Public sector procurement organisation YPO has launched what it says is the first chatbot built to help public sector buyers.
Named the Procurement Information Provider, or PIP, it has been developed to help users navigate their way through the organisation’s services and discover the frameworks on offer.
It can be entered through the YPO website frameworks page and can recall information from existing areas of the website, directing users to relevant procurement teams.
YPO said it will continually develop the chatbot’s capabilities as the service is used, that it demonstrates its commitment to digital transformation in public sector procurement and forms part of an ongoing strategy to improve the online experience of its customers.
Transformation measure
Paul Smith, executive director at YPO, said: “We’re excited to be leading the way with our digital transformation of procurement services for the public sector.
“Digital integration has been heavily promoted across the public sector in recent months and YPO is pleased to be at the forefront of this movement. We’re excited for the opportunities to improve many of our services with additions such as PIP.”
YPO is a company owned by a consortium of 13 local authorities and originating from Yorkshire, provides about 100 frameworks and a procurement channel for about 30,000 products. Its frameworks cover areas including technology and communications, health and social care, utilities and facilities management.
Image by Maurice Rosken, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
