AI-driven tools are becoming increasingly prevalent across various industries, streamlining processes from simple graphic design and translations to advanced document, email, and database analysis. In this article, we will present a practical business application of an AI assistant in action.
AI Agents have a wide range of applications, and their full potential is still being discovered. The main advantages of AI-powered assistants include:
1. Automating Routine Processes
AI agents can handle repetitive tasks such as customer inquiries, document analysis, and data management. By automating these processes, businesses can reduce operational costs and improve efficiency.
2. Personalized Customer Interactions
By analyzing data, AI agents can provide personalized recommendations and tailored offers, enhancing customer engagement and improving overall user experience.
3. Speed and Availability
AI operates 24/7, delivering instant responses and real-time support. This is particularly valuable in industries that require quick reaction times, such as e-commerce, finance, and logistics.
4. Advanced Data Analysis
AI-powered agents can process vast amounts of data in a short time, identifying patterns and correlations that support better business decision-making.
5. Optimizing Decision-Making Processes
With predictive modeling, AI assists in demand forecasting, risk management, and supply chain optimization, helping organizations make more informed decisions.
6. Seamless Integration with Existing Systems
Modern AI solutions can be easily integrated into existing ERP, CRM, and analytics platforms, enhancing their capabilities and improving overall system efficiency.
A Practical Example of AI Agent Use in the Transport Industry
AI agents can be applied across various industries, including banking, sales, and human resource management. In this text, we will focus on a freight forwarding company that handles anywhere from a few to dozens of shipments daily.
Freight forwarders deal with constant communication and the verification of numerous documents. Each of these tasks takes time—a resource that is often in short supply—making errors more likely when the workload is high.
How can time management be improved? By automating repetitive and predictable tasks. This is where an AI Agent comes in. Here’s an example of an AI assistant we developed, powered by Google’s Large Language Model, Gemini.
One possible application is the following scenario:
A freight forwarder receives an email that should include an insurance policy along with proof of payment. The AI Agent automatically, without needing to be prompted, checks whether the email contains the required attachments. If they are included, it proceeds to verify the following details:
In the Insurance Policy:
- Policy number
- Insurance period and whether it is currently valid
- Insured party details, including tax identification number and address
- Bank account number for premium payment
In the Payment Confirmation:
- Payment reference
- Amount
- Bank account number
- Payment date
- Whether the transfer corresponds to the submitted policy (e.g., based on the reference, account number)
The AI Agent then transfers the extracted data into a designated Excel file, which is continuously updated. The data file can be formatted accordingly, for example, by highlighting entries in red where the insurance policy is invalid or the payment has not been verified.
In this simple way, instead of searching through their inbox for the right emails, the freight forwarder can check the Excel file to see if the documents have been received from a specific sender and whether they are correct. This saves a significant amount of time and ensures data accuracy.
There are many ways to further develop our AI Assistant. It can be integrated with other tools, such as Slack or other communication platforms, to send notifications about missing documents or generate automated email responses. An AI-powered agent can be tailored to the specific needs of a company, a department, or even an individual role.