AI-Led Initiatives Created at Latest Smartbridge Hackathon

For the last decade, Smartbridge has conducted regular hackathons to foster innovation, teamwork, and problem-solving in a fast-paced environment using emerging and disruptive technology. Not only does it encourage consultants to think out-of-the-box and rapidly prototype solutions, but it also produces potential solutions to share with our clients to accelerate their digital journey. Additionally, Smartbridge encourages our clients to engage in this collaborative ideation experience to generate fresh ideas and strengthen relationships, underscoring our firm’s capabilities in delivering tangible results.

This October, Smartbridge concluded the latest hackathon with a theme of AI-led solutions. With the rapid release of so many technologies this year, it necessitated time to stop and focus on the true impact for the real world. How can these AI solutions, features, add-ons and plugins really extend the value of core business solutions? How do your employees take advantage in a way that elevates their contributions?

Projects and Initiatives developed during this hackathon included:

Hackathon Project #1

Generative AI using Azure ML Prompt Flow

Prompt Flow in Azure Machine Learning allows you to build large language models (LLM) from scratch and manage the solution better. It has more flexibilities than just Azure OpenAI. The benefit is an end-to-end digital solution to service any LLM request.

This project was developed with a large quick-service restaurant chain as the storyboard for the resulting demo, created in a day and a half.

The Azure Machine Learning platform (prompt flow connected to Azure OpenAI and Azure Cognitive Search) was used to extract, understand and have a conversation with the data. The resulting stand alone demo application can hold intelligent conversations on the restaurant’s financial data powered by generative AI.​ Answering such questions as:

Hackathon Project #2

Streaming Analytics using Microsoft Fabric

Operations in the Oil & Gas industry deal with high volumes of streaming data from various sensors connected to the oil wells. The goal is to use Microsoft Fabric to consume the streaming data and produce a dashboard for the operations team to monitor and take precautionary and corrective measures proactively.

This success project revealed many potential use cases for the Oil & Gas and Energy field. For example:

• Monitor and optimize field operations to reduce operational costs, initiate preventative maintenance and Prevent potential failures
• Monitor sensitive equipment and kick off a business process when values deviate from permissible range

Hackathon Project #3

A Work-Process CoPilot for Video Content

With Microsoft OpenAI, significant volumes of video content can be searched with a simple prompt, resulting in the right video at the right spot with the transcript and video queued up in seconds. The use case developed during this project focused on videos created to aid in employee training on manufacturing processes, troubleshooting, safety and compliance.

SmartbridgeGPT, our own Generative AI front end, is the platform in which the video content can be delivered in this project.

Hackathon Project #4

Predictive & Generative AI with Salesforce

At Smartbridge, we’ve seen clients try to apply Salesforce‘s Einstein AI and be overwhelmed by the potential. This project delved deeper into Einstein AI than we have ever done before, applying configurations to properly support real scenarios needed by clients. For example:

• Forecast the number of new products needed for the next quarter
• Run Einstein AI model to generate an opportunity score to predict probability of winning the deal
• Generate automatic sales emails to customers using Generate AI capabilities

Hackathon Project #5

Enhance Microsoft Power Platform Capabilities with CoPilot

Microsoft has released CoPilot to support and extend the usefulness of Power Apps, Power Automate and Power BI. As great as it sounds, it’s not as easy as “deploy-and-go”. It’s key to understand the art of the possible, by way of applying proper prompting techniques and options.

While CoPilot has a long way to go, Smartbridge consultants now have a deep understanding of what, how and where CoPilot should be applied. We look forward to sharing our knowledge with clients to facilitate their adoption. For example:

• In Power BI, CoPilot is great for providing suggestions for quick calculations, and integrates with Fabric.
• In Power Automate, CoPilot can generate flows based on an input query, and display suggestions on alternative ways to build a flow.
• In Power Apps, CoPilot can generate a foundation to start designing an application and provide suggestions to format elements into the app.

Smartbridge customers are welcome to join our upcoming hackathons. Please reach out to your account manager or contact us to be included in our next round of planning!