Automate email and WhatsApp orders into your ERP: AI agents for distributors

If orders at your company arrive by email or WhatsApp and someone types them into the ERP by hand, an AI agent can do it for you: it reads the message, identifies the customer and the items, checks stock and leaves the order ready in your ERP. Anything doubtful is sent to your phone for you to approve with one tap. At balderas.studio, based in the Valencian Community, we set it up from €990 to set up and €149/month.

What problem does it solve?

At a distributor or a warehouse, orders rarely arrive neatly. They come as an email with an Excel file attached, a photo of a list, a WhatsApp voice note or a "the usual, but double the other thing". Someone interprets it, looks up the product codes, checks whether there's stock and enters it into the ERP. It's necessary, repetitive work, and a slip costs money (a wrong delivery, an order left sitting in the inbox).

What does the agent do, step by step?

• Watches the orders inbox (orders@, sales@) and the business WhatsApp, without anyone having to ask.
• Understands the order whether it comes as text, PDF, Excel or a photo: customer, product codes, quantities and delivery date.
• Cross-checks it against your catalogue and order history: if the customer writes "the usual 8 mm screw", it looks up what they normally order.
• Checks stock and that customer's terms.
• Creates the order in the ERP as pending approval, or directly if it's a simple order from a regular customer and you've allowed it.
• Flags anything odd: a product code that doesn't exist, an unusual quantity, a customer with an outstanding payment. Those cases reach your phone with options to approve, correct or reject.
• Replies to the customer with the confirmation or with whatever question is still open, in your company's tone.

What about stock enquiries and quotes?

The same agent can answer "do you have X in stock?" and prepare simple quotes from your price list. The reply is prepared, and you decide whether it goes out on its own or with your sign-off. It's the other big source of repetitive emails in distribution.

Which ERP does it work with?

It depends on how it can be connected. If your ERP has an API (the door that lets other programs read and write data), the connection is direct. If it doesn't, we can work with file imports or a small custom integration; we have experience with that, because we develop custom software with Laravel. In the first conversation we look at which ERP you use and what's feasible. We won't promise you a connection without having checked.

Who has the final say?

You do. At first, the agent asks for approval on everything. Once you see it gets things right, you take the brakes off for the simple cases (orders from regular customers, for example) and keep control over the sensitive ones. Everything is logged: what it read, what it did and why.

How much does it cost and how long does it take?

Launch prices, excl. VAT:

• One process (for example, email orders into the ERP): from €990 and €149/month, including the server, AI up to a reasonable cap, maintenance and small adjustments.
• Several processes (orders, stock, quotes, chasing unpaid invoices) with reports: from €2,900 and €290/month.

Setting up a first process: two to four weeks. The final price comes in a fixed quote after a first conversation. A worked example: if one person spends 20 hours a month entering orders by hand, at €20 an hour that's €400 a month. Work out your own case with the hours calculator.

Is there a real case?

Yes: this very system. A set of agents runs the balderas.studio business (email, diary, contacts, website) from Telegram, with approvals for anything important. We describe it in Claude for business: how to connect it to your CRM, email and ERP. We don't quote client savings figures because no client has been measured yet: the first projects get launch pricing in exchange for letting us tell their story.

Frequently asked questions

What if a customer sends an unreadable order? The agent doesn't make it up: it passes it to you with what it has understood and what's missing, or asks the customer.

Does it replace my admin staff? No. It takes the typing off their hands so they can spend their time on customers and sorting out problems.

Does it work with WhatsApp? Yes, with the official WhatsApp Business API. The first project takes a little more work because that connection has to be set up.

To understand better how they work, see what is an AI agent, which processes a small business can automate and AI agents for business. If you receive orders by email or WhatsApp, tell us how you handle them today and we'll give you a free initial assessment.