Unlocking Value: Ideas for Using AI in Your Business
Artificial intelligence (AI) isn’t just for big tech companies or businesses with IT teams. Today, tools like ChatGPT and Claude are easy to use and available to everyone. With just a few clicks, any business owner can save time, reduce mistakes, and make better decisions. If you manufacture, distribute, or customize physical goods, you’re probably already using AI in some way-even if you don’t realize it.
AI can help with many tasks, like tracking inventory, writing emails, or organizing data. The best part? You don’t need to change your whole system or spend a lot of money to get started. A simple prompt is often all you need to put AI to work.
What’s a Prompt?
A prompt is the message or question you give to an AI tool like ChatGPT or Claude to get a response. Think of it as giving instructions to a smart assistant. For example, you might type, “Summarize this email,” or “Write a professional response to a customer complaint.” The AI reads your prompt and generates a reply based on what you asked for. The clearer and more specific your prompt, the better the answer you’ll get.
How to Write a Good Prompt
Getting a helpful answer from AI depends on how you ask. Here are some tips for writing a strong prompt:
Assign a role: Tell the AI who it should act as (like a consultant or analyst).
Give context: Explain your business situation and what you want to achieve.
Be specific: List what you want in the answer, like sections or bullet points.
Share the right data: Include the details the AI needs, but keep it focused.
3 High-Quality AI Prompts for Manufacturers & Distributors
Here are three ready-to-use prompts. Just copy, fill in your details, and paste into ChatGPT, Claude, or a similar tool.
1. Professional Order Status Communication
Prompt:
Act as a customer relations specialist for a manufacturing company. Your task is to draft a professional email updating clients on their custom order status. The email should be warm but professional, include specific production details, and offer reassurance about quality and timeline. Here are the order details: [paste order summary including: order number, product description, original timeline, current production stage, and revised completion date]. The email should be 3-4 paragraphs, include a clear subject line, and end with an offer to answer any questions.
Why this works:
This prompt gives the AI a clear role, detailed context, and a structure for the reply. As a result, you’ll get a more useful and polished email than if you just asked, “Write an update.”
2. Purchase Order Analysis for Distributors
Prompt:
You are an experienced supply chain analyst for a distribution company. I need you to analyze our recent purchase orders and identify patterns, opportunities, and potential issues. From the data below, please: 1) Summarize key trends in supplier performance, 2) Identify any potential stock issues or delays, and 3) Suggest 2-3 specific actions we should take based on your analysis. Present your findings in a structured report with clear headings and bullet points. The purchase orders are: [paste list or table with supplier names, items, quantities, prices, and delivery dates].
Why this works:
This prompt sets a role, explains the business need, and asks for a clear, organized report. The AI will know exactly what to look for and how to present the results.
3. Production Bottleneck Analysis for Manufacturers
Prompt:
Act as an operations consultant specialized in manufacturing efficiency. Our production line has been experiencing delays, and I need your expertise to identify potential bottlenecks. Based on the data below, please: 1) Identify the most likely bottlenecks in our process, 2) Analyze the root causes of these issues, and 3) Recommend practical solutions we could implement within 30 days. Present your analysis with clear headings and prioritize recommendations by potential impact. Here’s our production data: [paste information about output numbers, cycle times, downtime incidents, defect rates, and capacity utilization].
Why this works:
By giving the AI a specific role and asking for a step-by-step analysis, you’ll get focused, actionable advice that’s easy to review and use.
Final Thoughts
You already know your business inside and out. With a little guidance, AI can help you do what you do best-even better. These prompts are just a starting point. Once you see how well-crafted prompts can support your work, you’ll find even more ways to make AI fit your needs.
Try these prompts with ChatGPT, Claude, or Perplexity. Each tool is easy to access and doesn’t require special setup.
AI isn’t out of reach anymore. It’s a practical, affordable way to unlock value, streamline operations, and keep your business ahead of the curve. I’ll be sharing more ideas and resources in future posts-so stay tuned.
Let’s explore what’s possible, together.
