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Guide

AI automation glossary, in plain English.

15 terms you will hear when automating finance and operations work.

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AI automation
Using AI models inside a business workflow to read, classify, draft or check work that people used to do by hand, with people approving where it matters.
Workflow
A recurring sequence of steps, owners and systems that produces a result, e.g. supplier invoice to approved bill.
AI agent
Software that uses an AI model to take several steps towards a goal, such as gathering data and drafting a report, within limits you set.
Human in the loop
A design where a person reviews or approves the AI’s output before it has an effect, e.g. before a payment or a customer reply.
Data extraction
Reading structured fields (supplier, date, amount, VAT) from documents such as PDFs and emails.
Exception handling
Rules for what happens when something does not match: it goes to a named person instead of being guessed.
Knowledge system
An AI assistant set up on your own documents so staff get answers grounded in your policies.
Three-way match
Checking an invoice against the purchase order and the goods received before approving it.
Accounts payable (AP)
The process of receiving, approving and paying supplier invoices.
Credit control
Managing money owed to you: monitoring overdue invoices and chasing payment.
Month-end close
The set of checks and reconciliations that finalise a month’s accounts.
Process redesign
Fixing how the work is done before automating it, so you do not make a bad process faster.
AI governance
The rules for which AI tools may be used, with what data, and who is accountable. Sized for a business, not a bank.
Payback period
How long the time saved takes to cover the cost of building the automation.
Integration
A connection that lets two systems, such as your inbox and Xero, pass data without retyping.

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What does it cost?

Assessment £499 with a two-hour systems walkthrough and report. Simple workflow £995; connected workflow £1,500-£3,000; bespoke work individually quoted. Basic care £150-£250/month; active improvement from £750/month. Scope and final price agreed first.

Where should I start?

Start with a free introductory call. Choose a time in Calendly. The optional £499 assessment includes a two-hour walkthrough of one team and its systems, preparation, a prioritised report and a short follow-up call. A defined build can be quoted directly.

Do you work with Xero / QuickBooks / Sage?

We start with your current tools. We confirm suitable connections, access and file hand-offs before agreeing a build. The Xero example does not establish support for every accounting platform.

Is it safe? Who approves?

Payments, supplier decisions and customer replies stay under human approval. We agree the inputs, secure sharing method, access permissions and responsibilities before work starts. Use only a brief description in the public enquiry form. Do not send confidential records. See our privacy policy for website data handling.

Is my business too small?

Sometimes AI is not worth it yet. If the process is unclear, automating it makes it faster and worse, and we will tell you so. Try the readiness check.