Is gStepOne a Virtual Assistant?

More like a guide and a helper. gStepOne generates wizards. A wizard can be defined as an interactive procedure or process mediated by a computer. It is designed to guide users down preset paths, providing the knowledge and the tools needed for them to produce a specific outcome. It does not do the task for the user; it enables the user to complete a task in an expert fashion.

A true Virtual Assistant (VA) or Intelligent Software Assistant is designed to do the task or part of the task for the user. These systems, when they arrive, are expected to act as aides, actually doing simple jobs, like booking flights, making appointments, etc. (see MIT Tech Review for the current state of play). Most VAs are being developed using Artificial Intelligence (AI) software and are designed to mimic the self-awareness and mental abilities typically associated with the human mind.

Providing AI-based virtual support requires a significant effort in identifying and programming for all possible contexts. As a result, most AI-based VAs handle only a small set of tasks. Furthermore, increasing this number is limited by the availability of specialist programmers and the knowledge that they can develop and codify.

Our development approach is quite different. gStepOne is designed for people with no programming skills, who wish to share their expertise to create a wizard for any task. Collectively, the wizards become a resource that helps people produce tangible outcomes. Each can then be called as required by AI-based Virtual Assistants like Siri and Botégo, or by Google, an embedded link or any other method.

While the techniques for producing gStepOne wizards and Virtual Assistants are similar, gStepOne’s objectives are less ambitious: it enables people to do the task, it does not do it for them.

Version 2.1 Released!

With this release, gStepOne users can produce Wizards even faster! You can now:

1. Copy tasks to new or existing wizards
2. Google the web for supporting “How to” information, training, pictures, videos, maps, blogs, etc. as a high speed option for Advise Mes
3. Filter Docs lists by folder.

For a full list of Version 2.1 enhancements, please go the the gStepOne forum (you can read all messages, but you have to register before you can post).

The release also includes updated documentation at the gStepOne website.

Sample wizard released

We are constantly looking for ways to improve your gStepOne experience, especially in the early stages of use. Since many users have found that an example is a great way to get up to speed quickly, we have created a sample wizard: the Recruitment wizard.

For this wizard, we have defined the organisation structure, mapped the process, allocated conditions, created and linked resources and generated the wizard. A public version of the wizard is also available on the website homepage. Just click the Try the Wizard button on the page.

If you would like a copy of the Recruitment wizard, let us know at: support@gstepone.com and we will copy it to your account database. Please note however, that the structure of the gStepOne database is such that in loading the Recruitment sample, you will lose any wizards data you have entered into your current database. User, Business Unit, Group and Role details will remain unchanged.

All new accounts will receive the sample wizard automatically.

The gStepOne Team

Version 2.0 Released!

The waiting is over! gStepOne is now fully operational with Chrome and Firefox. Version 2.0, uploaded today, has two major enhancements and a load of minor ones.

The Major enhancements are:

1. Increased browser compatibility. gStepOne now supports the following browsers:
   IE 6.0 and above,
   Google Chrome 1.0 and above and
   Mozilla Firefox 3.0 and above.
   
2. Naming wizard map shapes now resize to suit the text in the name. Shapes no longer require the user to place text on newlines in order to format the shape name neatly.

For a full list of Version 2.0 enhancements, please go the the gStepOne forum (you can read all messages, but you have to register before you can post).

The release also includes updated documentation at the gStepOne website.

gStepOne Team

Another new Quick-Training Video Released

We have just released another short training video, on how to allocate resources to wizards.

Once allocated, these resources become the wizard facilities provided to the user when he or she works through the step.

Check it out on YouTube: Attaching Resources to Wizard Steps.

Or for a higher definition version, go to:
http://www.gstepone.com/support.aspx

or click Training at the gStepOne mapping screen.

gStepOne Team

5 New Quick-training Videos Released

We have just released five short videos on how to create and link wizard resouces. Check them out on YouTube:

1. Identifying the resources you need
2. Creating Advise Mes using Draft It
3. Creating and linking to Google Docs resources
4. Linking to Google Apps resources
5. Linking to web resources

Or for a higher definition version, go to:
http://www.gstepone.com/support.aspx

or click Training at the gStepOne mapping screen.

gStepOne Team

Version 1.5 released!

gStepOne Version 1.5 was released on Friday Feb 6, with a range of enhancements, including the addition of a termination icon, a Checkout undo function, a resources "Where-used" function and some bug fixes.

For a full list, please go the the gStepOne forum (login required):

http://www.gstepone.com/forums/forum_posts.asp?TID=5

The release also includes updated documentation at:

http://www.gstepone.com/support.aspx

gStepOne Team