Case · Planning and case files
Alnik Logistics: first find out where the time went, then four agents
A two-week discovery showed which work took the most time. Four agents followed: for email, quote requests, purchase invoices and choosing the cheapest transport option.
22an estimated hours per month back
At Alnik the work went well, but it passed through too many hands. A request came in by email, someone looked up the rates, someone else asked carriers for quotes, and the purchase invoices that followed were checked by hand. Each piece was small; together it was a working week per month. The question was not which tool to add, but where that time actually went.
- Customer
- Alnik Logistics
- Industry
- Logistics
- Systems
- Outlook and their own transport system
- Programme
- AI discoveryAI agent project
“It started with finding out where our time went. That was more confronting than I expected, but afterwards we at least knew where to begin. Now the groundwork is ready and we still make the decisions ourselves.”
How the agents work.
When it starts, what it does and where the customer looks.
The email
Starts when
An email comes in
- 1
Reads the email
Outlook - 2
Looks up what is needed
Their own transport system
- 3
Writes a draft reply
Outlook - 4
Alnik reads it and sends it
The customer checks, the agent learns from it
Requesting quotes
Starts when
A transport job comes in
- 1
Prepares the requests with the right details
Their own transport system
- 2
Alnik approves
The customer checks, the agent learns from it
- 3
Sends the requests to the carriers
Outlook
Purchase invoices
Starts when
A purchase invoice comes in
- 1
Compares it with what was agreed and delivered
Their own transport system
- 2
Flags what does not match, with the reason
- 3
A deviating invoice goes to a person
The customer checks, the agent learns from it
The cheapest option
Starts when
A job comes in
- 1
Compares the transport options
Their own transport system
- 2
Says which works out best, with the reason
- 3
Alnik chooses the carrier
The customer checks, the agent learns from it
What we did, step by step.
- 1
AI discovery
Two weeks of looking over their shoulder: which requests come in, who does what, and how often. The result was an opportunity map with the processes ranked by what they cost, and advice on which to tackle first.
- 2
Email first
Most time went into answering the same kind of email. The first agent reads an incoming email, gathers what is needed and writes a draft reply. Alnik reads it and sends it.
- 3
Requesting quotes
A transport job needs quotes from carriers. The second agent prepares those requests with the right details, so asking for quotes is no longer manual work per trip.
- 4
Checking purchase invoices
The third agent compares incoming purchase invoices with what was agreed and delivered, and flags what does not match. What does match, nobody needs to look at anymore.
- 5
The cheapest option
The fourth agent compares the transport options for a job and says which works out best, with the reason. The choice stays with Alnik; the agent does the groundwork.
What the customer keeps.
The agent prepares, the customer checks.
- 1
Every reply to a customer is read by a person before it goes out.
- 2
The agent sends no quote request without approval.
- 3
An invoice that deviates goes to a person, not to automatic handling.
- 4
Alnik decides which carrier gets the job.
This project ran through.
AI discovery
from €1.000
Interviews with your team, analysis of the processes with the most manual work, an AI opportunity map, roadmap and indicative business case. 2 to 3 weeks.
AI agent project
from €750
Process design, AI agent design, build, test and go-live. 2 to 4 weeks. Integrations priced separately in the quote.
