The AI world is buzzing with talk of sophisticated agents and complex systems that promise to revolutionize your business overnight. But here's the reality check you need: most businesses aren't ready for AI agents, and that's perfectly okay.
If you're feeling overwhelmed by the constant stream of AI content making you think you're falling behind, take a deep breath. The truth is, jumping straight into advanced AI without the proper foundation is like trying to build a skyscraper on quicksand. You need clean databases, robust tools, and solid structure and your current spreadsheets and email chaos simply won't cut it.
Here's where most people get it wrong: they think AI should be everywhere. The secret is to focus on automation first, then strategically add AI only where it creates genuine value.
To keep it very simple my recommended tool for this journey is:
Airtable: Your new database powerhouse
What You'll Learn in This Guide
I'll walk you through the exact transformation process, taking you from completely manual vendor onboarding to AI-enhanced excellence:
Each step delivers immediate value while building the foundation for the next level. Let's see how Sarah transformed her procurement chaos into AI-powered excellence...
Meet Sarah, a procurement manager at a mid-sized company. Like thousands of procurement professionals worldwide, her vendor onboarding process looks painfully familiar:
The Daily Grind:
This fragmented system leads to repetitive tasks and inefficient compliance checking.
The breaking point comes when company growth doubles vendor volume amid stricter compliance needs. After poor communication leads to losing a key vendor and her manager demands real-time metrics, change becomes essential.
This is where our step-by-step transformation begins.
Let's take Sarah's broken process and systematically transform it using automation and AI. Each step builds on the previous one, ensuring she never loses functionality while dramatically improving efficiency.
Sarah's Current State: Writing vendor emails from scratch, spending 15-20 minutes per response
The Upgrade: AI-generated email drafting and response optimization
How Sarah implements this today:
#Persona#
You are a professional email assistant for a procurement manager at Engima, a company that works with a wide range of suppliers. Your tone is professional yet friendly, aiming to maintain positive working relationships while ensuring clear and effective communication.
#Task#
Write well-structured emails to suppliers for various purposes, including vendor onboarding, following up on pending matters, requesting additional information, and clarifying questions. Ensure the emails are polite, concise, and tailored to the specific task while reflecting the professionalism of Engima.
#Context#
Engima values efficient and clear communication with its suppliers to streamline procurement processes. When writing emails:
- Use polite language to build rapport but remain direct and professional.
- Reference specific details (e.g., supplier name, pending documents, or questions) when provided.
- Include clear calls to action, such as deadlines or next steps, to ensure supplier responsiveness.
- Reflect Engima’s commitment to collaboration and efficiency.
#Format#
The email should include:
- A professional subject line.
- A polite greeting addressing the supplier by name (e.g., "Dear [Supplier Name],").
- A clear opening that states the purpose of the email.
- A detailed body with all necessary information or questions.
- A closing with a polite sign-off (e.g., "Best regards, [Procurement Manager's Name] at Engima").
The Outcome: Sarah takes her first step into AI by simply creating a custom email assistant - no complex setup required. Now AI handles the heavy lifting of drafting professional vendor emails while Sarah focuses on personalizing and sending them. This one simple change saves her 2-3 hours daily and eliminates the stress of crafting emails from scratch.
Sarah's Current State: Manually collecting vendor information via email back-and-forth for procurement processes
The Procurement Upgrade: Automated supplier information collection flowing directly into a centralized Airtable database
How Sarah builds this integrated procurement system:
The Outcome: Sarah replaces her chaotic multi-spreadsheet system with one centralized Airtable base where vendors input their own data directly. She eliminates hours of daily copy-pasting between emails and spreadsheets, while vendors appreciate the professional form experience. Now all vendor information flows automatically into one organized database, giving Sarah instant visibility into her entire supplier pipeline.
Sarah's Current State: Vendor documents scattered across email attachments
The Procurement Upgrade: Centralized document management with AI-powered categorization and comprehensive interface oversight
How Sarah builds the document management and approval system:
The Outcome: Sarah transforms document chaos into an organized, AI-powered system where uploaded files are automatically categorized and analyzed. She instantly knows which documents are missing without manually checking each vendor, while AI conducts comprehensive vendor research automatically. The custom interface gives her an app-like experience to manage vendors efficiently, eliminating hours of manual document sorting and research while providing deeper vendor insights than ever before.
Sarah's Current State: Manual vendor outreach and manual email follow-ups
"AI Generate Follow-up Email" ButtonThis automation pulls vendor data, application status, and missing documents and let’s AI create a personalized follow-up addressing the current status.
#Persona#
"You are a helpful, friendly assistant responsible for crafting follow-up emails to vendors. Your tone should be polite, professional, and approachable—designed to encourage vendors to resolve any missing details promptly."
#Task:#
"Write an email to a vendor to request missing information required to complete their onboarding or update their profile. Always include a friendly reminder of what has already been received, and clearly list any missing items. The email should encourage the vendor to respond promptly and provide any requested information. Be sure to acknowledge their efforts so far!"
#Context#
"The required details for every vendor are:
1. MSA:
2. Bank account number:
3. Tax ID:
4. Email address:
Assume that the system will provide input regarding which items have already been submitted and which are still missing. For example:
- Received: Tax ID, Email address
- Missing: MSA, Bank account number
Use this information to tailor the email accordingly."
#Format#
"The email should include:
1. A warm opening, addressing the vendor by name or company name.
2. A brief acknowledgment of what has already been submitted.
3. A clear, bulleted list of missing items.
4. A polite request to send the missing details.
5. A closing note expressing gratitude and offering support if needed.
6. End the email with "Best regards,"
7. Don't include a subject
Ensure the email is concise and friendly.
The Outcome: Sarah eliminates manual follow-up emails with AI that automatically generates personalized vendor communications based on each supplier's specific status and missing requirements. This automation AI crafts contextual follow-ups that keep vendors engaged without any manual effort, transforming reactive email management into a proactive, intelligent system.
