Assignment 1:
Complete the following assignment in one MS word document:
Chapter 12 –discussion question #1-3 & exercise 1 & 12 & 16
Discussion Question #1 – Some people say that chatbots are inferior for chatting. Others disagree. Discuss. >> .5 page
Discussion Question #2 – Discuss the financial benefits of chatbots. >> .5 page
Discussion Question #3 – Discuss how IBM Watson will reach 1 billion people by 2018 and what the implications of that are. >> .5 page
Exercise # 1 – Compare the chatbots of Facebook and WeChat. Which has more functionalities? >> .5 page
Exercise # 12 – Research the role of chatbots in helping patients with dementia. >> .5 page
Exercise # 16 – Microsoft partners with the government of Singapore to develop chatbots for e-services. Find out how this is done. >> .5 page
Chapter 13- discussion question #1-4 & exercise 3 & 4 & 6 Discussion Question #1 – Compare the IoT with regular Internet. >> .5 page
Discussion Question #2 – Discuss the potential impact of autonomous vehicles on our lives. >> .5 page
Discussion Question #3 – Why must a truly smart home have a bot? >> .5 page
Discussion Question #4 – Why is the IoT considered a disruptive technology? >> .5 page
Exercise # 3 – AT&T is active in smart city projects. Investigate their activities (solutions). Write a summary. .5 -1 page
Exercise # 4 – It is said that the IoT will enable new customer service and B2B interactions. Explain how. >> .5 page
Exercise # 6 – Find information about Sophia, a robot from Hanson Robotics. Summarize her capabilities. >> .5 page
When submitting work, be sure to include an APA cover page and include at least two APA formatted references (and APA in-text citations) to support the work this week.
All work must be original (not copied from any source).
Assignment 2 – Discussion 1
Create a discussion thread (with your name) and answer the following question:
Discussion 1 (Chapter 12): Examine Alexa’s skill in ordering drinks from Starbucks
Note: The first post should be made by Wednesday 11:59 p.m., EST. I am looking for active engagement in the discussion. Please engage early and often.
Your response should be 250-300 words. Respond to two postings provided by your classmates.
There must be at least one APA formatted reference (and APA in-text citation) to support the thoughts in the post. Do not use direct quotes, rather rephrase the author’s words and continue to use in-text citations.
Assignment 3 – Discussion 2
Create a discussion thread (with your name) and answer the following question:
Discussion 2 (Chapter 13): Research Apple Home Pod. How does it interact with smart home devices? Alexa is now connected to smart home devices such as thermostats and microwaves. Find examples of other appliances that are connected to Alexa and write a report.
Note: The first post should be made by Wednesday 11:59 p.m., EST. I am looking for active engagement in the discussion. Please engage early and often. Your response should be 250-300 words. Respond to two postings provided by your classmates. There must be at least one APA formatted reference (and APA in-text citation) to support the thoughts in the post. Do not use direct quotes, rather rephrase the author’s words and continue to use in-text citations.
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NOTE– Assignment 1 – Due Saturday; Assignment 2 (Discussion 1) and Assignment 3 (Discussion 2) – I need to post by Wednesday.
Required Reading
Read Chapter 12 & Chapter 13 (Analytics, Data Science & Artificial Intelligence)
Title: Business Intelligence and Analytics
ISBN: 9780135192016
Authors: Ramesh Sharda, Dursun Delen, Efraim Turban
Publisher: Pearson
Publication Date: 2019-01-04
Edition: 11th ED.
Assignment 2 – Discussion 1
POST 1
Voice assistant devices like Amazon’s Alexa are revolutionizing life in today’s fast-paced
environment. While traditionally known for playing music and providing other forms of
information, recently its use has expanded beyond this to order food and beverages from
restaurants or delivery services. Starbucks, a well-known coffee chain, has already taken
advantage of this technology through their ordering skill on Alexa that allows customers to place
orders using only voice (Sharda et al., 2020). Alexa ordering at Starbucks allows customers to
place orders without ever leaving home fast and efficient service is something the chain prides
itself on, so this integration into Alexa ordering adds even greater convenience for its customers.
Customers can now place orders quickly and conveniently with Alexa, with drinks ready to pick
up in minutes. One key advantage of using the Starbucks ordering skill on Alexa is saving time
no longer do customers have to stand in long lines at busy stores; orders can now be placed from
home, saving precious minutes for other tasks.
Starbucks ordering skill on Alexa offers several advantages over similar services; among
them is being extremely user-friendly and fast to navigate the ordering process. Furthermore,
customers can save their favorite orders to make future ordering even easier (Mbima & Tetteh
2023). Unfortunately however, as with any new technology there can be challenges involved;
one such challenge for Starbucks ordering skill on Alexa could be that some customers prefer
ordering using other methods, such as their mobile app or in-store ordering instead.
Additionally, this ordering skill relies heavily on voice recognition which may not work
effectively for all. Overall, Starbucks ordering skill on Alexa provides customers with an
effective and convenient way to order their favorite drinks quickly and effortlessly (Sharda et al.,
2020). It saves time while being extremely user-friendly – yet may not suit every customer as
voice recognition might not always work efficiently as intended for all users. Overall, however,
this example of technology transforming lives is a fantastic one to take note of!
BMI (brain-machine interaction) has come a long way since its introduction. Voice
interaction technology is making a remarkable breakthrough. Starbucks, one of the world’s
largest coffee chains, offers an innovative way for customers to order their drinks through Alexa.
On the one hand, Starbucks ordering skill on Alexa offers customers the convenience and
freedom to order without physically visiting the store. In a world where people are always in a
rush, the ease of remote ordering is lovely. It also offers personalized order recommendations
based on previous orders, a feature that enhances customer satisfaction. During rush hours, long
lines in stores can be frustrating, but Starbucks ordering skill on Alexa ensures smoother service
delivery for those with full hands (Mbima & Tetteh, 2023). On the other hand, there are several
limitations to the Starbucks ordering skill on Alexa. For instance, the order is often overpriced
due to fees associated with delivery, limiting accessibility in the more depressed areas.
References
Mbima, D., & Tetteh, F. K. (2023). Effect of business intelligence on operational performance:
the mediating role of supply chain ambidexterity. Modern Supply Chain Research and
Applications, 5(1), 28–49.
Sharda, R., Delen, D., & Turban, E. (2020). Analytics, data science, & artificial intelligence:
Systems for decision support, global edition (11th ed.). Pearson Education.
POST 2
Alexa’s Skill in Ordering Drinks from Starbucks
By incorporating Alexa as a digital assistant into the home, customers may save time,
improve their decision-making, and enjoy a more excellent quality of life. Technology
developments have greatly improved users’ daily lives. Cloud computing has created a virtual
private assistant (VPA) that could instantaneously react to questions from various sources
through text messages and phone calls. Excellent individual recognition of responses and voices
is achieved. Hence, it was a wise financial investment. Starbucks uses Alexa because of its
reliability, advertised by its easy ordering system (Hoy, 2018). The company said in 2017 that it
would use Amazon Alexa to help customers buy drinks in-store. Thus, based on the novel
concepts, I initiated the necessary steps to implement a mobile menu powered by Alexa. The
next thing to do is link the Starbucks membership with the Alexa app at the coffee shop. Easy
order placement is available through the Alexa app. So it is a speech-based purchasing system
that makes placing orders easy for the customer. To activate a new skill, choose it from the
Alexa-amazon menu.
The newly implemented feature is simple to implement. Voice-activated technology
makes this kind of marketing very effective. Hence, the ability may be easily altered. Hearing
someone say, “Alexa, inform Starbucks I need a coffee is common.” Because of this, making
purchases and using the business is simple. Your purchase may be canceled if you change your
mind. Because of this, it may be used whenever convenient (Sharda et al., 2021). Customers may
easily update their information using the link whenever their delivery or pickup choices change.
Ford cars may be linked with Amazon’s Alexa for even more ease at Starbucks. The delivery
schedule will remain the same because of the move. By using Amazon Alexa, Starbucks can
improve its patrons’ service (Sharda, Delen & Turban, 2020). So it is much easier to place,
modify, or cancel orders. The app has enhanced Starbucks’ ability to deliver drinks to customers
by facilitating door-to-door and on-premises service. Consequently, the quality of the company’s
products and services has increased, as has customer satisfaction.
References
Hoy, M. B. (2018). Alexa, Siri, Cortana, and more: an introduction to voice assistants. Medical
reference services quarterly, 37(1), 81-88.
Sharda, R., Delen, D., & Turban, E. (2021). Analytics, data science, & artificial intelligence:
Systems for decision support. Pearson Education Limited.
Assignment 3 – Discussion 1
POST 1
Apple Home Pod is a smart speaker that integrates with Apple’s Siri digital assistant to
provide a variety of functions, including controlling smart home devices. With the rise of the
latest home automation technologies, Apple’s decision to enter the smart home market makes
sense, and the Home Pod has quickly become popular among Apple users (Brüggemeier et al.,
2020). The Home Pod supports several smart home devices, such as smart thermostats, lighting
systems, door locks, and many more. Interaction with these devices is done through Apple’s
HomeKit framework, which ensures the security and privacy of the user’s data. Once users set up
their smart home devices with the HomeKit framework, they can control all their devices from
their Home Pod. One of the most prominent features of the Home Pod’s interaction with smart
home devices is the ability to create scenes. Scenes allow users to control multiple devices within
a single command or action. For instance, when going to bed, a user could say, ” Hey Siri, good
night and the Home Pod would turn off all the lights, lock the doors, and lower the thermostat
(Sharda et al., 2020).
The rise of smart home technology has brought about a new era of convenience and
connectivity. One of the most popular smart home assistants available today is Amazon,
developed by Amazon. Alexa has the ability to connect with a wide range of appliances, from
lights to thermostats, using voice commands. The exploration of some examples of appliances
that can be connected to Alexa and the benefits that this integration can bring is as follows.
Bright Lights: One of the most popular categories of appliances that can be connected to Alexa is
bright lights (Brüggemeier et al., 2020). Intelligent lights allow people to control the lighting of
the user’s homes using people’s voices, which can be incredibly convenient. With Alexa, the user
can dim the lights, change their color, and even turn them off without leaving the user’s seat.
Some examples of intelligent lights that are compatible with Alexa include Philips Hue, LIFX,
and Sylvania. Smart Thermostats: Smart thermostats are another appliance that can be connected
to Alexa. These devices allow people to control the temperature of the user’s home using voice
commands. With Alexa, people can adjust the temperature, set schedules, and even turn the user
thermostat off or on (Sharda et al., 2020). Some examples of smart thermostats that are
compatible with Alexa include Eco Bee and Nest. Smart Home Security: Smart home security
systems are becoming increasingly popular, and Alexa can be integrated with many of these
systems.
References
Brüggemeier, B., Breiter, M., Kurz, M., & Schiwy, J. (2020, October). User experience of Alexa,
siri and google assistant when controlling music–comparison of four questionnaires. In
HCI International 2020-Late Breaking Papers: User Experience Design and Case Studies:
22nd HCI International Conference, HCII 2020, Copenhagen, Denmark, July 19–24,
2020, Proceedings (pp. 600-618). Cham: Springer International Publishing.
Sharda, R., Delen, Dursun, and Turban, E. (2020). Analytics, Data Science, & Artificial
Intelligence: Systems for Decision Support (11 ed.). By PEARSON Education. Inc.
POST 2
The Apple HomePod is one example of an intelligent speaker that can adapt to its
environment and play music at a high quality. One way to include the HomePod in your smart
home setup is to link it to Apple’s HomeKit website. It is a little device that connects to Wi-Fi
and acts as a microphone’s speaker, producing a rich aural atmosphere (Alexander, 2018). It is a
wireless technology like Bluetooth built within Apple’s ecosystem, making it easier to use. The
HomePod’s voice assistant, Siri, may control other HomeKit-enabled devices around the house.
Siri will reply to the user’s instruction to “turn off the lights” by turning off all the lights in the
room and lowering the brightness level. Integrating Apple’s Siri virtual assistant is one strategy
that sets HomePod unique from rival home sound systems.
So, HomePod can communicate with other intelligent home equipment and carry out
several operations associated with smart homes. Alexa can control a variety of popular
household equipment seen in contemporary homes. These include ovens, washer/dryer
combinations, central locking, and security systems. Because of this strategy, additional chores
around the home may now be done automatically. Most of these procedures are controlled by an
Alexa system (Salai & Holmquist, 2021). Because of this, it is one approach that may be used to
operate Samsung refrigerators and other equipment used in various forms of intelligent home
automation. An almost uncountable number of electronic devices may be linked to an Alexaenabled device. This suggests that Alexa may be included in routine activities and plans in the
future. Generally, we think that Alexa is only used to playing music, making a to-do list, and
doing weather and traffic reports. However, the new skills added to Alexa can connect
microwaves, thermostats, Echo wall clock, indoor ring cam, a smart plug, GNeste nest, and many
more appliances.
References
Alexander, R. (2018). Apple HomePod: Master your HomePod, User Guide, and Manual.
Salai, A. M., Cook, G., & Holmquist, L. E. (2021, August). IntraVox: A Personalized Human
Voice to Support Users with Complex Needs in Smart Homes. In IFIP Conference on
Human-Computer Interaction (pp. 223-244). Springer, Cham.
