Connecting an AI agent to your existing tools, without changing everything

A business leader’s first worry, even before cost: "Will we have to change our software?" The answer is no. An AI agent is designed to work where your teams already work.

Where does an AI agent work?

In your current tools:

• email: it reads incoming emails, sorts them, replies or drafts a reply;
• the CRM: it creates or updates a record, adds a note, follows up a quote;
• the accounting software or ERP: it enters an invoice, checks an order, prepares a reconciliation;
• shared documents: it reads a contract, fills in a spreadsheet, files a receipt;
• the e-invoicing platform: it retrieves an incoming invoice and checks it.

How it connects to them

Three routes, from the most direct to the most robust:

1. The connections built in by the software publisher. Most recent software offers a documented way to exchange data with another tool. It is the fastest route.
2. Exports and imports. When there is no direct connection, the agent can read a regular export and drop an import file.
3. Email and shared folders. Many software packages can receive a document by email or watch a folder: the agent uses that.

The quote states which route is used, tool by tool. A tool with no documented connection requires more work: it is one of the factors that make the price vary, and it is priced before signing.

Access limited to what is needed

An agent is not handed the keys to the house. For each agent, we write down:

• which data it accesses, and whether read or write;
• which actions it can take, and which require approval;
• who can use it.

These access rights are approved by you, can be changed, and can be withdrawn at any time. The details: Governance.

What to prepare

• Access rights, obtained before the start: they are the first cause of delay in a project.
• A test environment, if the agent has to write in a production tool.
• Real examples: invoices, emails, requests, with their special cases.

See Preparing an AI agent project.

When the tool changes

A software publisher changes its product, a connection evolves: an agent connected to your tools has to be monitored and adapted. That is the role of Monitoring, offered with every project: it follows how things run, fixes and adapts when your tools change.

What belongs to you

The code, the instructions given to the AI and the connections to your tools are handed over to you: what we write for you belongs to you. Only third-party tool licences remain with their publishers.

Frequently asked questions

Do we need to change our ERP or CRM to use an AI agent?

No. The agent works in your current tools. Overhauling an information system is a different project, and it is almost never a prerequisite.

What if our software is old?

It often offers an export, an import or an email address for dropping documents. The agent can go through those. It is slower than a direct connection, but it works, and the quote prices it.

Does the agent have access to all our data?

No. It only accesses what it needs for its work. Access rights are written down, approved by you, and can be withdrawn at any time.