What Are AI Agents for ERP?
AI agents for ERP are software programs that monitor your ERP system for exceptions (invoice mismatches, aging receivables, back orders, quality issues), apply business rules to make decisions, and take action automatically - such as contacting customers, resolving discrepancies, or escalating to staff.
They work within your existing ERP security model and handle the coordination work that currently requires manual intervention.
20-40
DAILY EXCEPTIONS
Avg volume for mid-market
20 hrs
TIME SAVED
Per week, per process
6-12 Months
ROI TIMELINE
Fast return on automation investment
6-8 Wks
DAILY EXCEPTIONS
For initial pilot
$10k-$30k
INVESTMENT
Range for initial pilot
THE PROBLEM
The Exception Bottleneck
Your AP team resolves invoice mismatches manually. Your AR team chases aging receivables by phone. Your operations team coordinates back orders through email.
"These aren't process failures. This is how ERP systems work. They handle standard transactions efficiently. They stop when something doesn't match, doesn't align, or requires judgment."
The exception becomes manual work - emails, calls, and follow-ups. A typical mid-market ERP generates 20-40 exceptions per day. At 30 minutes per exception, that's 10-20 hours of daily manual work.
Who This Is For
We work with mid-market companies ($20M-$1B revenue) running established ERP systems - Acumatica, NetSuite, SAP Business One, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Epicor, or similar platforms - who need custom solutions for specific operational bottlenecks.
We are not the right fit for AI R&D projects, enterprise-wide transformations, or companies still implementing their core ERP.
We Build AI Agents That Work Inside Your ERP
We take on exception handling.
These agents handle the judgment calls, coordination work, and follow-up that currently requires human intervention.
The High Cost of Manual Exceptions
20-40
Daily Exceptions (Mid-Market Average)
10-20h
Daily Manual Work (@ 30min/exception)
This Work Compounds Over Time.
Exceptions that don't get resolved today become tomorrow's escalations.
Back Order Ignored
Customer Complaint
AP Mismatch Waits
Vendor Issue
Quote Sits Idle
Lost Opportunity
Here's What That Looks Like in Practice
We handle the exceptions that consume your team's time
AR collections and aging receivables follow-up
Systematic outreach, payment tracking, escalation
AP three-way matching discrepancies
Invoice investigation, resolution coordination, approval routing
Customer quote generation and pricing
Automated generation based on business rules
Back order management and customer communication
Proactive alerts, alternative sourcing, status updates
Quality issue investigation and vendor coordination
Investigation protocols and vendor communication
Customer return authorization and processing
Policy application, RMA generation, credit coordination
How AI Agents Compare to Alternatives
Question | AI Agents | RPA/Traditional Automation | Manual Process |
|---|---|---|---|
ROI timeline | 6-12 months | 12-24 months | N/A |
Typical pilot cost | $10,000-$30,000 | $50,000-$150,000 | Labor costs only |
Best for | Exception handling with judgment | Repetitive tasks, zero variation | Complex strategic decisions |
Handles variable exceptions? | Yes | Limited - requires exact process match | Yes |
Requires judgment? | Yes - within defined business rules | No - follows scripts only | Yes - full judgment |
Scales with volume? | Yes - 30 or 300 exceptions | Yes - but breaks with variation | No - requires headcount |
Setup time | 6-8 weeks | 3-6 months | None |
Ongoing maintenance | Low - self-monitoring | High - breaks with system changes | None |
Use AI Agents when:
Volume > 20/week, business rules exist but require judgment.
Use RPA when:
Process is 100% standardized, no judgment required.
Keep Manual when:
Volume < 10/week, strategic judgment required.
How AI Agents Compare to Alternatives
BEST PRACTICE
When to use AI agents
Exception volume is high (20+ weekly), business rules exist but require judgment, coordination across systems needed.
ALTERNATIVE
When to use RPA
Process is 100% standardized with zero variation, no judgment required, purely data movement.
STATUS QUO
When to keep manual
Exception volume under 10 weekly, each truly requires unique strategic judgment, automation cost exceeds labor cost.
How This Works
Step-by-step process flow:
1
Monitor
Agent continuously monitors your ERP for defined exception conditions
2
Detect
When an exception occurs (invoice mismatch, aging receivable, back order), agent identifies it
3
Decide
Agent applies your business rules to determine appropriate action
4
Act
Agent takes action—sends email, makes call, updates record, creates task
5
Document
Every action automatically logged in your ERP system
6
Escalate
If situation exceeds thresholds, agent escalates to staff
7
Learn
Agent improves based on resolution outcomes and feedback
TECHNICAL CONNECTIVITY
Integration with your ERP
Agents connect through your ERP's standard APIs. They operate using defined user credentials with appropriate permissions.
GORVERNANCE
Human oversight
You define what the agent handles autonomously and what requires approval. Escalation rules determine when situations move to human staff. Every action is logged in your ERP. You maintain complete control and can pause, modify, or stop agents at any time.
GOVERNANCE
SYSTEM SECURE
Access Scope
You define exactly what the agent can access.
Approval Gates
Require approval for adjustments, write-offs
Escalation Logic
Define precise triggers for when to involve staff.
Audit Logging
Full performance trails for every action taken.
Real Results
Representative results from recent mid-market implementations:
$180M Wholesale Distributor
AR Collections Agent
Implementing an AI agent for AR collections on invoices under $10,000. Within 90 days:
-
DSO Decrease 52 → 38 Days
-
Staff Time Saved 60%
-
Working Capital Freed Up to $2.3M
Team now can focus on high-value accounts and credit analysis
$240M Manufacturer
AP Matching Agent
Automating three-way matching exception resolution. Results after 60 days:
-
Processing Time -45%
-
Resolution Speed Hours (was Days)
-
Month-End Close -3 Days
Improved vendor relationships through faster payment cycles
Common Questions
Practical answers on ERP compatibility, timeline, governance, auditability, and how pilots work.
Is This Right for Your Situation?
AI agents make sense when:
Exception volume exceeds 20 per week
Process follows defined business rules
Team spends 10+ hours weekly on coordination
Working capital or relationship impact is quantifiable
You have 6-8 weeks available for pilot implementation
Keep manual processing when:
Exception volume is under 10 per week
Each situation requires unique strategic judgment
Cost of automation exceeds labor cost
Planning major ERP replacement in next 12 months
Current process lacks defined business rules
Getting Started
Most companies begin with a 90-day pilot focused on one agent and one process. This approach lets you validate results before expanding.
What a pilot includes:
One specific process
ERP Integration
Defined success metrics
Performance monitoring
Performance monitoring
WEEK 1-2
Discovery and process documentation
WEEK 3-6
Development and testing
WEEK 7-8
Pilot deployment
WEEK 9-12
Monitoring, refinement, validation