Case Study: Autosermo
Meet: Steven Booth (Founder & CEO)
Company: Autosermo
Company background
Autosermo is a response-driven digital agency with a unique focus on automated chat and voice messaging technology.
We started out with the realisation that chatbots are great tools – But they required good leadership and management to get the best out of them (much like any new member of a team.)
We generated three key parameters for a successful chatbot:
- No computer iteration (“Sorry, try again, try again, try again…”)
- They must integrate with (work with) their human colleagues – Not be standalone
- They should improve over time through the leadership and management of the organisation
Whilst there are many clever chatbot tools and learning models being developed there wasn’t a core tool or service to help businesses achieve those three aims. So Autosermo built an easy-to-use dashboard to help humans manage their chatbot colleagues.
The success of this approach has meant that we have built bespoke messaging experiences for enterprise organisations worldwide including the UK Department for Education, Greggs on the UK High Street, Sherwin Williams in the U.S as well as a number of important third sector organisations (often where this technology has the greatest, and most valuable, impact.)
What were the highlights of the course?
The workshops provide valuable insights into the current thinking of security excellence. However, the real benefits were the technical review that was performed, the UX testing, and overview recommendations providing tangible outcomes that could be deployed in the business.
How has being on the course helped you as an individual?
The course has given Autosermo the opportunity to understand a more academic approach to working practices (methods of market and product research) in the cybersphere rather than strictly commercial which has resulted in tangible downstream innovation.
How has being on the course helped your business?
As a singular and definitive outcome, Autosermo have been able to demonstrate the organisational and application security provided by working with them as a supplier resulting in greater product and service adoption.
Is there anything you do now in your business that you would not have otherwise done?
Use of specific software in the approach to security development, expediting work in this regard with greater comfort over outcomes, as well as changes to both technological architecture (database choices) and UI / UX that otherwise would not have been made.
Would you recommend the course to other people? Why?
Yes – because it gives a unique insight into security approaches and real-world techniques that can be implemented to improve your organisation/product.
Have you had any recent successes in your business as a result of the programme?
The ability to demonstrate the security programme undertaken has allowed us to onboard more customers with greater alacrity. It has given stakeholders more confidence in us as a partner (without having to have drawn out security discussions).
The University of Salford has directly contributed toward us exploring the growth of our team through their student body.
Do you have any advice for other small to medium-sized businesses?
Sign up for Greater Manchester Cyber Foundry, do not wait until you think your business is ready. The concepts are applicable right now and will allow security-driven development and design. A security audit before planning any other works will result in better security practices and downstream cost savings.
What was the best thing about your partnership with the universities?
The depth of resources, the ability to take opinions from lots of different experts, and the potential to be able to directly recruit high-grade talent.
Is there any follow-up help/support that you are looking for?
We’d very much like to:
- Take on a student placement from the University of Salford;
- Any support or guidance around digital marketing;
- Attend ongoing networking opportunities around security best practice;