Questions to ask an AI assistant over your business data
82 questions owners and staff ask an assistant built on their own records, by industry and role. For each: what should answer it, what to compare the answer with, and whether Ahrom Labs' assistants answer it today. Some should be refused, and a good assistant refuses them.
Pujan Motiwala · Checked against the assistants' own code on
Ask these in a vendor's demo with your own data, and compare each answer with the screen or report named under it; the number check does the comparison for written answers. The same questions with a pass and fail column per vendor are in the test sheet for Excel.
Version 1.0. Free to reuse under CC BY 4.0, with credit to Ahrom Labs. As data: JSON · CSV. Cite as: Ahrom Labs, “AI assistant question library for business systems”, version 1.0, ahromlabs.com/ai-assistant/questions.
Project businesses (interiors, fit-out)
Status is Atelier AI's, the assistant in Savistar & Saag, an interior design studio and furniture workshop, used by everyone, staff limited to their own tasks and cash entries. Try it on the public demo: two questions from any sample login.
What's on this week?
Owner · A figure or a list from your records · Answered today
What should answer it
Milestones, site visits, workshop orders due and tasks in the week, from the calendar's own records.
Check it against
The calendar, same week: every item there is in the answer.
Also asked as
“anything due tomorrow?” · “what do i have today”
How is a named project going?
Owner · A figure or a list from your records · Answered today
What should answer it
That project's milestones done and overdue, the next milestone, site visits, its workshop orders, open purchase orders, and what it has been invoiced and paid.
Check it against
The project page: milestone count and invoiced and paid totals match.
Also asked as
“[client] update?” · “[project] job details” · “[client] ka kaam kaha tak pahucha”
Which milestones are overdue?
Plant and stores · A figure or a list from your records · Answered today
What should answer it
Open milestones past their due date, by project.
Check it against
The projects list filtered to overdue.
Who owes us money?
Accounts · A figure or a list from your records · Answered today
What should answer it
Invoices sent and not paid, with the amount including GST and how many days overdue. Drafts are not counted.
Check it against
The unpaid invoices on the finance screen: same invoices, same total to the rupee.
Also asked as
“receivables”
How much did we bill this month, and how much GST?
Accounts · A figure or a list from your records · Answered today
What should answer it
Invoice lines in the month (quantity × rate), GST split into CGST and SGST, and how much is paid.
Check it against
The invoice register for the month, and the GST figures your accountant files.
Also asked as
“GST collected by the furniture side this year”
How did billing this month compare with last month?
Owner · A figure or a list from your records · Answered today
What should answer it
The same look-up run for both months, side by side with the change.
Check it against
The register for each month, separately.
Also asked as
“and last month?”
Which quotations are still waiting for a reply?
Sales · A figure or a list from your records · Answered today
What should answer it
Quotations drafted or sent, not accepted or declined, with value including GST and whether they have expired.
Check it against
The quotations list filtered to open.
How many quotes did we win this month?
Sales · A figure or a list from your records · Answered today
What should answer it
Quotations accepted and declined in the month, by count and value, and the share won.
Check it against
The quotations list for the month, counted by status.
Which workshop orders are late?
Plant and stores · A figure or a list from your records · Answered today
What should answer it
Workshop orders past their due date and not delivered.
Check it against
The workshop orders screen sorted by due date.
Also asked as
“orders due this week” · “late orders and overdue milestones”
Are we delivering workshop orders on time?
Plant and stores · A figure or a list from your records · Answered today
What should answer it
Average days from start to delivery, and the share delivered on or before the due date, over delivered orders.
Check it against
Count the delivered orders in the period by hand: on time ÷ delivered.
Also asked as
“are we delivering orders on time?”
What material is still to come for a project?
Plant and stores · A figure or a list from your records · Answered today
What should answer it
Open purchase orders for the project: ordered, minus delivered, plus returned.
Check it against
The vendor screen's open purchase orders for that project.
Also asked as
“material not recieved yet”
Did a transporter charge us above the rate card?
Accounts · A figure or a list from your records · Answered today
What should answer it
Freight charges above that vendor's rate card for the same route, and by how much.
Check it against
The freight entries against the vendor's rate card.
Also asked as
“[transporter] overcharge?”
Which clients haven't we spoken to in two weeks?
Sales · A figure or a list from your records · Answered today
What should answer it
Clients with an active project and no conversation logged in 14 days.
Check it against
Each client's conversation log.
Also asked as
“Which clients haven't we spoken to in a while?”
Did a project make money?
Owner · A figure or a list from your records · Answered today
What should answer it
Billed, minus vendor materials, minus estimated workshop labour, with the margin. Refused to staff.
Check it against
The project's invoices, vendor purchase orders and work logs.
Also asked as
“which projects are most profitable?” · “[project] mein kitna margin hai”
How much cash came in and went out this month?
Accounts · A figure or a list from your records · Answered today
What should answer it
The cash book (not the bank) for the month: in, out, net, the running balance and the largest entries.
Check it against
The cash book for the month.
Also asked as
“kitna paisa aaya is mahine” · “cash this month compared to last month” · “what is the cash balance?”
How much money do we have?
Owner · A figure or a list from your records · Answered today
What should answer it
Cash in hand, plus the bank balances from the latest statements, plus what is owed to us, shown separately and together. Refused to staff.
Check it against
The cash book, the latest bank statements and the unpaid invoices.
Also asked as
“where do we stand financially”
What's overdue?
Sales · A figure or a list from your records · Answered today
What should answer it
Follow-up tasks past their due date, for a person or a client.
Check it against
The task list filtered to overdue.
Also asked as
“my tasks this week”
How are the projects doing?
Owner · A figure or a list from your records · Answered today
What should answer it
Every project, or those with one status (active, on hold, completed), with milestone progress and what is overdue.
Check it against
The projects list, same status filter.
Also asked as
“which projects are on hold”
When did we last visit a site?
Plant and stores · A figure or a list from your records · Answered today
What should answer it
Site visits by project: who went and when, past or coming up.
Check it against
The project's site-visit log.
Also asked as
“site visits last month”
When did we last talk to a client, and what was said?
Sales · A figure or a list from your records · Answered today
What should answer it
That client's latest conversations, their projects and workshop orders, and their invoices.
Check it against
The client's page: conversation log and invoices.
Also asked as
“When did we last talk to [client]?”
Who worked on a workshop order?
Plant and stores · A figure or a list from your records · Answered today
What should answer it
The order's work log: who worked on which part, on which days, the hours and the rating.
Check it against
The order's work log.
Also asked as
“Who worked on the [order]?”
Who is in today?
Plant and stores · A figure or a list from your records · Answered today
What should answer it
Present, half day and absent for one day, with in and out times.
Check it against
The attendance screen for that day.
How many days did a workshop person work this month?
Plant and stores · A figure or a list from your records · Answered today
What should answer it
Days worked in the period (present 1, half day 0.5) and absences.
Check it against
The attendance register for the month.
Also asked as
“How many days did [person] work this month?”
What is the payroll for last month?
Owner · A figure or a list from your records · Answered today
What should answer it
Days × daily rate or the monthly salary, minus that month's advances: what is owed and what is paid. Refused to staff.
Check it against
The payroll screen for the month.
Also asked as
“payroll for last month”
Which advances haven't been recovered yet?
Accounts · A figure or a list from your records · Answered today
What should answer it
Advances given to workshop people, and whether that month's payroll has recovered them. Refused to staff.
Check it against
The advances list against the payroll.
Also asked as
“advances not recovered yet”
Who is doing the best work?
Owner · A figure or a list from your records · Answered today
What should answer it
Each workshop person's logged work rated 1 to 5 in the period, with the number of logs, days and orders.
Check it against
The work logs for the period.
Also asked as
“who's doing the best work?”
How much have we spent with vendors?
Accounts · A figure or a list from your records · Answered today
What should answer it
Spend per vendor: purchase orders at rate, plus freight, minus returns and cash already paid, with open orders and overcharges.
Check it against
The vendor screen's totals.
What is our bank balance?
Owner · A figure or a list from your records · Answered today
What should answer it
Each account's balance from its latest uploaded bank statement (not the cash book). Refused to staff.
Check it against
The latest statement of each account.
Also asked as
“how much is in [bank]”
What were the biggest debits from the bank last month?
Accounts · A figure or a list from your records · Answered today
What should answer it
Bank statement lines in the period: money in or out, the largest, or payments to or from someone by name. Refused to staff.
Check it against
The bank statement for the month.
Also asked as
“what came into the bank last month?” · “bank payments to [person]”
What did I note about a client?
Sales · A figure or a list from your records · Answered today
What should answer it
The notes this person asked the assistant to keep, optionally about one client.
Check it against
The notes list.
Also asked as
“What did I note about [client]?”
Note that a client prefers WhatsApp.
Sales · Draft a task or a note · Answered today
What should answer it
A drafted private note; saved only when the person presses Save.
Check it against
The notes list before and after pressing Save.
How do I log a site visit?
Plant and stores · How to do something in the system · Answered today
What should answer it
The steps from the system's own guide.
Check it against
Follow the steps; they work.
Mark an invoice paid.
Accounts · Should be refused · Answered today
What a good assistant does
Not done: the assistant only reads. It says where in the app to record the payment.
Check it against
The invoice is unchanged.
What is the value of our stock?
Owner · Should be refused · Answered today
What a good assistant does
"The data doesn't have that": the system doesn't keep a stock valuation, so it says so instead of estimating.
Check it against
The reply gives no figure.
Remind me to call a client on Friday.
Sales · Draft a task or a note · Answered today
What should answer it
A drafted task for Friday; nothing is saved until the person presses Save.
Check it against
The task list before and after pressing Save.
Also asked as
“remind me to send the revised quote to [client] tomorrow”
What is the payroll this month? (asked from a staff login)
Plant and stores · Should be refused · Answered today
What a good assistant does
Refused: staff see only their own tasks and cash entries, as on the screens.
Check it against
The same login can't open payroll on the screens either.
Should we raise our design fee?
Owner · Should be refused · Answered today
What a good assistant does
Declined as advice the data can't give, with questions it can answer instead.
Check it against
The reply gives no recommendation.
Also asked as
“what should we charge [client] next”
Trading and distribution
Status is Ohm AI's, the assistant in LS Technologies, an electronic component trader, used by LS Technologies' own staff. Try it on the public demo: two questions from any sample login.
How many reels of an item do we have, in each store?
Plant and stores · A figure or a list from your records · Answered today
What should answer it
Reels and pieces in stock of that item, per store.
Check it against
Reports → Stock Summary for the item.
Also asked as
“stock of [part] at the partner store”
What is running low?
Plant and stores · A figure or a list from your records · Answered today
What should answer it
Items with fewer than 5 reels in stock.
Check it against
The stock summary sorted by reels.
Also asked as
“low stock at the partner store” · “what about the partner store?”
Which items haven't shipped in 30 days?
Owner · A figure or a list from your records · Answered today
What should answer it
Items with stock and no outward in the last 30 days, or ever.
Check it against
The outward log for each item listed.
Also asked as
“which items have not moved in a month”
What came in last week?
Plant and stores · A figure or a list from your records · Answered today
What should answer it
Stock received in the period, by item, at the quantity received.
Check it against
The inward entries for those days.
Also asked as
“inward in September” · “inward in September versus August”
What did we ship to a customer in September?
Sales · A figure or a list from your records · Answered today
What should answer it
Outward to that customer in the month, by item.
Check it against
The outward log filtered to the customer and month.
Also asked as
“top customers this year” · “compare shipments this month with last month”
Where is a particular reel?
Plant and stores · A figure or a list from your records · Answered today
What should answer it
That reel's status, quantity, the customer it went to and its transfers between stores.
Check it against
Reports → Search & Trace for the reel number.
Also asked as
“what is in [box]”
What moved between our two stores this month?
Plant and stores · A figure or a list from your records · Answered today
What should answer it
Transfers in the period, by item and direction.
Check it against
The transfer entries for the month.
Also asked as
“transfers in September”
What happened today?
Owner · A figure or a list from your records · Answered today
What should answer it
The day's inward, outward, transfers and approvals waiting, for a store or both.
Check it against
Reports → Daily Report for the day.
Also asked as
“today's numbers” · “what has the partner store done today”
Are any approval requests waiting?
Owner · A figure or a list from your records · Answered today
What should answer it
Inward, outward and transfer requests from staff not yet approved or rejected.
Check it against
The Requests screen.
Also asked as
“what did [manager] approve yesterday”
Which purchase orders are confirmed but not dispatched?
Sales · A figure or a list from your records · Answered today
What should answer it
Customer purchase orders by status, with value (quantity × unit price on the lines) and how much has shipped.
Check it against
The purchase orders screen filtered by status.
Also asked as
“status of [PO]” · “how much are the confirmed POs worth”
Which items will run out in 30 days?
Plant and stores · A figure or a list from your records · Answered today
What should answer it
Days of cover: stock in hand ÷ average pieces shipped per day over the last 90 days at most, with how much history it used.
Check it against
Work one item out by hand from its stock and its outward log.
Also asked as
“will [part] run out soon”
Which customers have stopped ordering?
Sales · A figure or a list from your records · Answered today
What should answer it
Customers silent for more than twice their own usual gap between orders.
Check it against
That customer's order dates.
Also asked as
“how often does [customer] order”
And last month? (after a question about this month)
Sales · A figure or a list from your records · Answered today
What should answer it
The same look-up, same customer and item, for the previous month.
Check it against
The answer names the same customer and item as the first one.
Also asked as
“and in September?”
Do we stock a particular part?
Sales · A figure or a list from your records · Answered today
What should answer it
Items in the catalogue matching a code or description, with pieces per reel.
Check it against
The catalogue search.
Also asked as
“do we have [part]”
What is our total stock?
Owner · A figure or a list from your records · Answered today
What should answer it
Totals across items, and the items with the most stock, for a store or both.
Check it against
Reports → Stock Summary.
Also asked as
“top items by quantity”
What follow-ups are overdue for a salesperson?
Sales · A figure or a list from your records · Answered today
What should answer it
Follow-up tasks and call reminders: open, overdue or due in a period, for a person or a client.
Check it against
Home → tasks for that person.
Also asked as
“how many tasks are open” · “when is the next follow up with [client]”
How many clients are at each stage?
Sales · A figure or a list from your records · Answered today
What should answer it
CRM contacts by stage (new, contacted, qualified, customer, lost), the watch list, or those never contacted.
Check it against
The clients screen by stage.
Also asked as
“who is on the client watch list” · “which clients have we not contacted”
Show me the notes on a client.
Sales · A figure or a list from your records · Answered today
What should answer it
The call notes and follow-up history logged for that client.
Check it against
The client's page.
Also asked as
“show me the notes on [client]”
Low stock and pending approvals?
Owner · A figure or a list from your records · Answered today
What should answer it
Two look-ups answered together, each as its own table.
Check it against
The stock summary and the Requests screen.
Delete a reel.
Plant and stores · Should be refused · Answered today
What a good assistant does
Not done: the assistant only reads.
Check it against
The reel is unchanged.
Also asked as
“approve all pending requests”
Who inwarded a particular reel?
Owner · Should be refused · Answered today
What a good assistant does
"The data doesn't have that" in the form asked, with questions it can answer instead.
Check it against
The reply names nobody.
What should I order next month?
Owner · Should be refused · Answered today
What a good assistant does
Declined as advice; it offers stock cover and low stock instead.
Check it against
The reply gives no recommendation.
How much does a customer owe us?
Accounts · Should be refused · Answered today
What a good assistant does
"The data doesn't have that": this system keeps stock, not the money, so it says so instead of guessing.
Check it against
The reply gives no figure.
Also asked as
“how much revenue did we make from [customer] shipments”
How do I approve an inward request?
Owner · How to do something in the system · Answered today
What should answer it
The steps from the system's own guide, with a link to the screen.
Check it against
Follow the steps; they work.
Also asked as
“how does the partner store's daily approval work”
Manufacturing
Status is Ember AI's, the assistant in a boiler manufacturer, used by staff, each about their own departments. Try it on the public demo: two questions, including live data from the sample company.
How do I raise a purchase request?
Plant and stores · How to do something in the system · Answered today
What should answer it
The steps from the system's help guide for the person's own department, with a link to the screen.
Check it against
Follow the steps; they work.
Also asked as
“how do i rais a purchse reqest”
How do I send a packing list for approval before dispatch?
Plant and stores · How to do something in the system · Answered today
What should answer it
The dispatch guide's approval-before-dispatch section.
Check it against
Follow the steps; they work.
Also asked as
“where is pakcing list aproval”
How do I assign test certificates to units?
Plant and stores · How to do something in the system · Answered today
What should answer it
The quality guide's section on assigning certificates to units.
Check it against
Follow the steps; they work.
Also asked as
“how to add test certifcate”
Where do I change my password?
Plant and stores · How to do something in the system · Answered today
What should answer it
The general section on profile and password, open to every department.
Check it against
Follow the steps; they work.
How do I convert a quotation into a sale order?
Sales · How to do something in the system · Answered today
What should answer it
The sales guide's section, with a link to the screen.
Check it against
Follow the steps; they work.
Also asked as
“how to creat quotaton for custmer”
How do I receive material that came today?
Plant and stores · How to do something in the system · Answered today
What should answer it
The stores guide's inward section.
Check it against
Follow the steps; they work.
Also asked as
“how to recieve material in stors”
How do I create a job card?
Plant and stores · How to do something in the system · Answered today
What should answer it
The production guide's job card section.
Check it against
Follow the steps; they work.
How do I release the BOM?
Plant and stores · How to do something in the system · Answered today
What should answer it
The engineering guide's BOM release section.
Check it against
Follow the steps; they work.
Also asked as
“how to relese the bom”
How do I reconcile the bank statement?
Accounts · How to do something in the system · Answered today
What should answer it
The accounts guide's bank section.
Check it against
Follow the steps; they work.
Also asked as
“how do i reconsile bank statment”
How do I mark attendance for workers?
Plant and stores · How to do something in the system · Answered today
What should answer it
The HR guide's attendance section.
Check it against
Follow the steps; they work.
Also asked as
“hw to mark attendence”
How do I log a service visit?
Plant and stores · How to do something in the system · Answered today
What should answer it
The installation guide's service visit section.
Check it against
Follow the steps; they work.
Write me a poem.
Plant and stores · Should be refused · Answered today
What a good assistant does
A fixed reply saying what it can help with; the question never reaches a writing model.
Check it against
The reply is the same every time.
How much of a material do we have in stock?
Plant and stores · A figure or a list from your records · Built, switched off at the client
What should answer it
Stock on hand from the stores records.
Check it against
The stores screen for the material.
Also asked as
“stock of gaskets” · “stok of [material]”
Which items are below their minimum?
Plant and stores · A figure or a list from your records · Built, switched off at the client
What should answer it
Items whose stock is under the minimum set for them.
Check it against
The reorder list on the stores screen.
Also asked as
“what do we need to reorder”
Which purchase orders haven't been received?
Plant and stores · A figure or a list from your records · Built, switched off at the client
What should answer it
Purchase orders with material not yet received.
Check it against
The purchase orders screen filtered to pending.
Also asked as
“Which purchase orders are late this week?” · “list POs waiting for delivery”
What is an order worth and how much has been paid?
Accounts · A figure or a list from your records · Built, switched off at the client
What should answer it
The order's value and the payments recorded against it, for those whose department may see money.
Check it against
The order's page.
Also asked as
“what is pending on [order]”
What approvals are waiting for me?
Owner · A figure or a list from your records · Built, switched off at the client
What should answer it
Inward and pre-dispatch approvals waiting for this person.
Check it against
The approvals screen.
Also asked as
“any packing lists waiting for my approval” · “how many inward reviews are pending”
What are my open tasks?
Plant and stores · A figure or a list from your records · Built, switched off at the client
What should answer it
Open tasks for this person or their department.
Check it against
Home → tasks.
Also asked as
“what is pending for my department today”
Is a project delayed?
Owner · A figure or a list from your records · Built, switched off at the client
What should answer it
The project's stage and dates against plan.
Check it against
The project's page.
Also asked as
“how far along is [project]”
Which customers owe us the most?
Accounts · A figure or a list from your records · Built, switched off at the client
What should answer it
Outstanding by customer, for those whose department may see money.
Check it against
The receivables screen.
Also asked as
“who has not paid us yet” · “hw much does [customer] ow us”
Which job cards are behind schedule?
Owner · A figure or a list from your records · Not yet built by Ahrom Labs
What should answer it
Job cards past their planned date, by work centre.
Check it against
The shop floor's job cards.
Paste an assistant's answer and the report it should come from, and see every number that isn't in the report.
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A guide written by Ahrom Labs from the assistants it runs. What each assistant answers is stated as it stood on the date checked; a vendor's assistant should be judged by the tests, not by this page. Not legal advice on data protection. Last updated .
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