The Failure Question   AI agents will fail. The question is not whether failures occur but how they're detected, escalated, and resolved. Understanding failure modes and recovery procedures prevents minor issues from becoming major problems.    Properly designed AI implementations fail gracefully with immediate human intervention.      Types of AI Failures   Failure Type 1: Misunderstanding Customer Intent   What happens: Customer provides ambiguous response. AI interprets i

The Measurement Need   "How do we know if AI agents are working?" requires clear success metrics. Understanding KPIs - operational efficiency, financial performance, quality indicators, strategic value - enables objective evaluation and continuous improvement.    Proper measurement separates successful implementations from disappointing ones.    KPI Category 1: Operational Efficiency   Complete Handling Rate   Definition: Percentage of exceptions AI handles from identificati

The Platform Cost Reality   AI agent implementations depend on third-party platforms for AI, voice, and workflow capabilities. Understanding complete platform costs prevents budget surprises.  These are ongoing subscription costs separate from implementation fees.      Platform Categories   AI Foundation Platforms   Purpose: Provide AI conversation capability  Leading platforms:   OpenAI (GPT-4, GPT-4 Turbo)  Anthropic (Claude)  Google (Gemini)  Pricing models:   Token-based

The Preparation Question   AI agents require ERP access to read data and write outcomes. Understanding preparation requirements prevents implementation delays and ensures smooth integration.  Most modern ERPs are ready. Some require minor preparation. A few need significant work.    Technical Requirements   API Access   What's needed:   REST API or similar modern interface  Authentication capability (OAuth preferred)  Read access to exception data  Write access for outcomes a

Why Pricing Questions Arise Early   AI agent discussions often focus on cost before scope is understood. Fixed pricing feels safer.    In reality, it creates misalignment.    Why Fixed Pricing Fails   Exception handling varies widely.    Rule complexity differs.  Data quality varies.  Integration depth changes effort.    Fixed pricing assumes uniformity that does not exist.    Resource-Based Pricing Explained   Pricing reflects:  Implementation effort  Platform usage  Ongoing

The Nature of Customer Quotations   Customer quotations sit at the intersection of sales, operations, and finance. They appear simple on the surface. Price. Availability. Validity.    In practice, they require coordination across systems and teams.    Inventory checks  Pricing approvals  Lead time confirmations  Follow-ups with customers  Revisions and clarifications    Each quote becomes a small exception workflow.    Why Quotes Consume Disproportionate Time   Quotation work