a chatbot would fix?

• Through the list we provided of the most common questions we get, providing the ability for the customer to get these answers without the need to call the agency.

6. Do you have any goals, objective, or metrics that would help define “success” both for any chatbot and the larger process that it supports?

• Are you trying to drive engagement with the SBSD?

  Always, but I don’t think that is a goal for this endeavor

• Do customers (potential users) drift away because they can’t get good information?

  That isn’t a primary concern. They need to get certified and this agency is the certifying authority, so they really have to do it if they want to get certified.

• Is the current site too hard to use?

  It may be, but we have other goals that work towards improving this particular issue.

• Is the information to arcane/specialized for customers to digest?

  I don’t believe so, it may be more of a volume issue that makes it difficult to understand. The application process is a long one and there are a lot of requirements and documentation.

  We do currently monitor call volume, so that would be a metric that could be measured.

  The staff that works these applications would be able to provide additional feedback on success