Appendix 1: Detailed Site and Technology Descriptions

Appendix 1: Detailed Site and Technology Descriptions

India

Role fulfillment: Task augmentation Software that analyzes text-based customer service chats to provide agent with small set of potential response and resolution templates to use as responses to customer comments
Role fulfillment: Task automation Chatbot that handed straightforward customer inquiries, automating requests that previously would have been handled by workers

Software that captured and logged customer and call details, which previously agents needed to enter themselves
Role fulfillment: Task augmentation Software that analyzes text-based customer service chats to provide agent with small set of potential response and resolution templates to use as responses to customer comments
Coaching: Real-time performance feedback Software that monitored calls for keywords, key phrases, and tone, and provided pop-up coaching to the call agent in the moment on what to do differently (e.g., greet the customer according to the script; speak more loudly, quietly, slowly, quickly; end the call by a certain time)

Software that monitored calls and predicted customer satisfaction scores
Performance assessment: Performance evaluation Software that monitored calls and predicted customer satisfaction scores

Sub-Saharan Africa

Role fulfillment: Task augmentation Software used in annotating videos to provide AI model training data; enables workers to annotate an object in one frame, and have the annotation of that object continue through many frames. Previously workers had to annotate the object in each frame of the video

Software used in annotating images, allows workers to select the far corners of the object that needs to be annotated, and the tool will draw the rest of the contours around the object
Role fulfillment: Task automation Chatbot that handed straightforward customer inquiries, automating requests that previously would have been handled by workers

Software that captured and logged customer and call details, which previously agents needed to enter themselves
Coaching: Real-time performance feedback Software used to review the accuracy of annotations. Approves or rejects, does not provide any kind of feedback or coaching on what needs to be improved

USA

Role fulfillment: Real-time task assignment Handheld scanner task assignment: Device and software used to complete tasks (e.g., give workers instructions to guide the movement of items throughout the warehouse, or which trucks to load packages onto)
Role fulfillment: Task augmentation Return processing hardware and software: Device and software to assess condition of returns, and direct worker on next steps for item (e.g., repackage, dispose)

Robotic item movers: Robots deliver items to pickers, packers, and stowers, reducing or eliminating the need for humans to move around the warehouse to complete these jobs or carry heavy loads
Coaching: Real-time performance feedback Handheld scanner feedback: Device and software used to complete tasks also provides information on:

  • Whether tasks have been correctly completed (e.g., the worker has found the correct item, placed the item in the correct location, or loaded the package onto the correct truck)
  • The worker’s speed of task completion (how long between completing one task and the next), and number of tasks completed per hour
Performance evaluation: Performance target setting Software that sets targets for worksite based on historical performance and company goals
Performance assessment: Performance target setting Software tracks performance against targets, warns worker and notifies management when performance lags for too long
Note: US participants were asked to describe their race/ethnicity in a freeform entry. In order to more easily show the representativeness of the participants in the US site along this demographic dimension, we have combined participants into more general descriptions in this chart. White/Caucasian in the chart includes participants who answered “White,” “Caucasian,” and “White (Irish and German)”. Black/African-American includes participants who answered either “African American” or “Black.” Biracial/multiracial includes participants who answered “Biracial, African American and Caucasian,” “Mixed ethnic origin, Caucasian,” and “African American and Puerto Rican.” All other labels (Asian-American, African) are descriptions directly offered by participants.