SPAM – A Process Model for Developing Smart Personal Assistants

Abstract

Information technology capabilities are growing at an impressive pace and increasingly overstrain the cognitive abilities of users. User assistance systems such as online manuals try to help the user in handling these systems. However, there is strong evidence that traditional user assistance systems are not as effective as intended. With the rise of smart personal assistants, such as Amazon’s Alexa, user assistance systems are becoming more sophisticated by offering a higher degree of interaction and intelligence. This study proposes a process model to develop Smart Personal Assistants. Using a design science research approach, we first gather requirements from Smart Personal Assistant designers and theory, and later evaluate the process model with developing an Amazon Alexa Skill for a Smart Home system. This paper contributes to the existing user assistance literature by offering a new process model on how to design Smart Personal Assistants for intelligent systems.