AI Agents Every Company Should Have Today

Battery Point Research · Robotics & Automation

Traditional automation — APIs

APIs move data between apps.
Automation follows steps that people set up.
People interpret requests, investigate exceptions and decide what happens next.

AI agents — apps connected through MCP

The agent interprets what an email is asking for.
The agent checks records across connected apps and determines the next action.
The agent performs permitted actions and checks whether they worked.
The agent records actions and outcomes, revealing recurring problems and opportunities to improve the process.

Which agents to create first

Agent	Software to connect	Work it now does	New capability
1. Sales follow-up	CRM + email + calendar + quote files + company websites	Follow up on inquiries and quotes. Book meetings and record outcomes.	Research each account before contact, then link the exact message and product interest to the project it produces.
2. Invoice processing	Bookkeeping + email + ERP purchase orders and receipts	Match invoices to orders and receipts. Prepare bills and route discrepancies.	Build a history of why invoices go wrong—and identify recurring supplier errors or gaps in receiving records.
3. Collections	Bookkeeping + email + CRM + delivery records	Follow up on overdue invoices. Track payment promises and disputes.	Connect payment delays to delivery problems, invoice errors or customer approval bottlenecks.
4. Customer service	Ticketing + CRM + order system + product manuals	Check the customer’s issue against order history. Send updates and record the resolution.	Compare customer inquiries with order and shipping events to find recurring problems that generate avoidable calls.
5. Purchasing and delivery	ERP + inventory + supplier email + logistics / transportation management (TMS)	Chase supplier confirmations and flag shortages. Track delivery promises and update affected orders.	Use the history of promised and actual arrivals to flag unreliable lead times before making the next customer commitment.
6. Field-service closeout	Field app + equipment history + parts and time records + bookkeeping	Turn technician notes into complete service records. Reconcile parts and time; prepare jobs for billing.	Find repeat failures across equipment and service visits, and flag completed work or used parts missing from billing.
7. Meeting commitments	Calendar + meeting notes + task manager + document storage	Create tasks with owners and due dates. Chase updates and check the promised deliverable.	Trace repeated project delays to missing inputs and owners, then carry those lessons into the next project’s checklist.
8. Employee onboarding	HR + identity and access + IT tickets + training records	Coordinate equipment, access and training. Check that the employee can actually sign in.	Pinpoint which applications or approvals repeatedly delay new hires, so those steps can start earlier for the next group.

Finance — Invoice processing

The invoice comes in. What happens next?

A $6,000 invoice arrives in Outlook as a PDF. It bills 50 sensor housings at $120 each, but the receiving sheet lists only 48. The job ends when the shortage is confirmed, the supplier corrects the invoice and the approved $5,760 bill is saved in QuickBooks.

Connect these apps to the agentOutlook: email and invoice PDFs · SharePoint: purchase orders, Excel receiving sheets and case history · QuickBooks Online: bills and supplier records.

Step	Person doing this today	What the connected AI agent can do
Read and check the invoice	AP clerk	Connect Outlook + QuickBooksThe agent can read the invoice PDF in Outlook, extract the supplier, invoice number and amount, then check QuickBooks for a duplicate bill.
Match the order and receipt	AP clerk + receiving	Connect Outlook + SharePointThe agent can compare the invoice, purchase order and receiving sheet, flag 50 billed versus 48 received, and save the supporting records together.
Obtain the correction	AP clerk + supplier	Connect SharePoint + OutlookThe agent can email the supplier through Outlook with the discrepancy and supporting records, then read the reply and corrected invoice. The supplier makes the correction.
Accept the resolution	Buyer	Buyer decides · Outlook + SharePointThe agent can assemble the invoice, receiving sheet and correction for review. The buyer decides whether to approve the corrected bill.
Record and verify the bill	AP clerk	Connect Outlook + QuickBooksAfter approval, the agent can create the $5,760 bill in QuickBooks, attach the corrected invoice and read back the saved bill ID and amount.
Retain the history	AP clerk	Connect QuickBooks + Outlook + SharePointThe agent can save the original amount, correction, confirmed cause, supplier response time and approval alongside the final QuickBooks bill ID in SharePoint.

DIRECT WORK RELIEF

AP clerk: less matching and entry. Buyer: less chasing and evidence gathering.

DOWNSTREAM BENEFICIARIES

Receiving lead: recurring receipt errors. Controller: unresolved amounts and approval delays. Owner: supplier comparisons.

AI now allows us to:

Identify suppliers that repeatedly bill for more units than we receive.

Pinpoint whether disputes come from supplier shortages or late receiving entries.

Measure how long each supplier takes to resolve disputes and the invoice value held up.

Technical building blocks: Intuit: QuickBooks Online MCP tools Model Context Protocol: connections and tools

Sales & marketing — Prospect outreach

You have 120 prospects. Which ones become real projects?

A motion-control company’s website describes servo drives and motion controllers; Salesforce says only innovative solutions. Research the prospects, send an approved introduction and follow each response through to a qualified opportunity.

Connect these apps to the agentSalesforce: contacts, opportunities and outcomes · Website retrieval tool: public product pages · SharePoint: approved Word templates and evidence · Outlook: messages and replies.

Step	Person doing this today	What the connected AI agent can do
Establish what the company does	Researcher / seller	Connect Salesforce + website retrievalThe agent can open each prospect’s product page, propose a specific capability phrase, and save the source URL and date with the Salesforce account.
Build the introduction	Seller / marketing	Connect SharePoint + SalesforceThe agent can fill the approved Word email template with the company name and researched capability from Salesforce, then save the exact draft for review.
Review and send	Seller	Connect Outlook + Salesforce · seller approvesThe seller approves the audience and email. The agent can then send the email through Outlook and record its message ID against the Salesforce contact.
Handle the response	Seller / coordinator	Connect Outlook + SalesforceThe agent can read the incoming reply, match it to the sent email, stop scheduled follow-ups and assign the conversation to the Salesforce account owner.
Record what became a project	Seller / sales operations	Connect SalesforceThe seller records the qualified project and application. The agent can link that outcome to the original contact, campaign and message in Salesforce.

DIRECT WORK RELIEF

Researcher and seller: less lookup, drafting and CRM entry. Sales operations: less reply matching and follow-up administration.

DOWNSTREAM BENEFICIARIES

Applications engineer: better conversation context. Commercial leader: evidence about which applications produce qualified opportunities.

AI now allows us to:

Compare which applications produce the most qualified projects per 100 accounts contacted.

Identify the email versions that generate the highest rate of qualified projects.

Spot audiences that reply often but rarely produce a qualified project.

Technical building blocks: Microsoft: tools for connected agents Model Context Protocol: connections and tools

Operations — Order fulfillment

The customer needs 60 actuators Friday. You have 40.

The other 20 are due Thursday, but the supplier has not confirmed arrival. Check the order, stock and supplier answer; agree a workable plan with the customer, then verify that the parts actually arrive and ship.

Connect these apps to the agentOutlook: customer and supplier correspondence · SharePoint: order PDFs and terms · Dynamics 365: stock, purchase orders, receipts and shipments.

Step	Person doing this today	What the connected AI agent can do
Check the requirement	Order coordinator	Connect Outlook + SharePointThe agent can read the customer’s order PDF and saved terms, extract 60 actuators due Friday, and identify whether the order allows a partial shipment.
Establish the shortage	Planner	Connect Dynamics 365The agent can read Dynamics 365 stock and purchase-order records and flag the gap: 40 actuators received, with 20 still awaiting confirmed arrival.
Obtain a reliable answer	Buyer / expediter	Connect Dynamics 365 + OutlookThe agent can email the supplier through Outlook using the purchase-order details, then capture the supplier’s answer and promised arrival date.
Choose the response	Operations manager	Operations manager decides · Dynamics 365 + OutlookThe agent can assemble split-shipment and revised-date options from the order and supplier response. The operations manager chooses the plan and authorizes the customer commitment.
Update and follow through	Coordinator / planner	Connect Dynamics 365 + OutlookThe agent can save the approved plan in Dynamics 365, email the customer through Outlook, and check later receipts and shipments against the agreed dates.

DIRECT WORK RELIEF

Order coordinator, buyer and planner: less status gathering and manual expediting.

DOWNSTREAM BENEFICIARIES

Project manager: earlier warning of component risk. Field-service scheduler: clearer information for planning installation work.

AI now allows us to:

Identify suppliers that repeatedly miss delivery promises and measure how late they arrive.

Find the components most often responsible for changes to customer delivery dates.

Track how often split shipments meet revised delivery dates.

Technical building blocks: Microsoft: Dynamics 365 data integration Microsoft: tools for connected agents

Customer service — Shipment tracking

“Where are our replacement parts?” The customer calls.

Replacement actuators are needed Friday. Dynamics 365 says shipped, but the carrier shows only label created. Establish whether the warehouse handed over the parcel, agree the response and confirm the final outcome.

Connect these apps to the agentZendesk: tickets and conversations · Dynamics 365: orders and dispatch records · Carrier API: tracking events · Outlook: warehouse correspondence.

Step	Person doing this today	What the connected AI agent can do
Find the right shipment	Service coordinator	Connect Zendesk + Dynamics 365 + carrier APIThe agent can read the Zendesk ticket, find the Dynamics 365 order and query carrier tracking. It flags the mismatch: the order says shipped; the carrier has only a label.
Establish physical dispatch	Coordinator + warehouse	Connect Outlook + ZendeskThe agent can email the warehouse through Outlook with the tracking evidence. A warehouse employee confirms physical handover; the agent saves that answer in Zendesk.
Resolve the service problem	Service manager	Service manager decides · ZendeskThe agent can show the order, tracking evidence and warehouse response in Zendesk. The service manager approves any exceptional reshipment, credit or delivery promise.
Keep the customer informed	Service coordinator	Connect Zendesk + carrier APIThe agent can send the approved customer update through Zendesk, check carrier tracking on a schedule, and send the next update when the shipment status changes.
Verify the outcome	Coordinator	Connect carrier API + ZendeskThe agent can check the delivery scan and customer’s reply, then save the confirmed outcome and cause of the status mismatch in Zendesk.

DIRECT WORK RELIEF

Service coordinator: less lookup and repeated checking. Warehouse contact: a specific, evidence-backed question.

DOWNSTREAM BENEFICIARIES

Service manager: repeat causes across tickets. Logistics owner: dispatch and communication problems to fix.

AI now allows us to:

Measure how many status inquiries arrive between the shipping email and carrier pickup.

Pinpoint warehouses and carriers with the longest delays between label creation and pickup.

Compare status inquiries per 100 orders before and after changing shipping notifications.

Technical building blocks: Zendesk: procedures, integrations and handoffs Microsoft: Dynamics 365 data integration

Management — Project follow-through

The project meeting ends. Who follows through?

Monday’s meeting leaves a quote due Wednesday, a supplier answer Thursday and a commissioning plan Friday. Turn those commitments into owned tasks, surface blockers and close each task with the accepted deliverable.

Connect these apps to the agentTeams: meeting notes · SharePoint: Word minutes and deliverables · Asana: tasks, owners and dates · Outlook: follow-ups.

Step	Person doing this today	What the connected AI agent can do
Capture the commitments	Manager / coordinator	Connect Teams + SharePoint + AsanaThe agent can read Teams meeting notes and Word minutes, create Asana tasks with the agreed owners and dates, and flag commitments that need clarification.
Check progress	Coordinator	Connect Asana + SharePointThe agent can check Asana task status against the promised file in SharePoint and flag a missing quote, supplier answer or commissioning plan.
Resolve the blocker	Manager	Connect Asana + OutlookThe agent can email the task owner for the missing input and summarize the blocker for the manager. The manager decides the next action.
Do the substantive work	Task owner	Engineer / commercial owner does the workThe engineer or commercial owner creates the quote or commissioning plan. The agent can track the due date and link the finished file to the Asana task.
Close with evidence	Coordinator / manager	Connect SharePoint + AsanaAfter the owner accepts the work, the agent can link the deliverable to the Asana task, mark it complete, and save the completion date and confirmed delay reason.

DIRECT WORK RELIEF

Manager and project coordinator: less meeting reconstruction and update chasing.

DOWNSTREAM BENEFICIARIES

Engineering and commercial leads: clearer dependencies. Owner: patterns across projects rather than isolated anecdotes.

AI now allows us to:

Identify missing customer information that repeatedly holds up commissioning.

Measure waiting time for each required input and identify who needs to provide it.

Compare project delays before and after adding prerequisites to the checklist.

Technical building blocks: Asana: MCP tools reference Model Context Protocol: connections and tools

People & HR — Employee onboarding

The field engineer starts Monday. Is everything ready?

Seven of eight onboarding requirements are complete. Service-application access is still missing on Friday. Find the unfinished request, obtain the required approval and have the engineer test access before the manager confirms readiness.

Connect these apps to the agentBambooHR: start date and onboarding status · SharePoint: approved checklists · ServiceNow: IT requests · Microsoft Entra: access status · Outlook: reminders.

Step	Person doing this today	What the connected AI agent can do
Start the right checklist	HR coordinator	Connect BambooHR + SharePoint + ServiceNowWhen BambooHR records the new engineer, the agent can read the role checklist in SharePoint and create onboarding tasks and access requests in ServiceNow.
Check actual completion	HR + IT coordinator	Connect ServiceNow + EntraThe agent can compare closed ServiceNow requests with Entra access status and flag the service application still missing before the engineer’s start date.
Resolve the missing access	IT approver	IT approver decides · ServiceNow + EntraThe agent can route the missing access request and start date to the IT approver. IT approves the permissions; an authorized provisioning workflow grants access, and the agent checks the result.
Confirm readiness	New hire + manager	Employee + manager confirm · Outlook + SharePointThe agent can email the engineer to test sign-in and ask the manager to confirm equipment and training. It records their answers in the SharePoint checklist.

DIRECT WORK RELIEF

HR and IT coordinators: less reminder traffic and checklist reconciliation.

DOWNSTREAM BENEFICIARIES

Field-service manager: earlier readiness warnings. New engineer: fewer avoidable barriers to the first assignment.

AI now allows us to:

Identify applications new field engineers cannot use on their first day.

Locate access delays in approvals, setup or sign-in testing.

Compare first-day access readiness before and after requesting accounts earlier.

Technical building blocks: BambooHR: employee-created events Microsoft Entra: lifecycle workflow tasks

Technology & IT — Account recovery

A new phone. A locked-out field engineer. Now what?

A replacement phone leaves a field engineer unable to authenticate before the next assignment. Follow the approved identity-verification and recovery procedure, then confirm successful sign-in and record the result.

Connect these apps to the agentServiceNow: incident, procedure and resolution history · Microsoft Entra: identity and authentication status · Approved identity-verification and recovery tools · Outlook: confirmation.

Step	Person doing this today	What the connected AI agent can do
Gather the relevant history	Help-desk analyst	Connect ServiceNow + EntraThe agent can retrieve the recovery procedure and prior incidents from ServiceNow and read the engineer’s authentication status in Entra.
Verify the identity	Analyst + employee	Connect identity-verification tool + ServiceNowThe agent can start the approved identity checks and record the result in ServiceNow. The employee completes the checks; IT handles a failed or ambiguous result.
Apply the authorized recovery	IT analyst	Connect recovery tool + Entra + ServiceNowOnce identity checks and required approvals pass, the agent can invoke the approved tool to perform the permitted Entra recovery action and log the result in ServiceNow.
Confirm restored access	Employee + analyst	Employee confirms · Entra + ServiceNowThe agent can ask the engineer to test sign-in, then save the engineer’s answer and available Entra sign-in result in ServiceNow. IT investigates if access still fails.

DIRECT WORK RELIEF

Help-desk analyst: less routine evidence gathering and ticket administration. Engineer: less coordination during recovery.

DOWNSTREAM BENEFICIARIES

IT lead: evidence of recurring failures. Service manager: better visibility into access-related work interruptions.

AI now allows us to:

Measure repeat lockouts following phone replacements.

Identify recovery steps that restore access and those followed by repeat tickets.

Compare lockouts and recovery time before and after adding sign-in checks when phones change.

Technical building blocks: Microsoft Entra: lifecycle workflow tasks Model Context Protocol: connections and tools

What this means for the owner

A leaner company starts with complete workflows.

Roles built largely around routine handling can shrink or combine. A growing company may avoid its next administrative hire. Engineering, commercial judgment and physical execution still need accountable people.

Count the workload removed across a whole role before deciding what happens to a position. Include integration upkeep, exception handling and review in that calculation.

Discuss your business with Battery Point

Choose one recurring task. Start with a process whose inputs, owner and finished result are clear.
Measure the current work. Record handling time, errors, waiting and exceptions.
Connect and complete it. Verify the saved outcome, including the required human decisions.
Keep the useful history. Use it to make one operating change, then compare the next set of results.

Explore the BPC AI Strategy research →

Research scope, assumptions and sources

These are illustrative workflows, not client results or measured savings. Record numbers, quantities and outcomes are hypothetical. The examples assume the company has the named records and appropriate permissions. Some steps may already be automated. MCP supplies a connection standard; it does not independently perform the work or guarantee an integration. Full workflows may require custom tools, scheduled checks and maintained connections.

The proposed team structures are scenarios. Roles are not necessarily separate employees. A staffing decision requires measured workload, exception rates and service quality across the whole job. The dividend comes from preserving and using evidence that could previously have been scattered or unrecorded; the information was not inherently unknowable.

The research links document operating mechanisms and available product capabilities. The manufacturing scenarios and proposed improvements are BPC analysis, not measured results from those sources. Existing software may already supply the reports or rules; the agent helps connect records and complete the work. A pattern still needs investigation before changing the process. These sources do not establish an off-the-shelf end-to-end installation or its staffing outcome. The P&G study concerns defined product-innovation tasks, not robotics headcount.