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AI Integration

Connecting AI to Software You Already Use

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The distinction that saves money

Building an AI application means a new system, a new interface and new habits. Integrating AI means your existing systems get better at something, and nobody learns anything new.

For most businesses the second is the right first move: less cost, less change management, faster payback and no new login for anyone.

What integration looks like in practice

  • Your helpdesk categorises and routes tickets before anyone opens them
  • Your CRM writes a call summary from the recording, into the right field
  • Your accounting system receives structured data from supplier invoices
  • Your website answers questions from your own documentation
  • Your project tool turns meeting notes into tasks with owners
In each case, no one has a new tool. The tool they already use simply does something it could not do before.

The three pieces

  1. A trigger — something happens in your system worth reacting to
  2. A model call — the AI does the part that needs comprehension
  3. A write-back — the result lands in the right field of the right record

Most of the engineering is in the first and third. The middle one is usually the smallest part of the build.

Where it fits your systems

SystemCommon integrationEffort
HelpdeskTriage, draft replies, summarise threads2–4 weeks
CRMCall summaries, lead enrichment, next-step suggestions3–5 weeks
AccountingDocument extraction into draft entries5–8 weeks
WebsiteSupport chat over your own content2–4 weeks
Project toolNotes to tasks, status summaries2–3 weeks

Why it usually beats building

Your data is already there, your permissions are already configured, your people already know the interface, and your reporting already exists.

Rebuilding all of that around a new AI product is an enormous amount of work to reach the same place, and it is why we recommend integration first in most conversations.

Frequently asked questions

Does our software need an API?

Ideally. Most modern business software has one. Where it does not, there are usually import routes or webhooks, and where there are neither the project gets considerably more expensive.

Will it change how our team works?

That is the point of doing it this way — it should not. The same screens do more, which is the easiest change to adopt.

How much does a typical integration cost?

£4,000–£18,000 depending on the system and the depth. Substantially less than building an equivalent application.

Can we integrate more than one system?

Yes, and it is best done one at a time. Each one proves the pattern and makes the next faster.

Keep reading

Want AI in the systems you already pay for?

Tell us which tools your team lives in and we will tell you what can be added and what it would cost.

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