In 2014, Amazon announced they would launch Amazon Alexa, popularly known as Alexa, along with Echo. Since then, the voice-based computing system has become a game-changer for many industries.
Though there had been voice assistant services available on the market like Apple’s Siri for the mobile devices and Google’s Smart Speaker, Amazon Alexa caught the attention of many professionals with Alexa for Business. It is a service that enables organizations to use voice assistants for enhancing productivity and deliver better services to the customers.
Today, many industries are using Alexa to increase the efficiency of their businesses processes. Alexa has experienced tremendous growth while riding the wave of the Internet of Things (IoT). In this blog, we will discuss six industries that can leverage Alexa to wow their customers.
1. E-Commerce
Alexa has made life simpler for consumers as they can now enjoy spending less screen time. Amazon Alexa has become the new consumer channel with more customers conducting their sales through voice-assistant devices, mainly Alexa. By 2022, it is expected that voice-assistant sales will increase to $440 billion from $2 billion (current) across the U.S. and U.K. (Source: A report by OC&C Strategy Consultants).
The study also revealed that at present, the demography of users who are purchasing via Alexa is young, affluent, and with young children. They are purchasing low-value stand-alone items like groceries, electronics, and entertainment but soon the demography is going to broaden, and the purchased items will change too.
Hence, if e-commerce companies do not start investing in this new sales channel, they are likely to lose customers in the future.
2. Public Transportation
Alexa is already making its presence felt in the operating interface of automobiles with voice command technology. Consumers can ask for directions, nearest gas stations, or even search the nearby landmark or monument with a voice command. With Amazon investing millions of dollars in Alexa Fund, a program that would enable companies to develop voice control skills and technology, the future for Alexa looks good.
In public places soon there will be Alexa-powered kiosks where commuters can avail the following services:
In airports, Alexa can check your flight status, enroll in the frequent flyer, or even do a flight check-in with a voice command.
With voice command, a traveler can check the nearby eateries available at the destination, find the shortest routes to move from point A to point B in an unfamiliar subway station. The opportunity to use Alexa in public transport is immense.
3. Healthcare
Voice assistance has been touted to be one of the game-changers in the healthcare sector. It can streamline the communication between the patient, doctor, and staff, and also increase accountability.
With the voice-activation and a better communication system, even if doctors cannot reach a patient, medication and immediate care can be offered with the help of Alexa. An industry that counts on time and practically no-mistake attributes, Alexa can help in tracking the activity, medication, dosage, and more to guide doctors in treating the patients.
There have been already some early indications of how Alexa can be used in the healthcare industry like Boston Children’s Hospital. Some of the tasks that Alexa is performing/performed includes:
Initial guidance to parents who recorded their children running a fever.
During a surgical procedure, the doctors recorded their observations along with photographs, timestamps, and log comments.
Based on a child’s recent history, age, and body measures, the voice assistant suggested dosage of important medications.
In the healthcare sector, Alexa can also prove to be useful by improving the efficiency and accuracy in the administrative area by scheduling the tasks, appointments, ordering supplies, booking rooms, and more.
4. Hospitality Industry
Hospitality Industry is always eager to invest in technologies and solutions that will enhance their guests’ experience. With the introduction of Alexa for Hospitality, hotels can now integrate their software system with the voice UI. This system can be placed in various locations of the vicinity, including the rooms of the guests.
The voice assistance can prove to be quite convenient for the guests as they can request room services, housekeeping, control TV, room lights, thermostats, and even play music with Alexa.
By connecting Alexa with the hardware and software system of the hotel, specific tasks can be performed with apps known as Alexa Skills. Additionally, Alexa for hospitality can facilitate and refine the operation of the industry by:
Establishing better communication between the hotel/hospitality staff and the guests. Staff can be more responsive towards the guests as routine tasks will be appropriately routed.
Alexa devices can welcome the guests without fail with personalized messages, thus enhancing the experience of the guest even without the presence of the staff.
Hoteliers can update the guests about the latest offers and services with Alexa skill development. It can also make personalized recommendations and suggestions to the guests during their stay.
All these features can help businesses operating in the hospitality industry to develop a loyal customer base and differentiate themselves from competitors.
5. Higher Education
Presently, the use case for Alexa might be limited to providing calendars and schedules for the next lectures or dining menus in the cafeteria. However, soon higher education institutes will leverage Alexa Skills. This will allow students to playback lectures that they missed or even help in finding the library books without wasting time on-screen to search for them.
6. Culture and Entertainment
Voice assistance has always been helpful in venues like a museum, theatres, art galleries, and so on. In museums, it will be beneficial for visitors to know about the display anytime. As a tourist, you do not want to wait for the tour to begin each time or for the guide to come and explain to you about the display.
In an outdoor venue, be it a concert or a sport or even a theater, Alexa’s voice assistance can help you to find the availability of tickets, nearby booths and entrance gates, merchandise, seats and even eating joints within the venue.
Conclusion
To remain in the game of providing the services that the customers demand, the organizations need to implement Alexa in their system. Alexa has been playing its part well in becoming the most disruptive technology in recent years since its launch.
Amazon is investing in building a community of developers for Skills apps for Alexa to build a stable and sustainable business. After launching Alexa Funds, Amazon introduced Alexa Prize in 2017 for enhancing the technology further. In the same year, Alexa Conference was held, which was organized to bring in independent Alexa developers and enthusiasts so the community can grow. With such developments along with Alexa-themed shops, Amazon is determined to help various industries with their voice assistant.
Read More Blogs: