Course 3 - Module 3 - Lesson 2
Connect AI to existing tools instead of rebuilding the whole shop
Business Workflow Shortcuts
Keep the existing system of record
A system of record is the place your team treats as the authoritative source, such as an order database or booking sheet. Start by connecting to that source through an approved interface or export. Creating a second unofficial database often creates disagreements about which information is current.
Before choosing an integration, define the fields needed and whether the workflow only reads or also writes. A daily booking summary might need booking identifiers, times, and room names. It does not need payment details or the ability to delete bookings.
Make a clear contract between steps
Suppose a fictional booking tool exports confirmed reservations as a table. The next step should know the column names, date format, time zone, and meaning of canceled status. Check the input before asking AI to draft a summary. Formatting ambiguity should not be left for the model to guess.
Use a stable booking identifier to match records rather than a guest's display name. Track when the export was produced. If the workflow later creates a draft in another application, save the source identifier there too so a reviewer can trace the relationship.
Begin with a preview and handle failure visibly
Test the connection with invented records and read-only access. Preview the exact output in a draft location before enabling any real write. Check what happens when a column is absent, the connection expires, or the same booking appears twice.
Keep credentials in the integration's approved secret storage rather than in prompts or shared documents. Name an owner for broken connections and a manual fallback. A modest link between existing tools can be easier to maintain than replacing the team's whole process.
Tiny experiment
Define a booking-summary connection using four required fields, a stable identifier, and a time zone. Describe the visible error when the export lacks a required column.
Confidence check
Which existing source should remain authoritative, and how would a reviewer trace a draft back to its records?