Dash Replenishment uses the Alexa Smart Home cloud to listen for inventory updates and notifies the user through different channels (e.g. email, Alexa notifications).

Connecting with DRS through the Alexa Smart Home cloud requires the following technologies:

A Smart Home skill in the Alexa console - this skill may include one or more models (e.g. Custom, Video, Smart Home) but DRS will use the Smart Home model for the purpose of discovering the connected device and receiving inventory signals.
A Lambda function on AWS - will process inventory updates sent by the manufacturer cloud (your cloud) and will forward them to the Alexa Smart Home cloud. It will also be in charge of sending a Discover.Response to inform the Alexa cloud of a new device ID being available.
An Oauth2 server in your cloud - will be responsible for the account linking process when a customer enables the Smart Home skill in their Alexa account. This server provides an authorization grant to the Alexa Smart Home cloud and allows Alexa to read information about the connected device.

The following table summarises the high-level requirements for different scenarios which are covered in the next pages of this documentation:

The steps required in this process depend on whether your connected products already use the Alexa capabilities. Please select whether you have a Custom skill, a Smart Home skill or no Alexa skill yet to see an overview of the steps required. Once you are familiar with the steps required, click on Next step

Create a skill

If you have not created an Alexa skill yet, this guide will show you how:

Create a new device in the DRS console and capture the replenishmentId
Access the Alexa console and create a new skill, selecting the "Smart Home" model.
Configure account linking from the console, specifying your Oauth2 server details.
Create an AWS Lambda function to process Alexa Smart Home requests
Ensure your connected devices are sending a device ID to your cloud upon registration.
Ensure your connected devices are sending inventory levels to your cloud upon user interaction.

Get started by creating a device in the Next Step.

Add a smart home model to an existing skill

If you a Custom Alexa skill already, this guide will show you how:

Create a new device in the DRS console and capture the replenishmentId
Access the Alexa console and add a new model, selecting the "Smart Home" model.
Ensure account linking is configured or set it-up from the console, specifying your Oauth2 server details.
Create an AWS Lambda function to process Alexa Smart Home requests
Ensure your connected devices are sending a device ID to your cloud upon registration.
Ensure your connected devices are sending inventory levels to your cloud upon user interaction.

Get started by creating a device in the Next Step.

Modify an existing Smart Home skill

If you have already an Alexa Smart Home skill, this guide will show you how:

Create a new device in the DRS console and capture the replenishmentId
Update your AWS Lambda function to process the Discovery ChangeReport and the Inventory Updates.
Ensure your connected devices are sending inventory levels to your cloud upon user interaction.

Get started by creating a device in the Next Step.