Setting up an AI provider, using it day to day and keeping an eye on usage

What this is about

Without any setup, an AI model runs directly on your server and your texts never leave the building. With an AI provider, the texts get noticeably better and are ready much faster. You need your own account with the provider for this. The provider bills you directly; the WorkOrderAgent earns nothing from it.

Tip: If the provider is down or the monthly budget is used up, the local model takes over automatically, so your staff can always keep working.

Preparing your provider account

Before entering anything in the WorkOrderAgent you need an access key (API key) from the provider. The selection list shows which providers your WorkOrderAgent supports.

1. Create a business developer account on the provider’s website. A regular chat subscription is not enough.
2. Top up credit or add a payment method.
3. Set a monthly spending limit there, for example slightly above your planned budget.
4. Create a new API key and copy it straight away. Providers usually show it only once.

Caution: An API key is like a password with a credit card behind it. Do not email it or paste it into documents; paste it only into the WorkOrderAgent.

Because texts from your business are sent to the provider, the provider acts as your data processor. Sign a data processing agreement (DPA) with them. The major providers offer a ready-made form.

Setting up the provider

Menu Einstellungen Verwaltung KI-Schnittstelle

The KI-Schnittstelle (AI interface) page has four boxes: Verbrauch (usage), Anbieter & Zugang (provider & access), Verwendung (use) and Budget. The latest requests are listed below.

In the Anbieter & Zugang box:

Tip: Save first, then test the connection. The test costs practically nothing and shows up in the usage as “Verbindungstest”.

In the Verwendung box you decide what the provider is used for and with which model:

Click Speichern (save) at the bottom of the page. After switching providers, the WorkOrderAgent first selects that provider’s default models; check the selection briefly afterwards.

Setting the budget

Menu Einstellungen Verwaltung KI-Schnittstelle Budget

The budget sets the maximum the WorkOrderAgent may spend at the provider per month. It protects you from unpleasant surprises.

How the limit works: before every request the WorkOrderAgent works out the most it could cost and reserves that amount. If it no longer fits under the monthly limit, the request is not sent to the provider. Activity reports are then written by the local model, and account suggestions come only from your booking history. After the answer, the actual, usually smaller, amount is booked.

• Rule of thumb: an activity report costs just under one cent with the best model, about half that with the middle one.
• Letting the AI assign a receipt costs more because the whole image is sent: about 4.5 cents with the middle model in the example.
• Example: 300 reports and 100 receipts a month cost around $7 in total, so a $15 limit leaves plenty of room.

Caution: The WorkOrderAgent only sees its own requests. If you use the same key elsewhere, that is not counted here. So also set a spending limit at the provider and keep a buffer to your credit.

Day to day: writing up activity reports

Menu Open a Vorgang Tätigkeiten Tätigkeit hinzufügen

Your staff only notice that it is faster. The steps are the same as without a provider:

1. In the Vorgang (job), open the Tätigkeiten (activities) tab.
2. Under Gerät/Standort (device/location) enter what it was about, and under Beschreibung (description) what was done, in keywords. Typos and lower case do not matter.
3. Click KI-Ausformulieren (AI write-up). “Wird ausformuliert …” appears next to the button.

A few seconds later a structured report is in the field: cause, work carried out, fix, function test and result.

• The text is only a suggestion. Please read it and change it if needed.
• “Zurück zum Original” brings your keywords back.
• Nothing is saved until you click Hinzufügen (add).

What happens: the device and keywords are sent to the provider, the customer name is not. The request appears with its cost under “Letzte Anfragen”. Without a provider, on outages or with a full budget, the local model writes the report; this takes up to two minutes.

Tip: The full process from quote to invoice is shown in the example Quote to invoice.

Day to day: account suggestions for incoming invoices

Menu ERP-System Einstellungen KI-Unterstützung

When you enter an incoming invoice, the WorkOrderAgent suggests the matching expense account. It learns from your previous bookings for the same supplier. This always runs, and only on your server.

Caution: With this switch, receipt data leaves your server. Only turn it on if you have a data processing agreement with the provider. Without the tick, every receipt text stays in-house.

The switch applies per tenant and is saved with “Alle Einstellungen speichern”.

Example: what the account suggestion looks like

Menu ERP-Modul Finanzen Kreditoren + Eingangsrechnung

You will not find the suggestion in the settings but in the “Eingangsrechnung erfassen” (enter incoming invoice) window. It appears directly below “Aufwandskonto / Kontensplit” (expense account) as soon as a supplier is selected.

1. Open ERP-Modul → Finanzen → Kreditoren (accounts payable).
2. Click “+ Eingangsrechnung” at the top right.
3. Choose the supplier under “Lieferant”.
4. The suggested account now appears under “Aufwandskonto”, with a grey box below giving the reason.

Case 1: the supplier has always been booked the same way. Here 7 of 7 receipts were on account 4920, so the WorkOrderAgent enters 4920 and adds “Vorschlag übernommen … Bitte prüfen” (suggestion applied, please check).

Case 2: the supplier has been booked to different accounts. The WorkOrderAgent enters the most frequent account and marks the suggestion as “uneindeutig” (ambiguous). Check it carefully.

Case 3: a new supplier without previous bookings. It says “Keine passende Vorbuchung gefunden – Konto bitte selbst wählen” (no matching booking, please choose the account). In the example a DIY store receipt was read in with “Aus Scan vorbefüllen” (prefill from scan): amount, date and invoice number were filled in, you choose the account. From this supplier’s next invoice on, the WorkOrderAgent suggests your account.

• The buttons “Für Kundenauftrag” (for a customer order) and “Eigener Betrieb” (own business) in the grey box decide whether the goods are for a customer order (goods received) or for your own business (operating expense).
• You can always overwrite a suggested account. Nothing is booked until you click “Erfassen”.
• Every correction feeds into future suggestions and the hit rate.

Tip: You ask the AI itself on a bank transaction with a receipt, see the next section. Whether it was asked is shown in the hit rate (“von der KI”) and under KI-Schnittstelle → Letzte Anfragen with the function “Buchungsvorschlag” (booking suggestion).

Example: scanning a receipt and letting the AI choose the account

Menu ERP-Modul Finanzen Bank

You need the AI most for card payments at a DIY store or petrol station: the bank statement only shows the retailer, but the right account depends on what was bought. Here the AI reads the receipt and suggests the account.

1. Open ERP-Modul → Finanzen → Bank and find the transaction, for example the card payment at the DIY store.
2. Attach the receipt in the “Beleg” column: upload a file (PDF, PNG or JPG) with the paper clip, or use the printer icon “Beleg jetzt scannen” (scan receipt now). Then put the receipt in your scanner; the WorkOrderAgent waits until the scan arrives in your inbox folder and attaches it. If there is no receipt, the yellow icon creates a self-made receipt with a reason.
3. Click the chain icon in the “Aktion” column. The “Transaktion zuordnen” (assign transaction) window opens and shows the receipt under “Bereits hochgeladene Belege”.
4. Click “KI fragen: Konto aus Beleg vorschlagen” (ask the AI to suggest an account). Next to it you see the maximum cost per click and the remaining budget.
5. A few seconds later the suggestion appears. Choose one of the buttons, check account and tax rate, then click “Zuordnen & sofort buchen” (assign and book).

How to read the suggestion in the example:

• The AI recognised the item (a propane gas bottle with deposit for €28.20 incl. 19 % VAT) and explains its choice in one sentence.
• Whether the purchase was for a customer order or for your own business is not on the receipt, so it offers two buttons: “Für Kundenauftrag → 3000 raw materials and supplies” and “Eigener Betrieb → 4980 other operating supplies”.
• “Sicherheit 60 %” (confidence 60 %) means the AI is not sure. The lower the value, the more carefully you should check.
• Nothing is booked until you click “Zuordnen & sofort buchen”. Until then you can change everything or simply close the window.

Further down the window you can attach more receipts or scan directly:

What happens: the receipt is sent to the AI provider as an image, so such a request is larger than an activity report. In the example it was around 22,000 tokens for about 4.5 cents. The request then appears under “Letzte Anfragen” as “Buchungsvorschlag”.

Caution: Receipts often contain names, addresses or card numbers. Only use the AI for receipts if you have a data processing agreement with the provider.

Viewing and evaluating usage

Menu Einstellungen Verwaltung KI-Schnittstelle

The Verbrauch (usage) box is at the very top of the KI-Schnittstelle page (see first screenshot):

• Period: from which day to which day usage is counted and when counting restarts.
• Bar: amount used so far against your monthly limit, the remainder on the right.
• Below it the breakdown by function, for example “Tätigkeitsbericht ausformulieren: 2× / 0.02 $”.

At the bottom, “Letzte Anfragen” lists the individual requests (second screenshot):

The WorkOrderAgent calculates the amounts itself from the tokens and the model’s prices. They should be very close to the provider’s bill. Small differences from rounding or exchange rates are normal; the provider’s invoice is what counts.

For account suggestions, the KI-Unterstützung tab in the ERP shows a hit rate (third screenshot): how many suggestions were checked, how many came from your history and how many from the AI, and how often the suggested account was actually booked. A rate below 100 % is normal. Every correction you make improves future suggestions.

Tip: If usage rises unexpectedly, “Letzte Anfragen” shows at once which function and model are behind it. Choosing a cheaper model under Verwendung usually cuts costs by half or more.

Frequently asked questions