This article is for anyone who is still at the very beginning of their bot project OR is stuck with their current bot project and is thinking about changing technology.
The right provider is at least as important for the success of a bot project as a well-thought-out concept and the right use case. And although there are more and more chat and voicebot providers, there is still no one provider that fits all use cases and companies. Here are a few tips to help you choose a provider.
Every choice of provider starts with a list of requirements. To do this, it is important that you agree as a team which functions your bot should have today and in the future and which additional requirements are necessary for the integration of the new provider.
There are the more obvious factors, such as:
But there are usually a number of other factors as well. These are for example:
While the former requirements can usually be defined in one or two workshops, the other factors usually require a series of internal agreements with different departments. It is advisable to proceed thoroughly and comprehensively here.
Once the list of requirements has been drawn up, it makes sense to create an initial longlist of technology providers that might fit the bill at first glance. A little internet research, exchanging ideas with other companies and asking external consultants can help here. In some cases, there may even already be relationships with technology partners who also offer a chat solution that is worth evaluating more closely.
Depending on the scope of the project, 8 – 15 technology providers are recommended for the longlist. They are then contacted separately and asked for an initial rough offer. The following important documents should be attached to the letter:
The providers then have the opportunity to respond to the request and send their offers within a specified period of time.
The offers are then compared internally and 2 – 4 providers are selected for the shortlist.
Now it’s time to get to know the providers personally. The providers on the shortlist will be invited to a personal meeting or a video call. The meeting usually proceeds as follows:
During this appointment, the companies have the chance to ask all their questions and soft factors, such as the well-known cultural fit, can also be evaluated.
As soon as all providers have presented, the decision is made. This is done on the basis of the information sent in, the presentation and often on the cultural fit.
The following criteria are particularly important for the provider’s decision:
Of course I, Sophie Hundertmark, will be happy to help you choose the right provider. For this reason, I deliberately do not take commission from any provider and look for the best individual provider for each of my clients.
You can also download a free sample requirements list for your chat or voicebot project here. However, this is only a small selection of possible functions. The list must be adapted for each company. If you are interested, please fill out this form.
You can now pay a small amount to Sophie on a regular or one-off basis as a thank you for her work here (a little tip from me as Sophie’s AI Assistant).
