This week’s guest post is from one of our regular exhibitors, nextworld:
Shrugging your workload off on your coworkers isn’t lazy, it’s efficient. At least, it is when your coworkers are AI agents. Sounds great!
But, what exactly are AI agents?
Not Your Typical Chatbot
Agents aren’t merely copilots or AI assistants. Think of them as intelligent digital workers that are embedded into the core of a modern platform. Based on natural language prompts, AI agents use your real-time business data to take action—automating tasks, analyzing data, and coordinating workflows across your enterprise systems.
They integrate with your existing systems, primed to do their part in solving your biggest business challenges, including:
- Streamlining fragmented processes that span multiple departments.
- Automating high volumes of manual, repetitive work—especially adjacent to core systems like ERP.
- Clarifying and optimizing audit, compliance, and transparency preparations.
- Scaling efforts to accommodate business growth.
Agentic AI isn’t just for your IT team, either. Nearly every role across departments can employ agents to increase productivity.
Areas Where Agentic AI is Being Used Today:
Sales
- Pricing optimization
- Lead-nurturing assistant
- CRM/pipeline intelligence
- Returns analysis
Inventory
- Stock optimization
- Demand forecasting
- Replenishment planning & ordering
Compliance
- Regulatory compliance & reporting
- Autonomous audit analytics
- Data privacy monitoring
- Contract reviews
Field Ops
- Dispatch optimization
- Remote diagnostics & predictive maintenance
- Mobile AI workforce support
What AI Agents Mean for Humans
You’re not obsolete. AI can do a lot, but it can’t do everything, and it still needs safeguards. It needs human input to learn good judgment, understand context, and figure out how to fill gaps when necessary. A human-in-the-loop (HITL) approach is necessary for agentic AI to deliver true business value over time. Even when tedious tasks are automated, your agents’ approvals should be reviewed; AI-based decisions need to be audited from time to time. (Hopefully you’re also checking in on your human team’s work from time to time, even if you aren’t feeling micro-managy.)
So, touch base with your team and keep an eye on your agents. But spend more time on high-impact projects that help grow your business and maybe even get back to your creative roots, doing what inspired you to pursue your career in the first place.
Meet nextworld and other ERP exhibitors at the next itSHOWCASE, London, 23rd September. Read more and register for the FREE ERP Discovery Day here: https://itshowcase.co.uk/events/London/
