Entity Extraction for Entity List

[Yasmin]

Our Pay topic starts with a static choice that has 8 options. This static choice control has an associated entity, which is a list type entity. This way if the user types something related to one fo the 8 branches in the topic, VA will take the user straight thru the correct conversation path, rather than prompting the user to select from the main menu. Here's how part of the topic looks:

The entity extraction is working nicely for the majority of the branches except for 2 of them (in this question I'll only refer to Incorrect pay or else branch). Per the NLU tests the utterances match 100% on the topic and the entity, yet when testing in the VA UI, the extraction does not occur. 

Utterance My pay is incorrect OR my pay is incorrect
Entity List @PayAction
Entity Value @incorrect pay or else
Topic branch: incorrect pay or else

When typing the exact utterance in VA UI, it does not recognize the correct path. It does not do the entity extraction and prompts user to select an item from the main menu. The same happens for any utterance associated to this item within the list entity. The NLU Test results are successful 100%.

Utterance associated to the list entity:

VA UI results: Entity extraction failed. Although the exact utterance exists in the Pay intent, and it is associated to the list entity, it does not take the user through the conversation path, it stops at the initial menu within the topic.

On the other hand, here's an example of an utterance for which the entity extraction is working perfectly on another branch within the same topic.

Utterance Correct hours in MyTime OR correct hours in MyTime
Entity @PayAction
Entity Value @timesheet
NLU Test results: successful

VA UI results: Successful. Entity extraction achieved. Took user straight to the correct path.

I've tried many utterances and none are working for the exact same path. I've even renamed the choice value within the static choice list, to match with the value of the arrow path and to match the value of the item within the list entity, thinking that is the issue, but no success. How does VA match the item within the list entity with the item on the static choice list to take the user through the correct path? 

Thanks in advance!

[D van Heusden]

The value (of the choicelist entry) is used downstream in the topic to drive to the correct branch.

[oelrafik]

Hey David! 

I could swear that the value was indeed the way to drive the topic forward in the branch, but in reality it is also the label?! I made a quick test topic to showcase this: 

One thing to note is that we just switched from Keyword to NLU - if it is a defect, that could be a possible reason. 

[Mikael at Advan]

Hi @oelrafik , thanks, yes i've figured that out as well but did forgot to mention it, sorry...

Still, I don't want to show the values to the user so this must be a defect comparing/mapping NLU entity value to the choice label instead of the choice value...

I would propose adding label to the entity in the NLU model so that you could use that as choices in the topic input (the same way using a choice list from a table).

[oelrafik]

@Mikael at Advania I did exactly that as a workaround as well. One thing to consider about this is that if you get a request to change the option label from a UX/UI perspective, you literally have to go change the Entity Value in the model. When you do change the value, you have to re-label all the utterances that are associated to that Entity value. This will be especially cumbersome if you have 30 utterances associated with a particular entity value.

[Mikael at Advan]

Thanks Yasmin 🙂

I'll raise a ticket on HI and hope for a resolution.

For me i've only cloned Email Setup topic with no other changes and it won't work (but original topic does)...i've also increased confidence threashold to 80% but with no effect on entity recognition in topic flow.

My findings is that all cloned/custom topics seems to fail on entity recognition or do you have custom topic where entity recognition works...?