Less manual handling. More work moving forward.
Reduce re-entry, repetitive follow-ups and missed handoffs across email, documents, spreadsheets and business software. We connect one recurring process, define the approval rules and keep exceptions visible.
One process, before and after.
An incoming supplier invoice, as an example. What changes for staff is the re-typing and the chasing; what stays with them is the judgement.
Before
- Invoice arrives by email, often as a scan
- Someone opens it and re-types supplier, totals and dates into the accounting tool
- Mismatches are noticed later, if at all
- Queries go back to the supplier by hand
- Nobody knows how many are waiting on Friday
After
- Incoming invoice → extract agreed fields
- Validate totals, supplier code and duplicates against rules you set
- Route exceptions to a review queue with the reason shown
- Approved accounting update: a person approves during the pilot; automatic writes only if later agreed in scope
- Measure handling time, corrections and unresolved items against the baseline
Five places we usually start.
Systems and access
Email, spreadsheets, accounting and billing tools, CRMs, WhatsApp, ERPs and files of every kind, including scans and drawings. Most systems with an API, a database or a file export can be connected.
- WhatsApp needs a WhatsApp Business account with API access; a personal number cannot be connected.
- Accounting and billing tools differ in what their API or export allows; some permit reading but not writing, some need a paid plan or an add-on.
- Email needs a mailbox or shared inbox with permissions granted by your administrator.
- We confirm each connection during the assessment rather than assuming every account or vendor permits the same integration.
Three different controls, agreed separately.
Human review, automatic validation and agreed automatic actions are not the same thing. The scope names which applies to each step.
A person decides
During a first pilot, consequential actions such as sending a message or writing to a business record wait for a person to approve them.
Rules you set
Totals that must add up, supplier codes that must exist, duplicates that must be caught. Items that fail a rule go to the review queue with the reason shown; passing a rule is not the same as being approved.
Only when written into scope
After the evaluation, automatic actions can be agreed per action, with validation rules, logging and exception handling written into the scope. Every automatic action is logged with what was written, when and on what basis.
Useful software. Measured progress.
We agree the baseline before building and take the same measures after about 4 weeks of pilot.
- Handling time per item
- Corrections after the fact
- Unresolved items at the end of the week
- Share of items that needed a person, and why
- Cost per item for model usage and hosting
A focused pilot can include
- A map of the selected process
- A bounded workflow and agreed system connections
- Approval rules, review steps and exception handling
- Evaluation against representative inputs
- An operating guide and support responsibilities
On failure, nothing fails silently: a queued retry, a manual path or a visible service-unavailable state, agreed in the scope.
Before we begin.
Can it send messages and update our systems?
During a first pilot, consequential actions such as sending a message or writing to a business record wait for a person to approve them. After the evaluation, automatic actions can be agreed per action, with validation rules, logging and exception handling written into the scope.
Do we need to replace our existing tools?
No. We first assess the tools and integration points you already have. Replacement is considered only if the scope and constraints justify it.
How do you measure improvement?
Handling time, correction rate, unresolved items and successful completion, measured before and after against a baseline we agree at the start. We do not publish savings figures we have not measured.
Can Blend work with a business that runs on Excel and email?
Yes. Existing tools are assessed first and replacement is considered only if scope and constraints justify it. Typical first automations read incoming enquiries into a tracking sheet, extract invoice or order data for the accounting tool, and prepare follow-up reminders when a row goes stale. Which entries a person approves is agreed before the pilot starts.
Which tools and systems does Blend work with?
The ones you already run: email, spreadsheets, accounting and billing tools, CRMs, WhatsApp, ERPs and files of every kind, including drawings and scans. Workflow platforms such as n8n where they fit, custom code where they do not, and the model provider that suits your data and residency needs. Each connection depends on what the tool and your account type allow, which we confirm during the assessment.
How long does an AI pilot take?
A first pilot typically runs about 4 weeks, including a final evaluation week, after a readiness assessment of 1 to 2 weeks. The pilot length depends on data access, integrations and review requirements and is agreed before work starts. Rollout is scoped separately afterwards.
Bring us the process that costs the most time.
We assess what you have first. Nothing is replaced unless the scope justifies it.