Primechat Meridian
Case StudyGlobal NonprofitMeridian International Center
From scattered information to answers where work happens.
Meridian International Center needed a better way for employees to find answers to recurring policy and programme questions without manually searching documents or raising support requests.
Athen built Prime Chat, an AI-powered knowledge assistant embedded in SharePoint that connects Meridian’s organisational knowledge with conversational AI and Freshdesk support workflows.
The Challenge
The answers existed. Getting to them took work.
Meridian’s policy and programme information was distributed across documents and internal systems. Employees often needed to locate relevant information themselves or seek assistance through existing support channels.
When a question required more help, raising a Freshdesk ticket happened separately from finding the information in the first place. The challenge: bring knowledge discovery and support into a more connected employee experience.
Fragmented knowledge
Relevant policy and programme information was spread across documents and internal systems, making it harder for employees to find the right answer.
Repetitive support requests
Recurring questions required manual attention, creating opportunities to reduce routine support effort.
Disconnected resolution
Finding information and requesting additional assistance happened through separate steps, creating friction when a question could not be resolved immediately.
Workflow disruption
Employees needed to access information and support without repeatedly switching between tools or leaving their existing workspace.
The Solution
From finding information to getting help in context.
Athen built Prime Chat, a conversational AI assistant integrated with Meridian’s knowledge environment, SharePoint, and Freshdesk. Instead of relying exclusively on manual document searches or separate support requests, employees can interact with an assistant directly within SharePoint.
AI-powered retrieval helps surface relevant information, while Freshdesk integration provides a path for questions that require further assistance.
Before Prime Chat
- Information across documents and systems
- Manual searching for answers
- Separate support requests
- Repeated effort for recurring questions
With Prime Chat
- Conversational knowledge discovery
- AI-assisted information retrieval
- Support ticket creation for complex queries
- Assistance embedded in SharePoint
The Workflow
Ask. Retrieve. Resolve. Escalate.
Prime Chat connects conversational AI with organisational knowledge and support operations.
- 01
Ask naturally
Employees submit policy, programme, or internal information questions through the conversational assistant embedded in SharePoint.
Knowledge - 02
Retrieve relevant information
Azure AI, Semantic Kernel, and semantic search support the retrieval of relevant information from Meridian’s knowledge sources.
Knowledge - 03
Generate a contextual response
The assistant uses retrieved information to help formulate a relevant answer to the employee’s question.
Knowledge - 04
Escalate when needed
When a question requires additional assistance, the Freshdesk integration can create a support ticket for further handling.
Support - 05
Continue working in context
The SharePoint integration keeps the assistant within the employee’s existing workspace, connecting knowledge access with the support process.
Workspace
Conceptual flow
This diagram is conceptual and illustrates the intended solution, not a verified processing sequence.
Knowledge meets support
One experience. Two connected capabilities.
Prime Chat brings together two important parts of the employee experience: finding information and getting help when information alone is insufficient.
Knowledge discovery
Find relevant information without starting with a manual document search.
- Natural-language questions
- AI-assisted knowledge retrieval
- Semantic search across relevant information
- Contextual answers based on retrieved knowledge
Support escalation
Move complex questions into an established support process.
- Freshdesk integration
- Ticket creation for queries requiring additional assistance
- A connected path from information discovery to support
- Continued handling through the existing support environment
Business Value
Less searching. More connected support.
Prime Chat is designed to make organisational knowledge easier to access while connecting employees with the support they need.
Easier access to information
Employees can ask questions conversationally rather than relying exclusively on manual searches through documents and systems.
Reduced repetitive support effort
AI-assisted retrieval can help address recurring information needs before they require additional support intervention.
A clearer escalation path
Freshdesk integration connects complex queries to a familiar support workflow when further assistance is necessary.
Knowledge within the employee workspace
SharePoint integration makes the assistant accessible where employees already work, reducing the need to move between separate experiences.
A foundation for future capabilities
The .NET and Azure architecture, supported by SQL Server, provides a technical foundation for continued development.
These are intended benefits of the solution’s design, not measured results.
The Technology
Built to connect enterprise knowledge and support.
Prime Chat combines AI-powered retrieval, workplace integration, and support workflow connectivity.
Azure AI
Supports the AI capabilities used to retrieve information and provide conversational assistance.
Semantic Kernel
Provides an orchestration framework for integrating AI capabilities into the application.
Semantic search
Helps identify relevant information based on the meaning and context of a query rather than only exact keyword matches.
SharePoint
Provides the employee-facing workspace in which Prime Chat is embedded.
Freshdesk
Connects queries requiring additional assistance with the support ticketing workflow.
.NET Core
Supports the application’s backend.
SQL Server
Supports the application’s data requirements.
Next step
The answer may already exist. Make it easier to find.
Athen helps organisations connect enterprise knowledge, AI-powered retrieval, and everyday workflows to make information more useful to the people who need it.
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