Efficient access to HR knowledge for PHSG employees
With the AI agent “Ella” developed by the Online Group, the University of Teacher Education St.Gallen (PHSG) is relying on modern, digital support in the HR area. The aim is to make HR knowledge available efficiently and around the clock, and to give the HR team more time to support and advise employees and managers. The core mission of the University of Teacher Education St.Gallen (PHSG) is teacher training for elementary school and vocational education. The institution employs almost 600 staff. Around 1,400 people are currently studying at the PHSG. In addition to the areas of training and professional introduction, the PHSG offers a comprehensive range of continuing education courses, which are used by around 10,000 people every year. With its commitment to research, development and services, the PHSG also contributes to the clarification of issues relating to schools, teaching and professional development in the education sector. The PHSG campus extends over four university buildings in St.Gallen, Rorschach and Gossau.
From scattered information to a central HR knowledge source
The aim of the project was to significantly improve the quality of service for employees in HR matters and at the same time noticeably reduce the workload of the HR team. The starting point was the challenge of making HR-relevant information from the intranet quickly and specifically accessible. Existing search functions often did not deliver satisfactory results, which led to media disruptions and additional work for HR.
The Online Group then developed an AI-supported agent that supports employees with questions along the entire employee life cycle – quickly, consistently and at all times.
The solution is based on over 100 internal HR documents that have been prepared in a structured manner and specifically optimized for use by the AI. A specific indexing logic and a sophisticated prompt strategy ensure that relevant content is found precisely and answered in a comprehensible manner.
A key success factor here was the close coordination between the specialist department and technology and the good data basis, which ensured the quality and reliability of the answers in the long term.
Technological basis on Microsoft Azure and Azure OpenAI
The solution is based on Microsoft Azure and Azure OpenAI Services and uses powerful language models to process requests.
The entire solution is operated in a secure cloud environment – directly in the PHSG tenant in Switzerland. The data remains strictly separated from the AI model used and is protected and encrypted throughout processing.
The use of a specific prompt strategy and structured data pre-processing ensures that the answers are based on the PHSG’s internal regulations and principles.
Economical due to usage-based model
A key advantage of the solution is the consumption-based billing model for the Azure and OpenAI services used. In contrast to traditional licensing models, where all 600 or so employees would have to be licensed individually, costs are only incurred for actual use.
This enables the PHSG to operate a significantly more cost-efficient solution and at the same time provide all employees with low-threshold access to “Ella”.
Integration into existing systems and processes
“Ella” was designed in such a way that the solution integrates seamlessly into the existing daily work routine. It is integrated directly into the PHSG HR intranet, allowing employees to access the solution without additional systems.
In addition, an automated indexing system was set up so that content from the HR area and relevant legal bases can be continuously updated and integrated into the solution.
If a question cannot be answered unambiguously, the agent makes a specific referral to the relevant HR department. Personal advice therefore remains a central component.
Data protection and transparent use
Data protection and trust play a central role, especially in the HR environment. This is why the solution was designed in such a way that no personal chat histories are stored. Only anonymized usage data such as request frequency or times are evaluated for the further development of the solution. Processing is based on the security and compliance standards of Microsoft Azure.
Relief in everyday life and focus on personal advice
The automated answering of recurring standard questions is intended to noticeably reduce the burden on HR processes and handle internal inquiries more efficiently.
Employees get faster access to relevant information, while the HR team gains more time for complex and individual concerns.
The solution does not replace the personal exchange, but complements it in a targeted manner and creates space for high-quality advice.
Scalable solution with future potential
The developed solution is deliberately designed to be flexible and can be expanded in the future – for example with additional data sources, new areas of application or further developed AI models. In this way, PHSG is creating a sustainable basis for the targeted further development of the use of AI in everyday working life.
Successful implementation by the Online Group
The Online Group was responsible for the design, development, technical implementation and operation of the solution, based on its extensive expertise in AI solutions in the Microsoft environment. The result is a practical, secure and scalable AI agent that simplifies access to knowledge in the long term and shows how organizations can make their internal services more efficient, scalable and economical through the targeted use of AI.
“The collaboration with the Online Group was very constructive and goal-oriented. The structured approach of the two project managers and the open and close coordination, which contributed significantly to the success of the project, deserve special mention. The HR chatbot “Ella” represents an important step in the digital development of HR services for the HR department and therefore also for PHSG.”
Pascal Müller
Human Resources Generalist, PHSG
