Field notes on AI in business
Practical writing on AI, automation and the day-to-day work of running a business. From the team that builds and runs AI systems.
Manufacturing
Automated Color Matching Quality Control in Paint and Coating Lines
Color consistency across production batches is a constant challenge in paint and coatings. AI spectrophotometric systems catch drift before customers do.
Basel IsmailApr 11, 2026
Accounting tax
Stock Compensation Accounting Automation: 409A Valuations and Option Expense Calculations
Stock-based compensation accounting is technical, time-sensitive, and growing as more companies use equity to attract talent. Automation handles the calculations while you focus on the advisory around structuring and compliance.
Basel IsmailApr 11, 2026
Law firms
How AI Assists With Structured Settlement Calculations
Structured settlement calculations involve complex financial modeling. AI helps personal injury attorneys evaluate settlement options and ensure clients get the best possible outcome.
Basel IsmailApr 11, 2026
Healthcare
Automated Supply Chain Management for Surgical Inventory
Surgical supply costs are the second largest expense category in hospitals after labor. Automated inventory management now tracks usage per procedure, predicts demand, and prevents both stockouts and overstocking.
Basel IsmailApr 11, 2026
Construction
AI for Site Logistics Planning: Crane Placement and Material Staging Optimization
Site logistics on congested projects is a puzzle with too many pieces. AI optimization tools find workable configurations for crane placement, material staging, and site circulation.
Basel IsmailApr 11, 2026
Insurance
Automated Policy Checking and Issuance Error Detection
Policy issuance errors cost carriers money and create coverage disputes. AI catches errors in policy documents before they reach the policyholder, preventing problems that are expensive to fix after the fact.
Basel IsmailApr 11, 2026
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Ecommerce retail
How AI Manages Backorder Communication and Customer Expectation Setting
When a product goes on backorder, how you communicate with the customer determines whether they wait patiently or cancel and go to a competitor. AI optimizes every aspect of the backorder experience.
Basel IsmailApr 11, 2026
Logistics transportation
How AI Handles Free Trade Agreement Origin Determination and Documentation
Claiming free trade agreement benefits requires proving that products meet rules of origin criteria. AI automates origin determination by analyzing bill of materials data, supplier certifications, and tariff shift rules to maximize duty savings while maintaining compliance.
Basel IsmailApr 11, 2026
AI agents
Customer Support Without Hold Times or Business Hours
How AI support agents are eliminating hold times and business hours constraints while cutting costs by up to 92 percent and improving customer satisfaction.
Basel IsmailApr 11, 2026
AI agents
Building Custom AI Agents vs Using Off-the-Shelf Solutions
The build-vs-buy question for AI agents is more nuanced than the typical enterprise software decision. Off-the-shelf agents get you to production in weeks. Custom agents give you competitive differentiation. The right answer depends on whether the agent touches your core business logic or handles commodity tasks.
Basel IsmailApr 11, 2026
Automation
Compliance and Audit Trail Benefits of Process Automation
Automated processes log every action, decision, and data access in real time, creating comprehensive audit trails without additional human effort. Organizations using RPA for compliance report accuracy improvements exceeding 92% and compliance cost reductions of up to 59%.
Basel IsmailApr 11, 2026
Competitive intelligence
Vendor and Supplier Cost Benchmarking Against Industry Standards
Research shows 90 percent of companies overpay on vendor contracts by an average of 26 percent. Benchmarking against industry standards reveals significant, recoverable savings.
Basel IsmailApr 11, 2026
1,319 articles