This page lists the paperwork in a UK manufacturing business that Claude can take on, from the enquiry to the invoice, by function and by the kind of manufacturer. It is written for managing directors, owners and operations directors. Production stays on the shop floor. Claude takes the quotes, acknowledgements, certificates, specifications and chasing that surround it, and helps you build the internal tools you would otherwise pay to have bolted on to your systems.
[WHERE THE TIME GOES]
Where the time goes
An engineering subcontractor quotes from drawings and ships certificates with every order. A food business keeps a specification for every retailer and proves its food is safe at audit. A window, door or joinery maker checks each bespoke order against a survey before it is cut. A plastics, packaging or chemicals business issues batch certificates, safety data sheets and compliance declarations. Pick the one closest to yours and the rest of the page follows it, from where the time goes to the twelve month picture.
These are the tasks that come round every week in an engineering or fabrication business, grouped by the kind of work they are.
01
Turning enquiries into quotes
5 tasksClose
Drawings to read before pricing
Supplier prices for material and finishing
Quote letters written from scratch
Repeat jobs to re-cost
Follow-ups on quotes nobody answered
02
Typing the same order again
5 tasksClose
Customer orders into the system
Acknowledgements and delivery dates
Works orders and job packs
Purchase orders to subcontractors
Invoices with the right order number
03
Proving the parts are right
5 tasksClose
Certificates of conformity
Mill certificates checked against orders
First article inspection reports
NCRs and 8D reports
Customer documentation packs
04
Answering customers and auditors
5 tasksClose
Supplier questionnaires
Customer quality manuals
Where is my order emails
Notices that an order will be late
ISO 9001 audit evidence
These are the tasks that come round every week in a food or drink business, grouped by the kind of work they are.
01
Keeping every specification current
5 tasksClose
Product specifications for each retailer
Changes when a raw material changes
Artwork and label proofs
Nutrition and allergen information
Wholesale and foodservice data
02
Proving the food is safe
5 tasksClose
Traceability tests
HACCP reviews
BRCGS or SALSA audit evidence
Supplier approval files
Environmental monitoring results
03
Orders, bookings and depots
5 tasksClose
Orders from portals, EDI and email
Delivery bookings on retailer portals
Daily pick figures and depot stock
Depot rejections
Invoices that match the purchase order
04
Answering customers and HMRC
5 tasksClose
Complaint investigations and responses
Monthly reports to retail customers
Cost price increase submissions
Sustainability questionnaires
Monthly duty records for brewers
These are the tasks that come round every week in a building products or joinery business, grouped by the kind of work they are.
01
Checking orders before they are cut
5 tasksClose
Orders against surveys and drawings
Amendments and variations
Confirmation drawings awaiting sign-off
Remakes and why they happened
Options the system cannot make
02
Pricing the work
5 tasksClose
Take-offs from tender packs
Door and window schedules
Quotes for trade customers
Repeat prices when materials move
Follow-ups on open quotes
03
Proving the product
5 tasksClose
Declarations of performance
Test evidence for each product
Product information for contractors
Chain of custody claims
Operation and maintenance documents
04
Getting it delivered and paid
5 tasksClose
Delivery runs and site bookings
Despatch notes
Proofs of delivery
Disputed invoices
Overdue accounts
These are the tasks that come round every week in a plastics, packaging or chemicals business, grouped by the kind of work they are.
01
Artwork, samples and new jobs
5 tasksClose
Artwork proofs and approvals
Job bags for new orders
First-off and sample submissions
Technical data sheets
Tooling quotes
02
Paperwork with every batch
5 tasksClose
Certificates of analysis
Certificates of conformity
Safety data sheets
Food contact declarations
Dangerous goods notes
03
Customers and call-offs
5 tasksClose
Order entry and acknowledgements
Call-offs and stock held for customers
Notices that an order will be late
Complaint responses and 8D reports
Customer scorecards
04
Compliance returns and declarations
5 tasksClose
Plastic Packaging Tax workings
Packaging data for producer responsibility
REACH and RoHS declarations
Supplier questionnaires
Audit evidence
[THE POINT]
What an engineering business does brilliantly, and what sits around it
This is the point of the whole page. The work in the left column is why customers buy from you and come back. The work in the right column has grown up around it, and in most manufacturers it takes more of the office's week than anyone has measured.
What a human does brilliantly
Seeing how a part will actually be made
Pricing a job the shop will run well
Telling a customer their design will cost too much
Keeping work flowing through the shop
Finding the root cause of a failure
Keeping a key customer through a bad month
Training the next machinist
Deciding which work to chase
What sits around it
Reading every drawing for the revision
Typing orders into the system
Re-costing repeat jobs by hand
Chasing finishers for dates
Typing certificates of conformity
Matching mill certificates to orders
Filling in supplier questionnaires
Writing up 8D reports
What a food business does brilliantly, and what sits around it
This is the point of the whole page. The work in the left column is why customers buy from you and come back. The work in the right column has grown up around it, and in most manufacturers it takes more of the office's week than anyone has measured.
What a human does brilliantly
Making a product people buy again
Developing the next product with a buyer
Running a clean, safe factory
Judging a recipe at the factory trial
Deciding what to do after a positive result
Negotiating with a retail buyer
Building a food safety culture
Knowing when a batch is right
What sits around it
Entering the same specification on every portal
Checking artwork against recipes
Assembling audit evidence
Writing complaint responses in each format
Booking deliveries on portals
Chasing supplier certificates
Building cost price increase packs
Reconciling duty records
What a building products business does brilliantly, and what sits around it
This is the point of the whole page. The work in the left column is why customers buy from you and come back. The work in the right column has grown up around it, and in most manufacturers it takes more of the office's week than anyone has measured.
What a human does brilliantly
Making a product that fits first time
Solving an awkward opening
Pricing a tender you can win and deliver
Keeping installers loyal
Choosing a tested product for the job
Running the factory to promised dates
Teaching the craft to the next person
Deciding which contracts to take
What sits around it
Checking orders against surveys
Re-keying orders into the system
Processing amendments
Chasing confirmation sign-offs
Building take-offs from tender packs
Matching declarations to test reports
Assembling contractor submittals
Logging remakes
What a process manufacturer does brilliantly, and what sits around it
This is the point of the whole page. The work in the left column is why customers buy from you and come back. The work in the right column has grown up around it, and in most manufacturers it takes more of the office's week than anyone has measured.
What a human does brilliantly
Getting a new tool or product running
Matching a colour or a formulation
Solving a customer's technical problem
Running the presses or the batches efficiently
Deciding a hazard classification
Winning the next contract
Keeping quality steady batch after batch
Choosing which materials to trust
What sits around it
Checking artwork proofs
Making up job bags
Writing certificates of analysis
Updating safety data sheets
Drafting food contact declarations
Working out Plastic Packaging Tax
Answering REACH declaration requests
Writing 8D reports
The use case for AI is taking away the time that gets spent on the work sitting around the job, and freeing your people up to do the work only a human can do. The work that grows the business, and the work they enjoy the most.
[THE USE CASES]
112 things you could hand over, by function.
The times are our own estimates for a typical task in a UK manufacturer. Nobody has published measured times for this work, so where a source gives a figure we say who published it. Every use case assumes a business plan whose terms keep your content out of model training, and your customers' drawings and specifications stay subject to their terms. The highlighted use cases either take the most hours or make the biggest difference to the business.
What it gives you
Enquiries and quoting
The estimator or the owner, pricing work between everything else.
10 use cases
Highest time
Reading an enquiry pack before anyone prices it
Reads the enquiry email, drawings and specification, and lists part numbers, revisions, materials, finishes, quantities and anything missing, so the estimator starts from a checklist.
Saves timeWins work
ProjectSkillEmailCAD
By hand1 hr
With Claude10 min
ProjectSkillEmailCAD
You give itThe enquiry email with its drawings, models or specification.
You get backA quote checklist with each item and where it was found, the questions the drawings leave open, a draft email asking the customer those questions, and a note of any standard or clause that changes the price.
You stillDecide whether to quote at all, and price the job. Reading a drawing for how it will actually be made is the estimator's skill.
Highest value
Drafting the first estimate from your own rates
Builds a first-pass cost from your rates, routings and past jobs for similar work, with every assumption written down for the estimator to check.
Saves timeWins workYou own it
ProjectSkillQuoting toolSpreadsheet
By hand2 hrs
With Claude30 min
ProjectSkillQuoting toolSpreadsheet
You give itThe quote checklist, your rate card and a few past quotes for similar work.
You get backA costed breakdown of material, operations, outside processing and setup, the past jobs it drew on, and the lines it was least sure of. It leaves a line blank where your rates do not cover it.
You stillCheck the routing, the times and the margin. The estimator knows which jobs the shop will run well and which it will lose money on.
Turning an approved estimate into a clear quotation
Writes the quotation from the approved estimate, with the revision quoted, lead time, validity, assumptions and exclusions stated the same way every time.
Saves timeWins work
SkillQuoting toolEmail
By hand40 min
With Claude8 min
SkillQuoting toolEmail
You give itThe approved estimate and your quotation template and terms.
You get backA quotation ready to send, with the drawing revision and quantity breaks set out, the assumptions and exclusions listed, and a short covering email.
You stillApprove the price and the lead time you are promising. A quote is an offer the customer can accept.
Following up open quotes and logging why you lost
Keeps the list of quotes sent, drafts the follow-up at the interval you set, and records the reason when a customer says no.
Wins workKeeps customers
Scheduled taskConnectorEmailSpreadsheet
By hand30 min
With Claude5 min
Scheduled taskConnectorEmailSpreadsheet
You give itYour quote log or sent folder, and the replies from customers.
You get backA weekly list of open quotes by value and age, drafted follow-ups, and a running record of win and loss reasons by customer and type of work.
You stillMake the calls that matter and decide which quotes to drop. Only you know which customers are worth chasing.
Highest value
Re-costing repeat work when material prices move
Re-runs the costs of your repeat jobs against the latest material and outside processing prices and lists the ones now below the margin you want.
Saves timeKeeps customers
ProjectCoworkSpreadsheetERP
By hand3 hrs
With Claude30 min
ProjectCoworkSpreadsheetERP
You give itYour price file or repeat job list, and the latest supplier prices.
You get backA list of repeat jobs with old cost, new cost and margin, the ones below your floor, and a draft price increase letter for each customer affected.
You stillDecide which prices to raise and when to tell each customer. That conversation is about the relationship as much as the arithmetic.
Highest time
Pulling the joinery scope out of a tender pack
Reads the tender documents, specification and door and window schedules, and pulls out everything your firm would supply into a starting take-off.
Saves timeWins work
ProjectSkillFile storageSpreadsheet
By hand3 hrs
With Claude40 min
ProjectSkillFile storageSpreadsheet
You give itThe tender pack: drawings list, specification, schedules and preliminaries.
You get backA take-off sheet by item, the specification clauses that apply to each, the fire, acoustic and security ratings called for, and a list of conflicts between the drawings and the schedules.
You stillMeasure what needs measuring and price it. Spotting what the architect left out is the estimator's value.
Costing a new product from the recipe
Builds the cost of a new or changed product from the recipe, raw material and packaging prices and line rates, and shows what changes if the customer moves the specification.
Saves timeWins work
ProjectSkillRecipe systemSpreadsheet
By hand2 hrs
With Claude25 min
ProjectSkillRecipe systemSpreadsheet
You give itThe draft recipe, your raw material and packaging prices, and your line rates.
You get backA costing by ingredient, packaging and labour, the margin at the target price, and the effect of the changes the customer is most likely to ask for.
You stillSet the price you will offer. The commercial lead knows what the buyer will accept and what the line can really do.
Highest value
Building the evidence for a cost price increase
Assembles the case for a price increase from your own cost records: what moved, by how much, from when, and what it does to each line you supply.
Keeps customersSaves time
ProjectSkillSpreadsheetRetailer portal
By hand4 hrs
With Claude1 hr
ProjectSkillSpreadsheetRetailer portal
You give itSupplier price letters, your costings and the customer's price increase template.
You get backA submission in the customer's format, with each cost change evidenced from an invoice or a letter, the effect on each product, and a one page summary for the buyer.
You stillDecide what to ask for and negotiate it. In the Groceries Code Adjudicator's 2026 survey, 15% of suppliers had a request refused or unreasonably delayed.
Updating price lists for trade and wholesale
Updates your trade and wholesale price lists from new costs and your margin rules, and drafts the notice each customer is due under their terms.
Saves timeKeeps customers
SkillSpreadsheetAccounting
By hand1 hr 30
With Claude15 min
SkillSpreadsheetAccounting
You give itYour current price lists, the cost changes and your customer terms.
You get backUpdated price lists by customer group, the lines where a new price breaks a contract promise, and draft notices with the effective date each customer's terms require.
You stillApprove the new prices. For a brewer selling to pubs and stockists, decide how much of a duty change to pass on.
Quoting tooling and the first production run
Separates the tool cost, sampling and first run in a moulding or print quote, and sets out who owns the tool and what happens to it at the end.
Saves timeWins work
SkillQuoting toolEmail
By hand1 hr 30
With Claude20 min
SkillQuoting toolEmail
You give itThe enquiry, the toolmaker's or repro quote and your run rates.
You get backA quote with tooling, samples and piece price shown separately, tool ownership and storage terms stated, and the lead time from approval to first delivery.
You stillChoose the toolmaker and set the price. How the tool will run on your presses is your judgement.
Drawings, revisions and first articles
Quality and engineering, checking each revision before it reaches the shop.
5 use cases
Highest value
Checking an order against the drawing revision
Compares the revision on the purchase order, the drawing you hold and the one on the customer's portal, and stops the job if they disagree.
Keeps customersSaves time
SkillClaude in ChromeCADCustomer portal
By hand30 min
With Claude5 min
SkillClaude in ChromeCADCustomer portal
You give itThe purchase order, your drawing and any revision notes from the customer.
You get backA match, or a list of differences with the features that changed between revisions, and a draft query to the customer before anything is cut.
You stillDecide whether to make to the new revision. Getting it wrong means scrapped parts and a rejected delivery.
Highest time
Setting up a first article inspection report
Lists every dimension and note on the drawing as a numbered characteristic and lays out the report in the customer's format, ready for the inspector's results.
Saves timeKeeps customers
ProjectSkillCADQuality system
By hand3 hrs
With Claude40 min
ProjectSkillCADQuality system
You give itThe drawing and the customer's first article requirements, such as AS9102 forms.
You get backA numbered characteristic list to match the ballooned drawing, the report forms with tolerances filled in, and a check that material and process certificate numbers are present.
You stillMeasure the part and sign the report. Inspection is skilled work and the signature is the quality engineer's.
Summarising a customer's quality manual
Reads a customer's supplier quality manual or purchase order terms and lists the requirements that land on purchasing, production, inspection and despatch.
Keeps customersSaves time
ProjectFile storageQuality system
By hand2 hrs
With Claude20 min
ProjectFile storageQuality system
You give itThe customer's quality manual and their standard terms.
You get backA one page list of requirements by department, such as approved finishers, certificate types, retention periods and notification rules, with the clause each comes from.
You stillDecide whether you can meet each one, and tell the customer where you cannot.
Listing everything an engineering change touches
Takes a change to a drawing or a material and lists every document that depends on it: routings, programs, inspection plans, open orders, stock and quotes.
Keeps customersSaves time
ProjectConnectorERPFile storage
By hand1 hr 30
With Claude15 min
ProjectConnectorERPFile storage
You give itThe change note and exports of open orders, stock and job documents.
You get backA list of affected documents, orders and stock, a draft note to the customer on any cost or lead time effect, and a checklist to close the change.
You stillDecide what happens to work in progress and stock. That depends on cost and on what the customer will accept.
Writing up manufacturability queries
Turns the estimator's notes on a drawing into a clear list of questions and suggestions for the customer's engineer, with the feature and the reason for each.
Wins workKeeps customers
ChatCADEmail
By hand45 min
With Claude10 min
ChatCADEmail
You give itYour marked-up drawing or notes.
You get backA query sheet with each point tied to a feature, the cost or lead time effect of each suggestion, and a covering email.
You stillDecide what to suggest. Knowing a cheaper way to make the part is the expertise the customer is buying.
Specifications, labels and artwork
The technical team, keeping each retailer's version of every product right.
6 use cases
Highest time
Writing a specification once for every retailer
Holds one master specification per product and produces each customer's version from it, in their headings and their order, ready to enter on their portal.
Saves timeKeeps customers
ProjectSkillRecipe systemRetailer portal
By hand5 hrs
With Claude1 hr
ProjectSkillRecipe systemRetailer portal
You give itYour recipe, raw material specifications, nutrition and allergen data, and each customer's template.
You get backA specification per customer with every field filled from the master, a list of fields the customer asks for that you do not hold, and a change log against the last version.
You stillApprove each specification and enter it. The technical manager signs off what goes to a retailer, because the retailer will hold you to it.
Updating specifications when an ingredient changes
Finds every product and every customer specification that uses a changed ingredient, and lists what has to change on each one.
Keeps customersSaves time
ProjectSkillRecipe systemEmail
By hand3 hrs
With Claude30 min
ProjectSkillRecipe systemEmail
You give itThe supplier's change notice and your recipe and specification records.
You get backThe products affected, the fields to change on each customer's specification, any change to allergens or claims, and a draft notification for each customer.
You stillDecide whether the change needs customer approval or new artwork, and when it takes effect.
Highest value
Checking label artwork against the recipe
Reads the artwork proof and checks the ingredients list, allergen emphasis, nutrition panel, weights and claims against the recipe and the specification.
Keeps customersSaves time
SkillArtwork toolRecipe system
By hand1 hr
With Claude10 min
SkillArtwork toolRecipe system
You give itThe artwork proof, the recipe and the approved specification.
You get backA list of every difference, any missing allergen emphasis, claims that need evidence, and a draft reply to the designer or the retailer's artwork agency.
You stillApprove the artwork. A labelling error can mean a recall, so the person who signs is the person accountable.
Producing nutrition and ingredient information
Works out the ingredients declaration in weight order, the allergen statement and the nutrition panel from the recipe and raw material data.
Saves timeKeeps customers
SkillRecipe systemSpreadsheet
By hand1 hr
With Claude12 min
SkillRecipe systemSpreadsheet
You give itThe recipe with quantities and the raw material specifications.
You get backA draft ingredients list, allergen statement and nutrition values with the workings shown, and a list of raw materials whose data is out of date.
You stillCheck against lab results where you have them, and approve. Calculated values are a starting point and some customers require testing.
Keeping wholesale and foodservice data current
Prepares the product data a wholesaler or foodservice platform asks for from your master specification, and flags anything that has changed since the last upload.
Keeps customersSaves time
SkillClaude in ChromeOnline portalRecipe system
By hand1 hr 30
With Claude15 min
SkillClaude in ChromeOnline portalRecipe system
You give itYour master specifications and the platform's data template.
You get backUpload-ready product records, a list of products where the platform shows old data, and the fields it requires that you have not supplied.
You stillCheck and submit. Caterers rely on that allergen data to feed people safely.
Keeping the critical path on a product launch
Tracks each stage gate on a new product against the launch date and drafts the weekly update for the customer.
Keeps customersSaves time
ProjectScheduled taskSpreadsheetEmail
By hand1 hr
With Claude10 min
ProjectScheduled taskSpreadsheetEmail
You give itThe critical path and the notes from trials and meetings.
You get backA status by stage, the tasks now late and what they hold up, and a weekly update for the customer's development team.
You stillRun the trials and decide when the product is ready. Shelf life and the factory trial are the technologist's judgement.
Food safety and traceability
The technical manager, holding HACCP, the audit and the recall plan.
6 use cases
Highest value
Running a traceability test from your records
Traces a batch back to its raw material lots and forward to the customers who received it, from intake, production and despatch records, and times the exercise.
Keeps customersSaves time
ProjectCoworkTraceability recordsSpreadsheet
By hand4 hrs
With Claude45 min
ProjectCoworkTraceability recordsSpreadsheet
You give itThe batch code and your intake, batch and despatch records.
You get backA one up, one down trace with every lot and delivery, the records that were missing or hard to find, and the write-up your auditor expects to see.
You stillMake the real decision if a recall ever comes. Who to call and what to withdraw is the technical manager's call.
Writing up the annual HACCP review
Turns the team's review notes into the HACCP review record, with changes to the flow, hazards, critical limits and verification set out.
Saves timeKeeps customers
ProjectSkillQuality systemFile storage
By hand3 hrs
With Claude40 min
ProjectSkillQuality systemFile storage
You give itThe current HACCP plan and the notes from the review meeting.
You get backAn updated HACCP document with tracked changes, a list of verification records due, and minutes of the review for the audit file.
You stillMake every hazard and critical limit decision. That is the HACCP team's expertise and it stays with them.
Highest time
Preparing for the BRCGS or SALSA audit
Checks your records against the standard clause by clause and lists what an auditor would ask for that you cannot yet show.
Keeps customersWins workSaves time
ProjectCoworkQuality systemFile storage
By hand8 hrs
With Claude2 hrs
ProjectCoworkQuality systemFile storage
You give itThe standard's clause list, your procedures and a sample of recent records.
You get backA gap list by clause, the records missing or out of date, the actions from the last audit still open, and a running order for the audit day.
You stillFix the gaps and host the auditor. The grade depends on how the site runs every day.
Summarising environmental monitoring results
Reads swab, micro and shelf life results each month and reports trends, repeat positives and results close to a limit.
Keeps customersSaves time
Scheduled taskConnectorLab systemSpreadsheet
By hand1 hr
With Claude10 min
Scheduled taskConnectorLab systemSpreadsheet
You give itYour lab results and sampling plan.
You get backA monthly summary by area and organism, any repeat or rising results, samples that were missed, and a draft entry for the management review.
You stillDecide the corrective action. Interpreting a positive in the factory is the technical team's job.
Keeping supplier approval files current
Checks each approved supplier file for an in-date certificate, specification and questionnaire, and drafts the requests for anything about to lapse.
Saves timeKeeps customers
Scheduled taskConnectorFile storageEmail
By hand1 hr 30
With Claude15 min
Scheduled taskConnectorFile storageEmail
You give itYour approved supplier list and the documents held for each.
You get backSuppliers with expired or expiring certificates, specifications older than your review period, and a drafted request to each supplier.
You stillApprove or suspend suppliers. Risk assessing a raw material is the technical manager's decision.
Highest value
Reconciling a brewery's monthly duty return
Reconciles what was brewed, packaged, removed from duty suspension and returned each month against your production and sales records, ready for the return.
Saves time
ProjectConnectorBrewery systemHMRC portal
By hand4 hrs
With Claude45 min
ProjectConnectorBrewery systemHMRC portal
You give itBrewing and packaging records, despatch records and your duty rates.
You get backA reconciliation by product and strength, the duty due with Small Producer Relief applied as you set it, and the differences between production and sales that need explaining.
You stillSubmit the return by the 15th and pay by the 25th. The figures are yours, and HMRC holds the business to them.
Surveys, drawings and order checks
Order processors checking every size and option before it is cut.
5 use cases
Highest time
Checking an order against the survey
Compares each item on the order with the survey sheet and drawings: sizes, openings, glass, hardware and colours, and flags anything that does not match.
Keeps customersSaves time
SkillFabrication softwareEmail
By hand30 min
With Claude6 min
SkillFabrication softwareEmail
You give itThe order, the survey sheet and the drawings.
You get backA line by line check with differences marked, combinations your system cannot make, items that may need safety glass or an escape opening, and a draft query to the installer.
You stillRelease to production. A wrong order becomes a remake, so a person who knows the products signs it off.
Drafting confirmation drawings for sign-off
Produces the confirmation pack the customer signs before manufacture, with item drawings, sizes, options and price, and tracks the signature.
You give itThe checked order and your confirmation template.
You get backA confirmation pack per order, a covering email asking for signature by a date, and a list of orders still waiting for sign-off.
You stillHold production until it is signed. A signed confirmation is what settles a dispute later.
Processing order amendments and variations
Reads a change from the customer, applies it to the order, and works out what it does to price, lead time and anything already cut.
Keeps customersSaves time
SkillConnectorFabrication softwareEmail
By hand30 min
With Claude6 min
SkillConnectorFabrication softwareEmail
You give itThe customer's email and the current order.
You get backThe amended order with changes marked, the price and lead time effect, the work already done that the change affects, and a reply for the customer.
You stillDecide whether to accept a late change and what to charge for it.
Highest value
Logging remakes and finding the cause
Records every remake with the order, the error and where it entered, and reports each month which errors repeat and what they cost.
You give itYour remake log or the notes from each one.
You get backA monthly report of remakes by cause, stage and customer, the cost of each, and the errors that cause most of them.
You stillFix the cause. Changing how orders are checked or surveyed is a management decision.
Reading a contractor's door and window schedule
Reads the architect's door, window or ironmongery schedule and turns it into lines your system can quote and make, with every rating and finish carried across.
Saves timeWins work
ProjectSkillSpreadsheetCAD
By hand2 hrs
With Claude25 min
ProjectSkillSpreadsheetCAD
You give itThe schedule and the drawings it refers to.
You get backA line list with sizes, ratings, finishes and hardware, the items missing information, and questions for the contractor before you commit.
You stillDecide how to meet each specification. Choosing a tested product that meets a fire rating is technical judgement.
Artwork, samples and new products
Account coordinators and technologists running proofs and samples.
5 use cases
Highest value
Checking packaging artwork and proofs
Checks a customer's artwork against the cutter guide and the job specification: dimensions, barcodes, colours called up, legal text and recycling marks.
Keeps customersSaves time
SkillArtwork toolEmail
By hand1 hr
With Claude10 min
SkillArtwork toolEmail
You give itThe artwork file, the cutter guide and the job specification.
You get backA list of every problem found, the points to raise with the customer or their agency, and a proof approval request that records exactly what was approved.
You stillApprove for print. A misprint on a long run is expensive, so the person who signs knows the press.
Making up the job bag for a new order
Gathers the artwork, specification, materials, tooling and customer instructions into the job pack the press or line needs.
Saves timeKeeps customers
SkillConnectorERPFile storage
By hand45 min
With Claude10 min
SkillConnectorERPFile storage
You give itThe order and the approved artwork and specification.
You get backA complete job pack, a list of anything still missing before the job can start, and the works instruction filled in.
You stillRelease it to the floor.
Writing up first-off and sample approval
Builds the sample submission from the inspection results, with dimensions, weights, material batch and test results, in the customer's format.
Keeps customersSaves time
SkillQuality systemSpreadsheet
By hand1 hr 30
With Claude20 min
SkillQuality systemSpreadsheet
You give itInspection results, material certificates and the customer's form.
You get backA completed sample submission, any results outside tolerance highlighted, and a covering note.
You stillDecide whether the samples are good enough to submit.
Highest value
Answering technical service requests
Drafts the reply to a customer's technical question from your data sheets, test reports and past answers, and logs the request.
Keeps customersWins work
ProjectFile storageEmail
By hand1 hr
With Claude12 min
ProjectFile storageEmail
You give itThe customer's question and your technical documents.
You get backA draft reply with the source for each statement, a note where your data does not cover the question, and an entry in the request log.
You stillApprove the answer. A chemist or technologist decides anything about performance in a new application.
Writing technical data sheets for new products
Writes the technical data sheet for a new grade or product from lab results and the formulation summary, in your house layout.
Wins workSaves time
SkillLab systemFile storage
By hand2 hrs
With Claude25 min
SkillLab systemFile storage
You give itLab results and the product summary.
You get backA draft data sheet with each value referenced to a test, any claim you cannot support flagged, and a version number.
You stillApprove every figure. Customers design around the numbers on that sheet.
Customer orders and acknowledgements
The sales office, reading every order and keying it into the system.
8 use cases
Highest time
Checking a customer order against the quote
Compares the purchase order with your quote: part, revision, quantity, price, delivery date and terms, and lists every difference before you accept it.
Keeps customersSaves time
SkillConnectorEmailERP
By hand20 min
With Claude4 min
SkillConnectorEmailERP
You give itThe customer's order and your quote.
You get backA match or a list of differences, terms on the order that conflict with yours, and a draft acknowledgement naming each difference for the customer to confirm.
You stillAccept the order. ISO 9001 expects that review before you commit, and the decision is yours.
Highest time
Keying emailed orders into your system
Reads orders that arrive as emails, PDFs or spreadsheets and turns them into lines ready to import or key into your system, with product codes checked.
Saves time
CoworkConnectorEmailERP
By hand15 min
With Claude3 min
CoworkConnectorEmailERP
You give itThe order emails and your product list.
You get backOrder lines in the layout your system imports, product codes matched to yours, and a list of lines where the code, price or date did not match.
You stillCheck and post the orders. Where your system has no import, a person still keys them, from a clean list.
Sending order acknowledgements with real dates
Drafts the acknowledgement from the order and the current schedule, with a delivery date the plan can actually meet.
Keeps customersSaves time
SkillConnectorEmailERP
By hand15 min
With Claude3 min
SkillConnectorEmailERP
You give itThe order and the current schedule or lead times.
You get backAn acknowledgement per order, the orders where the requested date cannot be met, and a suggested alternative date for each.
You stillPromise the date. Planning and sales agree what the customer is told.
Answering where is my order
Finds the order, its status in the schedule and any despatch details, and drafts the reply.
Keeps customersSaves time
CoworkConnectorEmailERP
By hand15 min
With Claude3 min
CoworkConnectorEmailERP
You give itThe customer's email and access to your order and despatch records.
You get backA drafted reply with status, expected date and tracking where there is one, and a flag if the order is late and nobody has told the customer.
You stillSend it, and pick up the phone when the news is bad.
Highest value
Telling customers before an order runs late
Compares promised dates with the schedule each morning and drafts a notice to each customer whose order will miss, before they find out.
Keeps customers
Scheduled taskConnectorERPEmail
By hand45 min
With Claude8 min
Scheduled taskConnectorERPEmail
You give itThe order book and the latest schedule.
You get backA list of orders at risk with the reason, a draft notice for each customer with a new date, and a summary for the morning meeting.
You stillDecide what to offer, and call the customers who matter most yourself.
Booking deliveries on retailer portals
Prepares delivery bookings for each depot from confirmed orders and checks them against each retailer's booking rules.
Keeps customersSaves time
SkillClaude in ChromeRetailer portalSpreadsheet
By hand30 min
With Claude6 min
SkillClaude in ChromeRetailer portalSpreadsheet
You give itConfirmed orders and each retailer's booking requirements.
You get backBooking details per depot and slot, the orders that miss a booking cut-off, and the paperwork each depot needs with the delivery.
You stillMake the bookings and handle the rejected slots.
Reporting daily pick figures and depot stock
Pulls the daily orders and stock positions for each retail depot into one view and flags lines heading for a shortage.
Keeps customersSaves time
Scheduled taskConnectorEDISpreadsheet
By hand45 min
With Claude8 min
Scheduled taskConnectorEDISpreadsheet
You give itRetailer order files and your stock report.
You get backA daily picture by depot and product, the lines likely to short, and a draft message to the account manager.
You stillDecide where stock goes when there is not enough for everyone.
Managing call-offs and stock held for customers
Tracks the stock you hold for each customer against their call-offs and forecast, and flags aged stock and lines to make before they run out.
Keeps customersSaves time
Scheduled taskConnectorERPSpreadsheet
By hand1 hr
With Claude10 min
Scheduled taskConnectorERPSpreadsheet
You give itCall-off schedules, forecasts and your stock report.
You get backA weekly position per customer, the lines to schedule, and aged stock with a draft note asking the customer to take it or pay for it.
You stillAgree with the customer what happens to stock they no longer want.
Planning and the order book
The planner, reconciling the system with the shop floor every morning.
5 use cases
Highest time
Preparing the morning production meeting
Pulls yesterday's output, the past-due list, shortages, quality holds and customer escalations into one page before the meeting.
Saves timeKeeps customers
Scheduled taskConnectorERPEmail
By hand45 min
With Claude8 min
Scheduled taskConnectorERPEmail
You give itExports from your system and the overnight emails.
You get backA one page brief with late orders, shortages and holds, and the decisions the meeting needs to take.
You stillRun the meeting and make the calls. Priorities on the shop floor belong to the production manager.
Working through the system's exception messages
Sorts the planning system's exception messages by what will actually hurt a delivery, and drafts the action for each.
Saves timeKeeps customers
CoworkConnectorERPSpreadsheet
By hand1 hr
With Claude12 min
CoworkConnectorERPSpreadsheet
You give itThe exception report and the order book.
You get backThe exceptions that affect customer orders this week with a suggested action for each, and the rest grouped so they can be cleared in one pass.
You stillDecide what to move. A planner knows which messages the system raises out of habit.
Checking a new order against capacity
Adds a new order or a large enquiry to the load on each machine or line and shows where it creates a bottleneck.
Wins workKeeps customers
ProjectConnectorERPSpreadsheet
By hand45 min
With Claude10 min
ProjectConnectorERPSpreadsheet
You give itThe order, your routings and the current load.
You get backA load view by work centre with the new order added, the weeks it overloads, and the dates you could realistically offer.
You stillDecide whether to take the work and what to move to fit it in.
Raising works orders with the customer's requirements
Builds the works order and job pack from the sales order, carrying the customer's special requirements, drawing revision and inspection points onto the paperwork.
Saves timeKeeps customers
SkillConnectorERPFile storage
By hand20 min
With Claude4 min
SkillConnectorERPFile storage
You give itThe sales order, the drawing and the customer's requirements.
You get backA job pack with route card, drawing at the right revision, inspection plan and the customer's notes in plain words for the shop floor.
You stillRelease the job.
Turning orders and forecasts into a production plan
Combines confirmed orders, forecasts and stock into a draft production and packing plan, with allergen changeovers in the order your rules require.
Saves timeKeeps customers
ProjectConnectorERPSpreadsheet
By hand1 hr 30
With Claude20 min
ProjectConnectorERPSpreadsheet
You give itOrders, forecasts, stock and your sequencing rules.
You get backA draft plan by line and day, the raw materials and packaging it needs, the shortages, and any sequence that breaks your allergen rules.
You stillSet the plan. A planner balances the line, the people and the customer.
Purchasing and suppliers
The buyer, raising orders and chasing dates, certificates and invoices.
7 use cases
Sending enquiries to suppliers and comparing replies
Drafts the enquiry to suppliers or subcontractors with the drawing, specification and certificate needed, and lines the replies up side by side.
Saves time
SkillConnectorEmailSpreadsheet
By hand1 hr
With Claude12 min
SkillConnectorEmailSpreadsheet
You give itThe requirement and your approved supplier list.
You get backEnquiry emails ready to send, a comparison of price, lead time and terms from each reply, and the replies that left something out.
You stillChoose the supplier. Price is one input and reliability is another.
Raising purchase orders with the right requirements
Drafts purchase orders from requirements with the certificate type, revision, delivery date and your terms set out every time.
Saves timeKeeps customers
SkillConnectorERPEmail
By hand15 min
With Claude3 min
SkillConnectorERPEmail
You give itThe requirement and the supplier's quote.
You get backA purchase order ready to approve, with the certificate and paperwork the supplier must send stated, and a check that the price matches the quote.
You stillApprove the spend.
Highest time
Chasing suppliers for dates and acknowledgements
Checks open purchase orders each day for missing acknowledgements and late dates, and drafts the chase, firmer the later it gets.
Saves timeKeeps customers
Scheduled taskConnectorERPEmail
By hand45 min
With Claude8 min
Scheduled taskConnectorERPEmail
You give itYour open purchase order list and supplier emails.
You get backChasers ready to send, an updated shortage list for planning, and the late deliveries that put a customer order at risk.
You stillPhone the suppliers who matter. Some problems need a conversation.
Highest value
Checking supplier certificates when goods arrive
Reads the mill certificate or certificate of analysis and checks material, grade, heat or batch number and results against what the purchase order asked for.
Keeps customersSaves time
SkillConnectorEmailQuality system
By hand20 min
With Claude4 min
SkillConnectorEmailQuality system
You give itThe certificate and the purchase order.
You get backA pass or a list of mismatches, the heat or batch number logged against the delivery, and a draft request to the supplier if the certificate is wrong.
You stillRelease or quarantine the material. Accepting non-conforming material is a quality decision.
Writing the monthly supplier performance report
Works out on time delivery, rejects and certificate errors for each supplier from receipts and NCRs, and drafts the note to each one.
Saves timeKeeps customers
Scheduled taskConnectorERPQuality system
By hand2 hrs
With Claude20 min
Scheduled taskConnectorERPQuality system
You give itGoods received records, NCRs and purchase orders.
You get backA scorecard per supplier, the trend over six months, and draft letters to the suppliers below your target.
You stillDecide which suppliers to develop and which to drop.
Resolving supplier invoice queries
Matches supplier invoices to the purchase order and goods received note and drafts a query on anything that differs.
Saves time
CoworkConnectorAccountingERP
By hand30 min
With Claude6 min
CoworkConnectorAccountingERP
You give itSupplier invoices, purchase orders and receipts.
You get backInvoices matched and ready to approve, mismatches with the reason, and drafted queries to suppliers.
You stillApprove payment.
Collecting timber legality evidence
Gathers the origin, species and chain of custody evidence for timber purchases and checks it against your due diligence procedure.
Keeps customersSaves time
ProjectSkillFile storageEmail
By hand1 hr
With Claude10 min
ProjectSkillFile storageEmail
You give itSupplier documents and your due diligence procedure.
You get backA file per supplier and species, the gaps in the evidence, and drafted requests to suppliers.
You stillJudge the risk. If you place imported timber on the market, the due diligence duty sits with you.
Quality, complaints and corrective action
The quality manager, writing up NCRs, 8Ds and complaint responses.
5 use cases
Writing up a non-conformance report
Turns the inspector's notes and photos into a complete NCR with the part, quantity, requirement breached and containment taken.
Saves timeKeeps customers
SkillQuality systemPhotos
By hand45 min
With Claude10 min
SkillQuality systemPhotos
You give itThe notes, photos and order details.
You get backA completed NCR, a draft containment note to the customer if parts have shipped, and the record added to your NCR log.
You stillDecide the disposition. Scrap, rework or concession is a quality call.
Highest time
Writing an 8D report in the customer's template
Builds the 8D or corrective action report from the investigation notes, in the customer's own template, with each section filled and the evidence attached.
Keeps customersSaves time
ProjectSkillQuality systemFile storage
By hand4 hrs
With Claude1 hr
ProjectSkillQuality systemFile storage
You give itInvestigation notes, root cause analysis, photos and the customer's template.
You get backA completed report in the customer's format, the places where the evidence is thin, and a timeline of actions with owners and dates.
You stillFind the root cause. The investigation is skilled work and the customer will test it.
Highest value
Logging complaints and drafting the response
Logs each complaint with product, batch and customer, links it to past complaints of the same kind, and drafts the response once the investigation is done.
Keeps customersSaves time
ProjectSkillQuality systemEmail
By hand1 hr
With Claude12 min
ProjectSkillQuality systemEmail
You give itThe complaint, batch details and investigation notes.
You get backA log entry, any pattern with earlier complaints, and a response in the customer's format with the cause and actions stated plainly.
You stillInvestigate and approve the response. What you tell a customer about a failure has to be true.
Chasing corrective actions to closure
Reviews open NCRs and corrective actions each week and drafts reminders to owners whose actions are due or overdue.
Saves timeKeeps customers
Scheduled taskConnectorQuality systemMessaging
By hand45 min
With Claude8 min
Scheduled taskConnectorQuality systemMessaging
You give itYour NCR and corrective action log.
You get backOpen actions by owner, the ones overdue, drafted reminders, and closure times for the management review.
You stillHold people to it.
Reporting complaint figures to customers
Builds the monthly complaint and KPI report each major customer asks for, in their format, from your log.
Keeps customersSaves time
Scheduled taskSkillQuality systemSpreadsheet
By hand1 hr 30
With Claude15 min
Scheduled taskSkillQuality systemSpreadsheet
You give itYour complaint log and the customer's reporting template.
You get backThe report for each customer, the trend against last period and target, and a draft of the actions you are taking.
You stillExplain the numbers to the customer.
Certificates and paperwork that ships
Quality and despatch, assembling the paperwork that travels with the goods.
11 use cases
Highest time
Producing certificates of conformity
Generates the certificate of conformity from the order, works order and material certificates, in each customer's required format.
Saves timeKeeps customers
SkillConnectorERPQuality system
By hand20 min
With Claude3 min
SkillConnectorERPQuality system
You give itThe order, the works order and the material certificates.
You get backA completed certificate with part number, revision, quantity, heat or batch numbers and the customer's order number, and a flag if any certificate is missing.
You stillSign it. The signature is your statement that the parts conform.
Highest value
Assembling the customer documentation pack
Gathers the certificate of conformity, material and finishing certificates, inspection reports and first article report for a delivery into the pack the customer requires.
Keeps customersSaves time
CoworkConnectorFile storageQuality system
By hand1 hr 30
With Claude20 min
CoworkConnectorFile storageQuality system
You give itThe delivery details and access to your certificate files.
You get backA complete pack in the customer's order, a list of anything missing, and a check that every heat number traces to the parts shipped.
You stillRelease the delivery. Missing paperwork can mean quarantined goods and a late payment.
Keeping welding procedure and welder records current
Tracks welder qualifications and procedure records against the work coming up, and lists those due for renewal or not covering a job.
Keeps customersSaves time
Scheduled taskProjectSpreadsheetQuality system
By hand1 hr
With Claude10 min
Scheduled taskProjectSpreadsheetQuality system
You give itYour welding procedure and welder qualification records, and the jobs coming up.
You get backA register with expiry dates, the welders due for revalidation, jobs needing a procedure you do not hold, and reminders for the welding coordinator.
You stillQualify the welders and approve the procedures. That is the responsible welding coordinator's job.
Issuing certificates of analysis for each batch
Turns lab results into a certificate of analysis in each customer's format and checks every result is inside the agreed specification.
Saves timeKeeps customers
SkillConnectorLab systemQuality system
By hand30 min
With Claude5 min
SkillConnectorLab systemQuality system
You give itBatch lab results and the customer specification.
You get backA certificate for each customer, any result outside specification highlighted, and the certificate filed against the batch.
You stillRelease the batch.
Highest value
Updating safety data sheets after a supplier change
Compares a supplier's revised safety data sheet with the old one, finds every product that uses the material, and drafts the changes to your own sheets.
Keeps customersSaves time
ProjectSkillSDS softwareFile storage
By hand3 hrs
With Claude40 min
ProjectSkillSDS softwareFile storage
You give itThe supplier's old and new safety data sheets and your formulations.
You get backThe changes that matter, the products affected, draft updates to each sheet for review, and the customers supplied in the last 12 months who must receive the update.
You stillApprove the classification. A competent person decides hazard classification under CLP.
Drafting food contact declarations of compliance
Drafts the declaration of compliance for food contact packaging from your migration tests and material declarations, in the format the customer asks for.
Keeps customersWins work
ProjectSkillFile storageEmail
By hand1 hr 30
With Claude15 min
ProjectSkillFile storageEmail
You give itTest reports, supplier declarations and the customer's request.
You get backA draft declaration, the conditions of use it covers, any test that is out of date, and a list of missing supplier declarations to request.
You stillSign the declaration. You are confirming the material is safe for the use it describes.
Answering REACH and RoHS declaration requests
Collects what your suppliers have declared about substances of very high concern and restricted substances, and drafts the declaration a customer has asked for.
Keeps customersSaves time
ProjectSkillFile storageEmail
By hand1 hr
With Claude10 min
ProjectSkillFile storageEmail
You give itThe customer's request and your supplier declarations.
You get backA draft declaration per part or product, the materials with no supplier declaration on file, and drafted requests to those suppliers.
You stillSign it. A declaration a customer relies on has to be backed by evidence.
Highest value
Keeping declarations of performance in step with tests
Checks each declaration of performance against the test and classification reports behind it, and lists any product, size or option sold outside what was tested.
Keeps customersSaves time
ProjectSkillFile storageSpreadsheet
By hand2 hrs
With Claude25 min
ProjectSkillFile storageSpreadsheet
You give itYour declarations, test reports and current product list.
You get backA register of products against declarations and tests, the gaps where a product is sold without cover, and draft updates for the technical lead.
You stillSign the declaration. The manufacturer is responsible for the performance it declares.
Highest value
Answering contractor requests for product information
Assembles the submittal a contractor asks for, with data sheets, declarations, test certificates, ratings and installation instructions, from your library.
Wins workKeeps customers
ProjectFile storageEmail
By hand1 hr
With Claude12 min
ProjectFile storageEmail
You give itThe contractor's request and your product information library.
You get backA submittal pack indexed to their request, a list of anything you cannot evidence, and a covering email.
You stillApprove what goes. On higher-risk buildings that information becomes part of the building record.
Checking chain of custody claims on invoices
Checks that every invoice and delivery note making an FSC or PEFC claim carries the right claim and certificate code, and that it matches the material bought.
Keeps customersSaves time
Scheduled taskConnectorAccountingSpreadsheet
By hand30 min
With Claude5 min
Scheduled taskConnectorAccountingSpreadsheet
You give itSales invoices, purchase records and your certificate details.
You get backThe documents with missing or wrong claims, a check of certified material bought against certified material sold, and the corrections to issue.
You stillCorrect the records and answer the certification body.
Writing operation and maintenance information
Drafts the handover information for a project from your product data, covering care, maintenance, adjustment and warranty terms.
Keeps customersSaves time
SkillFile storage
By hand1 hr 30
With Claude20 min
SkillFile storage
You give itThe products supplied and your technical literature.
You get backAn operation and maintenance document for the project, laid out the way the contractor asks.
You stillApprove it before it goes to the contractor.
Despatch, delivery and export
The despatch office, matching paperwork to pallets and booking carriers.
7 use cases
Producing despatch notes that match the order
Builds the despatch note from the order and what was packed, with the customer's order number, part numbers and quantities exactly as they asked.
Keeps customersSaves time
SkillConnectorERP
By hand15 min
With Claude3 min
SkillConnectorERP
You give itThe order and the packing record.
You get backA despatch note in the customer's format, a flag if the packed quantity differs from the order, and the paperwork each delivery needs.
You stillLoad and sign.
Booking carriers and pallets
Prepares carrier and pallet network bookings from the day's despatches, with weights, dimensions and delivery restrictions.
Saves time
Claude in ChromeSkillCarrier bookingSpreadsheet
By hand20 min
With Claude4 min
Claude in ChromeSkillCarrier bookingSpreadsheet
You give itThe despatch list and customer delivery requirements.
You get backBooking details ready to enter, the deliveries needing a tail lift or a booked slot, and the labels needed.
You stillBook them and manage the exceptions.
Preparing export paperwork for the customs agent
Drafts the commercial invoice, packing list and the data your customs agent needs, with commodity codes and origin as you have recorded them.
Saves timeKeeps customers
SkillConnectorERPEmail
By hand1 hr
With Claude12 min
SkillConnectorERPEmail
You give itThe order, the packing list and your product commodity codes.
You get backExport documents ready to check, the products with no commodity code or origin on file, and an email to the agent.
You stillConfirm codes and origin. Getting them wrong costs duty and delays.
Chasing proofs of delivery and delivery disputes
Matches proofs of delivery to invoices and assembles the evidence when a customer disputes a delivery or a quantity.
Keeps customersSaves time
CoworkConnectorCarrier bookingAccounting
By hand30 min
With Claude5 min
CoworkConnectorCarrier bookingAccounting
You give itDelivery records, carrier proofs and the customer's query.
You get backThe proof of delivery for each disputed invoice, a summary of the dispute with the evidence, and a draft reply.
You stillAgree the outcome with the customer.
Answering depot rejections
Reviews vehicle temperature records, delivery paperwork and the depot's rejection notice, and drafts the response or claim for each rejection.
Keeps customersSaves time
SkillConnectorRetailer portalEmail
By hand30 min
With Claude6 min
SkillConnectorRetailer portalEmail
You give itTemperature logs, delivery paperwork and rejection notices.
You get backRejections grouped by reason, the evidence for each, and drafted responses or carrier claims.
You stillDecide which rejections to dispute.
Checking dangerous goods paperwork before despatch
Checks the dangerous goods note, labels and quantities against the safety data sheet and your carrier's rules before a hazardous consignment goes.
Keeps customersSaves time
SkillSDS softwareCarrier booking
By hand30 min
With Claude6 min
SkillSDS softwareCarrier booking
You give itThe consignment details, safety data sheets and carrier requirements.
You get backA check of UN numbers, packing groups and quantities against the paperwork, anything missing, and a note for the driver.
You stillRelease the load. Your dangerous goods safety adviser sets the rules.
Planning delivery runs and site deliveries
Groups the week's deliveries by area and site requirement, and drafts the delivery confirmation each customer or site needs.
Keeps customersSaves time
ProjectConnectorFabrication softwareSpreadsheet
By hand45 min
With Claude10 min
ProjectConnectorFabrication softwareSpreadsheet
You give itCompleted orders, addresses and site restrictions.
You get backA draft run plan, delivery confirmations with time windows, and the sites needing a booked slot or lifting equipment.
You stillSet the runs.
Invoicing, credit control and the month end
The accounts team, matching invoices to orders and chasing what is owed.
5 use cases
Highest value
Checking invoices before they go out
Checks each invoice against the order, the despatch note and the agreed price, and that the customer's order number and any paperwork they require are attached.
Keeps customersSaves time
SkillConnectorAccountingERP
By hand10 min
With Claude2 min
SkillConnectorAccountingERP
You give itThe invoice, order and despatch records.
You get backInvoices ready to send, a list with mismatched prices, missing order numbers or missing paperwork, and the fix for each.
You stillApprove and send. An invoice without the customer's order number often sits unpaid until somebody notices.
Chasing overdue invoices with the reason
Reviews the aged debt each week, finds out why each overdue invoice is unpaid, and drafts a chase that answers that reason.
Saves timeKeeps customers
Scheduled taskConnectorAccountingCustomer portal
By hand30 min
With Claude5 min
Scheduled taskConnectorAccountingCustomer portal
You give itAged debtors, customer remittances and portal statuses.
You get backA chase per customer naming the invoice and what is holding it, a list of disputes to resolve, and late payment interest where your terms allow.
You stillDecide who to push and who to call. Some customers matter more than the interest.
Matching remittances and deductions
Matches customer payments and remittances to invoices and lists every deduction with the reason the customer gave.
Saves time
CoworkConnectorAccountingEmail
By hand1 hr
With Claude10 min
CoworkConnectorAccountingEmail
You give itRemittance advices, bank statements and open invoices.
You get backPayments matched to invoices, deductions by reason and value, and drafted disputes for the deductions you do not accept.
You stillDecide which deductions to fight.
Highest value
Comparing job costs with the quote
Compares the hours, material and outside processing booked to finished jobs with what was quoted, and lists the jobs and customers that lose money.
Wins workYou own itSaves time
ProjectConnectorERPSpreadsheet
By hand1 hr 30
With Claude15 min
ProjectConnectorERPSpreadsheet
You give itJob cost reports and the original quotes.
You get backQuote against actual for each job, the jobs that lost margin and where, and a list of repeat parts to re-quote.
You stillDecide what to re-price or decline.
Preparing the month-end commentary
Drafts the commentary on the management accounts, covering sales, margin, stock and work in progress, and the variances against budget.
Saves time
ProjectAccountingSpreadsheet
By hand3 hrs
With Claude40 min
ProjectAccountingSpreadsheet
You give itThe management accounts, the budget and last month's commentary.
You get backA draft commentary explaining each significant variance, questions for the finance lead where the numbers do not explain themselves, and a one page summary.
You stillExplain the numbers to the board.
Audits, questionnaires and compliance
The quality or SHEQ manager, answering customers and certification bodies.
10 use cases
Highest time
Answering supplier approval questionnaires
Drafts every answer on a customer's supplier questionnaire from your policies, certificates and previous answers, and flags the questions you have not answered before.
Wins workSaves timeKeeps customers
ProjectSkillFile storageCustomer portal
By hand3 hrs
With Claude40 min
ProjectSkillFile storageCustomer portal
You give itThe questionnaire and your policies, certificates and past questionnaires.
You get backA completed first pass with each answer marked with the document it came from, new questions listed for an owner, and the certificates and insurance documents to attach.
You stillApprove every answer. A questionnaire answer is a statement the customer will hold you to.
Answering customer sustainability questionnaires
Drafts answers on energy, carbon, waste and packaging from your bills, waste records and packaging data, and lists what you do not measure yet.
Wins workKeeps customers
ProjectSkillSpreadsheetOnline portal
By hand2 hrs
With Claude25 min
ProjectSkillSpreadsheetOnline portal
You give itThe questionnaire, energy bills, waste records and packaging data.
You get backDraft answers with the source of each figure, the questions you cannot answer with data, and a short plan for the measures customers ask about most.
You stillApprove what you claim. Make UK and Lloyds Bank found 77% of the manufacturers they surveyed face environmental and social conditions from customers.
Writing up internal audits
Turns the auditor's notes into the internal audit report, with findings graded and linked to clauses, and actions raised with owners.
Saves time
SkillQuality system
By hand1 hr 30
With Claude20 min
SkillQuality system
You give itThe auditor's notes and the audit checklist.
You get backAn audit report with findings by clause and grade, and corrective actions logged with owners and dates.
You stillDo the audit. Auditing is skilled work and the findings are the auditor's.
Assembling the management review pack
Gathers the inputs ISO 9001 asks for into one pack, covering audits, complaints, supplier performance, objectives and risks, with the trends shown.
Saves time
ProjectCoworkQuality systemSpreadsheet
By hand4 hrs
With Claude1 hr
ProjectCoworkQuality systemSpreadsheet
You give itYour logs and KPI reports for the period.
You get backA management review pack with each required input, the trends since the last review, and a draft list of decisions for the meeting.
You stillMake the decisions. The standard expects top management to own them.
Preparing for the revised ISO 9001
Compares your quality manual and procedures with the changes in the revised ISO 9001, and lists what needs updating before your transition audit.
Keeps customersSaves time
ProjectCoworkQuality systemFile storage
By hand8 hrs
With Claude2 hrs
ProjectCoworkQuality systemFile storage
You give itYour quality system documents and your certification body's transition notes.
You get backA gap list by clause, draft wording for changed procedures, and a plan working back from the transition date your certification body gives you.
You stillDecide how your system will work. Your certification body confirms the transition.
Collating packaging data for producer responsibility
Works out the packaging you place on the market by material and type from purchase records and bills of materials, ready for your EPR submission.
Saves time
ProjectCoworkSpreadsheetERP
By hand4 hrs
With Claude45 min
ProjectCoworkSpreadsheetERP
You give itPackaging purchase records, bills of materials and sales volumes.
You get backTonnages by material and packaging type, the workings for each figure, the gaps in the data, and the dates your submission is due.
You stillMake the submission. The data is yours and a director answers for it.
Preparing the Plastic Packaging Tax workings
Works out the plastic packaging components made or imported each quarter, the recycled content of each and the tax due, with the evidence for every exemption.
Saves time
ProjectConnectorERPSpreadsheet
By hand2 hrs
With Claude25 min
ProjectConnectorERPSpreadsheet
You give itProduction records, recycled content evidence and import records.
You get backQuarterly workings by component, the components at or above 30% recycled content with their evidence, and a list of evidence gaps.
You stillSubmit the return.
Getting ready for the carbon border charge
Lists the steel and aluminium you import directly, by commodity code and value, and drafts the request for embedded emissions data to each overseas supplier.
Saves timeKeeps customers
ProjectSkillAccountingEmail
By hand3 hrs
With Claude40 min
ProjectSkillAccountingEmail
You give itImport records and supplier contacts.
You get backImports by code and value against the £50,000 threshold, the suppliers to contact, drafted data requests, and the registration and return dates.
You stillDecide whether you are in scope and register. Take advice where it is not clear.
Keeping the legal register current
Checks each month what has changed in the laws on your register, and drafts the update and the evaluation of compliance.
You give itYour legal register and the areas you operate in.
You get backThe changes that affect you, draft register entries, and what each change asks you to do and by when.
You stillJudge what each change means for your site.
Preparing for a retailer technical visit
Builds the pack a retailer's technologist expects, with their code of practice checked against your records, open complaints and KPI performance.
Keeps customersSaves time
ProjectCoworkQuality systemFile storage
By hand3 hrs
With Claude40 min
ProjectCoworkQuality systemFile storage
You give itThe retailer's code of practice and your records.
You get backA gap list against their code, the complaint and KPI history for their products, and a briefing note for the visit.
You stillHost the visit.
Health, safety and people
A SHEQ manager or the MD, keeping assessments and training records current.
6 use cases
Writing risk assessments from the assessor's notes
Turns the walk-round notes into a risk assessment in your format, with hazards, controls and actions set out, and checks it against your other assessments for that area.
Saves time
SkillCompliance softwarePhotos
By hand1 hr 30
With Claude20 min
SkillCompliance softwarePhotos
You give itThe assessor's notes and photos, and your template.
You get backA draft risk assessment, actions with owners, and a review date.
You stillJudge the risk. The competent person decides whether the controls are enough.
Drafting COSHH assessments from safety data sheets
Reads the safety data sheet and how the substance is used on site, and drafts the COSHH assessment for the assessor to review.
Saves time
SkillCompliance softwareFile storage
By hand1 hr
With Claude15 min
SkillCompliance softwareFile storage
You give itThe safety data sheet and a description of the task.
You get backA draft assessment with hazards, exposure route, controls and protective equipment, and a note of any health surveillance or air monitoring it suggests.
You stillApprove it. The assessor decides what is adequate control.
Tracking statutory inspections and calibration
Holds one calendar of inspection dates for lifting equipment, extraction tested every 14 months, pressure systems and measuring equipment, and drafts each booking.
Saves timeKeeps customers
Scheduled taskConnectorSpreadsheetCalendar
By hand1 hr
With Claude10 min
Scheduled taskConnectorSpreadsheetCalendar
You give itYour equipment list and the last inspection reports.
You get backWhat is due in the next 90 days, drafted bookings with each contractor, and actions from past reports still open.
You stillAct on the reports. Taking kit out of use is a manager's decision.
Writing toolbox talks and briefings
Writes a short toolbox talk on a topic, incident or near miss from your procedures and risk assessments, with a sign-off sheet.
Saves time
SkillFile storage
By hand45 min
With Claude10 min
SkillFile storage
You give itThe topic or incident and your procedures.
You get backA five minute talk in plain language, questions to check it was understood, and a sign-off sheet.
You stillDeliver it. People listen to a supervisor they trust.
Keeping the training matrix current
Checks the training matrix against roles, certificates and expiry dates, and lists who needs what before an audit or a new job.
Saves timeKeeps customers
Scheduled taskConnectorSpreadsheetHR system
By hand1 hr
With Claude10 min
Scheduled taskConnectorSpreadsheetHR system
You give itYour training matrix and certificates.
You get backGaps by person and role, certificates expiring in the next 90 days, and a draft training plan.
You stillDecide who trains and when.
Preparing new starter inductions
Builds the induction pack for a new starter from your procedures, risk assessments and the job description.
Saves time
SkillFile storageHR system
By hand1 hr 30
With Claude15 min
SkillFile storageHR system
You give itThe role and your procedures.
You get backAn induction pack and a checklist for the first two weeks, with a sign-off record.
You stillWelcome them and show them the job.
The managing director's week
Clearing what does not need the managing director's attention.
5 use cases
Sorting the managing director's inbox
Sorts the overnight email into what needs you, what needs a reply you can approve, and what someone else should handle.
Saves time
CoworkConnectorEmail
By hand45 min
With Claude8 min
CoworkConnectorEmail
You give itYour inbox.
You get backThe urgent items flagged with the reason, draft replies to approve, and the rest routed to the person who should deal with it.
You stillSend everything. Nothing leaves without you.
Highest time
Building the monthly board pack
Pulls sales, margin, on time delivery, quality and cash from your system exports into the board pack, with commentary on what moved.
Saves time
ProjectCoworkERPAccounting
By hand5 hrs
With Claude1 hr
ProjectCoworkERPAccounting
You give itExports from your systems and last month's pack.
You get backA board pack with each KPI, the trend, a short explanation of every significant change, and the questions the board is likely to ask.
You stillDecide what to do about it. The pack informs the decision and the board makes it.
Writing the weekly sales and operations summary
Summarises order intake, quotes sent and won, the order book, late orders and quality issues for the weekly meeting.
Saves time
Scheduled taskConnectorERPSpreadsheet
By hand1 hr
With Claude10 min
Scheduled taskConnectorERPSpreadsheet
You give itExports from your system and the week's notes.
You get backA one page summary with the changes since last week and the items needing a decision.
You stillRun the meeting.
Highest value
Preparing for a customer review meeting
Pulls together everything about one customer before a review: orders, on time delivery, complaints, open quotes, prices and anything promised.
Keeps customersWins work
ProjectConnectorERPEmail
By hand1 hr 30
With Claude15 min
ProjectConnectorERPEmail
You give itExports and emails about the customer.
You get backA briefing with performance, issues, opportunities and the points they are likely to raise, and a short agenda.
You stillHold the conversation. That relationship is why they keep ordering.
Writing down how the business does things
Turns how your best people do a job, from their notes or a recorded walk-through, into a written procedure anyone can follow.
You own itSaves time
ProjectSkillCall recordingFile storage
By hand2 hrs
With Claude30 min
ProjectSkillCall recordingFile storage
You give itA recording or notes from the person who does the job.
You get backA written procedure with steps, checks and examples, and the questions to ask that person to fill the gaps.
You stillCheck it is right. The person who does the job has the final word.
Tools you build and own
The quoting rules, templates and checks you would otherwise pay for.
6 use cases
Highest value
Building your quoting tool from your own rules
Builds a quoting tool from your rates, routings and past jobs that runs in your own accounts, for your estimators to use and your business to own.
You own itWins workSaves time
Claude CodeArtifactsQuoting toolSpreadsheet
By hand16 hrs
With Claude4 hrs
Claude CodeArtifactsQuoting toolSpreadsheet
You give itYour rate card, routings, past quotes and an estimator's time.
You get backA working quote calculator with your rules written down, tested against past jobs, and notes on how to change a rate or add a process.
You stillOwn the rules and maintain them. Someone in your business is named as the owner before it goes live.
Building a certificate generator for every format
Builds a tool that fills each customer's certificate format from your order and batch data, so adding a customer means adding a template.
You own itSaves timeKeeps customers
Claude CodeSkillERPQuality system
By hand8 hrs
With Claude2 hrs
Claude CodeSkillERPQuality system
You give itCustomer certificate formats and examples of your data.
You get backA generator that produces each customer's certificate, a template for adding new customers, and a check that flags missing data.
You stillMaintain the templates as customers change what they ask for.
Highest value
Building your master specification system
Builds one store of recipe, raw material, allergen and nutrition data that produces each customer's specification and label check, in your own accounts.
You own itSaves timeKeeps customers
Claude CodeProjectRecipe systemSpreadsheet
By hand16 hrs
With Claude4 hrs
Claude CodeProjectRecipe systemSpreadsheet
You give itYour recipes, raw material specifications and customer templates.
You get backA master data store, a generator for each customer's specification format, and a change report whenever a raw material changes.
You stillKeep the master data right. The technical manager owns it and decides who can change it.
Connecting the inbox to your system
Builds the step that reads orders, acknowledgements and certificates from email and turns them into records your system can import, where it has no connector.
You own itSaves time
Claude CodeConnectorEmailERP
By hand8 hrs
With Claude2 hrs
Claude CodeConnectorEmailERP
You give itExamples of the emails and your system's import format.
You get backAn import routine for each document type, a list of what it could not read, and notes so someone else can maintain it.
You stillCheck what goes in until you trust it. If your system has no import, a person still posts the records.
Building the order book view everyone uses
Builds a live view of the order book, late orders, shortages and quality holds from your system exports, in place of the spreadsheet one person keeps.
You own itSaves timeKeeps customers
ArtifactsConnectorERPSpreadsheet
By hand8 hrs
With Claude1 hr 30
ArtifactsConnectorERPSpreadsheet
You give itExports from your system and the spreadsheet it replaces.
You get backA shared view refreshed from your data, the rules for what counts as late written down, and notes on how it is built.
You stillDecide what the business measures, and agree who maintains it.
Keeping one library of approved answers
Turns your policies, certificates and past questionnaire answers into one library that drafts future questionnaires and tender answers.
You own itWins workSaves time
ProjectSkillFile storageSpreadsheet
By hand4 hrs
With Claude1 hr
ProjectSkillFile storageSpreadsheet
You give itCompleted questionnaires, policies and certificates.
You get backAn answer library by topic, contradictions between past answers listed, and a review date on each answer.
You stillApprove the library and keep it current.
[RETURN ON INVESTMENT]
Hours saved is only part of the case
Time is the easy part to count. The other parts are keeping customers, winning work and owning what you build. Each has published evidence behind it, and each has a limit that we state next to it. The evidence changes with the kind of manufacturer you picked.
Keeps customers
Paperwork that matches the parts
Customers judge a subcontractor on the paperwork as much as the parts: the acknowledgement that matches their order, the certificate that matches the drawing revision, the invoice that matches the price. Claude drafts and checks these against the customer's own requirements, and a person signs them off.
The detailClose
In a survey of more than 600 US part buyers, 85% had moved work to a new supplier when their current one failed to deliver. The survey ran during the 2021 to 2022 supply problems (Paperless Parts, who sell quoting software, 2022).
In the same survey, 47% said the speed of a supplier's response directly affects whether they work with them.
A peer-reviewed case study of a job shop that kept missing its two-day quote deadline found the misses cost it goodwill with existing customers (Rayon, Damodaran and Ghrayeb, International Journal of Rapid Manufacturing, 2013).
What we do not claim
We do not claim that Claude raises retention by any percentage, because nobody has published a manufacturing figure we would defend. The US survey measures buyers moving work after a failure, which is not a churn rate. Nothing goes to a customer until a person has approved it.
Wins work
Be in the running on every quote
When the same drawing goes to five subcontractors, the one that comes back quickly with a clear, complete quote is easier to say yes to. Claude reads the enquiry and drafts the first estimate from your own rates and past jobs, so the estimator spends their time on the judgement.
The detailClose
In a survey of more than 400 US part buyers, about two thirds expected a quote within 24 hours and 94% would wait no more than three days (Paperless Parts, who sell quoting software, 2020).
A peer-reviewed study of a job shop that kept missing a two-day quote deadline found that a template for each family of parts, and fewer manual steps, raised the lines quoted each month and the share of quotes won (International Journal of Rapid Manufacturing, 2013).
In trials validated by AMRC Cymru, Colchester Machine Tool Solutions cut its average technical query response from 5.5 minutes to 1.8 minutes. These are Instro AI's figures for its own product, and not Claude.
Almost a third of manufacturers using AI told Make UK it let them take on more work (Make UK and Autodesk, survey of 151 companies, 2024).
What we do not claim
No independent study shows how many more jobs a faster quote wins, so we do not promise a win rate. Most of this evidence is from the US or from vendors. What we can show you is how long your quotes take now and how long they take with Claude.
You own it
Your rules, in your accounts
The quoting rules, certificate templates and checks we build with Claude run in your accounts and belong to your business. The logic that makes you different stops living in one person's spreadsheet or waiting on a software vendor's roadmap.
The detailClose
Under Anthropic's Commercial Terms, effective 17 June 2025, you keep all rights in what you put in and own what Claude produces for you, to the extent the law allows. Anthropic may not train its models on that content.
Those terms cover Team, Enterprise and API plans. The ONS found manufacturing is one of the sectors most likely to use free AI tools, which sit under different terms (ONS, 2026).
ERP projects regularly cost more than planned. Panorama Consulting, an ERP consultancy, found more than a quarter went over budget in its 2026 report, with extra technology needs the leading cause.
In MRPeasy's study of 70 of its own small manufacturing customers, 64% ran on spreadsheets before moving to an MRP system. MRPeasy sells that software, and says its sample may favour success.
What we do not claim
We do not replace your ERP, accounts or quality system, and a business still running on spreadsheets alone may need a proper system first. Customer drawings stay your customer's, so check their terms before uploading them anywhere. Someone in your business maintains what is built, and we agree who. UK law on AI copyright is under review. This is not legal advice.
Keeps customers
Right first time for the retailer
A food supplier works to each customer's specification, delivery rules and invoice rules, and much of the friction with retailers sits in that paperwork. Claude drafts and checks specifications, delivery paperwork, invoices and complaint responses against each customer's requirements, and your people approve them.
The detailClose
In the Groceries Code Adjudicator's 2026 survey of 2,689 suppliers to the large grocers, the most reported problem was invoice discrepancies not being resolved promptly, named by 20%.
Waitrose resumed charging suppliers in September 2024 for breaches of its delivery standards, including deliveries that arrive without the correct documentation (The Grocer, 2024).
A recent job advert for one specification technologist in North Wales listed eight retailer platforms. The same core data goes into each of them in a different format.
What we do not claim
The invoice problem in the adjudicator's survey sits in the retailers' processes, and Claude does not fix it. Clean, consistent paperwork gives you less to argue about and the evidence to hand when you do. We do not claim a change in retention or in the risk of being delisted.
Wins work
Answers buyers do not have to chase
Food buyers favour suppliers who launch on time and answer technical questions without being chased. Claude drafts specifications, critical path updates, questionnaire answers and cost price increase packs from your own records, so the technical and commercial teams spend their time with the buyer.
The detailClose
In the Groceries Code Adjudicator's 2026 survey, 15% of suppliers reported a retailer refusing or unreasonably delaying a cost price increase request. A complete, evidenced submission is the part you control.
Make UK and Lloyds Bank found 77% of the manufacturers they surveyed face environmental and social conditions from customers, and only 27% get help from those customers to meet them (150 manufacturers, 2024).
Almost a third of manufacturers using AI told Make UK it let them take on more work (Make UK and Autodesk, survey of 151 companies, 2024).
What we do not claim
Nobody has published evidence that faster specifications or questionnaires win food listings, so we give no number. Buyers decide on product, price and service, and Claude touches only the paperwork side of the service.
You own it
Your rules, in your accounts
The master specification, label checks and customer templates we build with Claude run in your accounts and belong to your business. Your product data stops living in a spreadsheet only one technologist understands.
The detailClose
Under Anthropic's Commercial Terms, effective 17 June 2025, you keep all rights in what you put in and own what Claude produces for you, to the extent the law allows. Anthropic may not train its models on that content.
Those terms cover Team, Enterprise and API plans. The ONS found manufacturing is one of the sectors most likely to use free AI tools, which sit under different terms (ONS, 2026).
ERP projects regularly cost more than planned. Panorama Consulting, an ERP consultancy, found more than a quarter went over budget in its 2026 report, with extra technology needs the leading cause.
In MRPeasy's study of 70 of its own small manufacturing customers, 64% ran on spreadsheets before moving to an MRP system. MRPeasy sells that software, and says its sample may favour success.
What we do not claim
We do not replace your ERP, accounts or quality system, and the retailers' portals stay theirs. Someone in your business maintains what is built, and we agree who. Your technical manager still owns every specification that goes to a customer. UK law on AI copyright is under review. This is not legal advice.
Keeps customers
Information your customers can rely on
Installers, merchants and contractors stay with the maker whose orders arrive right and whose product information stands up. Claude checks orders against surveys, tracks sign-off and assembles product information from your declarations and test evidence. A competent person approves what goes out.
The detailClose
The industry's Code for Construction Product Information, started by the Construction Products Association after the Hackitt review, asks manufacturers for product information that is clear, accurate, up to date and unambiguous.
The code also asks merchants and distributors to keep an audit trail of product information and a documented sign-off process.
Under the construction products rules, a declaration of performance and its technical documentation must be kept for 10 years after the product is placed on the market.
The government's February 2026 White Paper proposes a general safety requirement and 10-year record keeping for every construction product. It is a proposal and not yet law.
What we do not claim
Nobody has published a survey linking order accuracy or product information to keeping trade customers, so we give no number. Claude does not make a business compliant with the code or the construction products rules. A competent person signs every declaration.
Wins work
Tenders priced while they are open
Joinery and fabrication tenders arrive as packs of drawings, specifications and schedules, and the estimator spends days reading before pricing starts. Claude drafts the take-off, pulls out every rating and finish, and assembles the product information contractors ask for.
The detailClose
Almost a third of manufacturers using AI told Make UK it let them take on more work (Make UK and Autodesk, survey of 151 companies, 2024).
Make UK and Lloyds Bank found 77% of the manufacturers they surveyed face environmental and social conditions from customers, and only 27% get help from those customers to meet them (150 manufacturers, 2024).
The Code for Construction Product Information is assessed by a third party and verified manufacturers are registered, which contractors and merchants can check.
What we do not claim
We found no survey of how contractors or merchants choose a building products supplier, so the case rests on the mechanism and we give no number. Claude does not make anyone verified under the code.
You own it
Your rules, in your accounts
The order checks, take-off rules and product information library we build with Claude run in your accounts and belong to your business. The rules your best order processor carries in their head get written down.
The detailClose
Under Anthropic's Commercial Terms, effective 17 June 2025, you keep all rights in what you put in and own what Claude produces for you, to the extent the law allows. Anthropic may not train its models on that content.
Those terms cover Team, Enterprise and API plans. The ONS found manufacturing is one of the sectors most likely to use free AI tools, which sit under different terms (ONS, 2026).
ERP projects regularly cost more than planned. Panorama Consulting, an ERP consultancy, found more than a quarter went over budget in its 2026 report, with extra technology needs the leading cause.
In MRPeasy's study of 70 of its own small manufacturing customers, 64% ran on spreadsheets before moving to an MRP system. MRPeasy sells that software, and says its sample may favour success.
What we do not claim
We do not replace your ERP, accounts or quality system, and a business still running on spreadsheets alone may need a proper system first. Customer drawings stay your customer's, so check their terms before uploading them anywhere. Someone in your business maintains what is built, and we agree who. UK law on AI copyright is under review. This is not legal advice.
Keeps customers
Batch paperwork that matches the order
Every batch leaves with paperwork: a certificate of analysis or conformity, a safety data sheet, sometimes a food contact declaration. When those are typed by hand for each customer, errors reach the customer. Claude produces them from the batch record in each customer's format, and quality signs them off.
The detailClose
In a survey of more than 600 US part buyers, 85% had moved work to a new supplier when their current one failed to deliver, and 47% said speed of response affects who they choose (Paperless Parts, who sell quoting software, 2022).
Under UK REACH, when you update a safety data sheet you must send it to every customer you supplied with the substance or mixture in the previous 12 months.
Make UK and Lloyds Bank found 77% of the manufacturers they surveyed face environmental and social conditions from customers, and only 27% get help from those customers to meet them (150 manufacturers, 2024).
What we do not claim
We do not claim a change in retention, because nobody has published one for this kind of business. The buyer survey is from the US and from a vendor. A competent person approves every classification and declaration before it goes.
Wins work
Faster answers to technical questions
Customers ask technical questions before they buy: will it run on our line, is it food safe, what is in it. Claude drafts the answer from your data sheets, test reports and past replies, and a technologist approves it. Quotes and tooling proposals get the same treatment.
The detailClose
In trials validated by AMRC Cymru, Poeton Industries, a UK surface engineering business, cut first response times to technical and commercial enquiries by 40% to 65%. These are Instro AI's figures for its own product, and not Claude.
In a survey of more than 400 US part buyers, about two thirds expected a quote within 24 hours and 94% would wait no more than three days (Paperless Parts, who sell quoting software, 2020).
Almost a third of manufacturers using AI told Make UK it let them take on more work (Make UK and Autodesk, survey of 151 companies, 2024).
What we do not claim
No independent study shows a win rate from faster answers or quotes, so we do not give one. The trial results come from another AI vendor and are not Claude's.
You own it
Your rules, in your accounts
The certificate generator, data sheet checks and customer templates we build with Claude run in your accounts and belong to your business. Your rules stop living in one person's spreadsheet or waiting on a software vendor's roadmap.
The detailClose
Under Anthropic's Commercial Terms, effective 17 June 2025, you keep all rights in what you put in and own what Claude produces for you, to the extent the law allows. Anthropic may not train its models on that content.
Those terms cover Team, Enterprise and API plans. The ONS found manufacturing is one of the sectors most likely to use free AI tools, which sit under different terms (ONS, 2026).
ERP projects regularly cost more than planned. Panorama Consulting, an ERP consultancy, found more than a quarter went over budget in its 2026 report, with extra technology needs the leading cause.
In MRPeasy's study of 70 of its own small manufacturing customers, 64% ran on spreadsheets before moving to an MRP system. MRPeasy sells that software, and says its sample may favour success.
What we do not claim
We do not replace your ERP, accounts or quality system, and a business still running on spreadsheets alone may need a proper system first. Customer drawings stay your customer's, so check their terms before uploading them anywhere. Someone in your business maintains what is built, and we agree who. UK law on AI copyright is under review. This is not legal advice.
Every figure names who published it. Where nobody independent has published one, we leave the number out. Much of the manufacturing evidence comes from companies that sell software, or from the US, and we say so each time.
[THE NUMBERS]
What it is worth on your numbers
Nobody has published how many hours a week UK manufacturers spend on this paperwork, so put in your own.
£36000
8
6 hrs
50%
£150000
Costed at £32 an hour. An hour is costed from that salary plus employer National Insurance and pension, over 1,740 hours. No overhead is added.
0
hours a week, back, per person
Hours a year across the team0
Working days a year back, each0
Cost of that time
£0
Not shown
£0
What those hours cost you
£0
This values the hours at what they cost you and nothing more. We do not value them at revenue, because nobody has published a defensible figure for what an hour of an estimator's or a technologist's time earns a manufacturer.
[TWELVE MONTHS]
What good looks like in twelve months
Not a bigger company. The same company, with most of the work on the right hand side of that list gone from the office.
Quotes wait in a queue for the one estimator who can read the drawing
The enquiry is read and costed in draft before the estimator opens it
A wrong revision is caught at inspection, or by the customer
Every order is checked against the drawing revision before a job is raised
Certificate packs are assembled by hand while the van waits
The pack is built from the job's records and a person checks and signs it
Each supplier questionnaire takes a day
Most answers come from the library and someone approves the new ones
The quoting rules live in one person's head and spreadsheet
They are written down in a tool the business owns and maintains
Not a bigger company. The same company, with most of the work on the right hand side of that list gone from the office.
Each retailer specification is typed again from the recipe
One master record produces every customer's version for the technologist to check
Audit preparation takes over the technical team for weeks
The gaps are known months ahead and the evidence is filed as you go
Complaint responses are written from scratch for each customer
They are drafted from the investigation, in each customer's format, the same day
A raw material change means a hunt through every specification
The affected products and customers are listed within the hour
A cost price increase waits until someone finds a week to build the case
The evidence is assembled from your records as soon as the costs move
Not a bigger company. The same company, with most of the work on the right hand side of that list gone from the office.
Order errors are found at the saw or on site
They are found at order entry, before anything is cut
Confirmation drawings go out and nobody tracks the signature
Every order shows its sign-off status and production waits for it
Tender packs take days to read before pricing starts
The take-off is drafted and the estimator goes straight to pricing
Remakes are absorbed and forgotten
Every remake is logged with its cause and the repeat errors get fixed
Product information is hunted down for each contractor
It comes from one library, matched to declarations and test evidence
Not a bigger company. The same company, with most of the work on the right hand side of that list gone from the office.
Artwork errors are found on the press
They are found at proof stage, with every problem listed
Certificates and data sheets are typed for each customer
They are produced from the batch record in each customer's format
A supplier's revised safety data sheet sits in an inbox
The products and customers affected are listed the day it arrives
Tax and packaging returns are a scramble at each deadline
The workings build up each month from the records
8D reports take days to write
They are drafted from the investigation and the engineer spends the time on the root cause
Want us to help you build one?
Pick one use case from this page. Thirty minutes on a call, no slides, and you keep whatever we build.
