Ask a question. See a way forward.
Ask naturally. Understand the answer. Decide what happens next.
Ask about a late payment, a short delivery or a change in margin. Intelligence checks the relevant records, shows its working and helps your team decide what to do next.

Start with something you need to know.
No special commands or report-writing skills. Ask about the work, see the relevant figures and decide what to do next.
You ask
“Can we deliver all 400 cases on Friday?”
Your answer
320 on Friday. The remaining 80 are expected on Monday.
There are 480 cases in stock, but 160 are already promised to other customers. That leaves 320 available for this order.
Prepare a split-delivery proposal. Your team confirms the incoming stock and agrees the dates with the customer.
What the answer is based on
- Stock on hand
- 480 cases
- Already committed
- 160 cases
- Available now
- 320 cases
- Expected Monday
- 80 cases
480 − 160 = 320 available
You ask
“Why is this supplier invoice on hold?”
Your answer
The invoice includes four units that have not been received.
The supplier invoiced for 100 units. The delivery records show 96. At £25 each, £100 needs checking before approval.
Prepare a query for the supplier and give the buyer the order, invoice and delivery records to review together.
What the answer is based on
- Invoiced
- 100 units
- Received
- 96 units
- Price per unit
- £25
- Amount to check
- £100
(100 − 96) × £25 = £100, before tax
You ask
“What if the £75,000 customer payment arrives late?”
Your answer
We would finish the period £15,000 short.
With the payment on time, closing cash is £60,000. Moving £75,000 of receipts beyond the period takes that to minus £15,000 if planned payments stay the same.
Review the expected collection date and upcoming payments. Compare the options without changing the original forecast.
What the answer is based on
- Opening cash
- £180,000
- Receipts if payment is late
- £15,000
- Planned payments
- £210,000
- Closing cash
- −£15,000
£180,000 + £15,000 − £210,000
You ask
“Show September’s profit and loss against budget.”
Your answer
Operating profit is £192,000—£4,000 ahead of budget.
Sales were £40,000 higher than budget. Extra cost of sales used £22,000 of that gain, and operating expenses used another £14,000.
Open the full report, compare the figures in a chart and follow a report line into the transactions behind it.
The report at a glance · actual / budget
- Revenue
- £1,240k / £1,200k
- Cost of sales
- £742k / £720k
- Operating expenses
- £306k / £292k
- Operating profit
- £192k / £188k
£40k − £22k − £14k = £4k ahead
You ask
“Which overdue customers should we contact first?”
Your answer
Start with the missed promise. Resolve the dispute separately.
Alder’s £24,000 payment was promised yesterday. Harbour’s £9,500 balance includes a £1,500 dispute, while Atlas has agreed to pay £6,000 on Friday.
Prepare a call list and draft reminders for the account owners. Keep disputed amounts and agreed payment dates visible before sending.
The context behind the call list
- Alder · £24,000
- Promise missed
- Harbour · £9,500
- £1,500 disputed
- Atlas · £6,000
- Friday agreed
Outstanding invoices, payment promises and account notes.
You ask
“What needs restocking before the first pick run?”
Your answer
Move 32 units into the picking location.
The morning orders need 50 units. The picking location holds 18, and reserve storage has 120 available. Moving 32 covers the immediate requirement.
Prepare the replenishment task for the warehouse team. Stock records change when the move is confirmed, not when the suggestion is made.
What the answer is based on
- Needed for the pick run
- 50 units
- In the picking location
- 18 units
- Available in reserve
- 120 units
- Suggested move
- 32 units
50 − 18 = 32 units to replenish
Illustrative records and figures. These examples do not access live data or make changes to your business.
From a question to something useful.
Cobalt brings together the information your team would otherwise have to find in several places.
Find the right information
It looks at the orders, invoices, stock and other records relevant to your question, within the access your role allows.
Make the answer clear
See the figures and where they came from. If something is missing, uncertain or based on an assumption, it should be clear before you act.
Prepare the next step
Get a report, a task, a draft message or a proposed change. Review it with the people responsible for the work.
Agents take care of the preparation.
An agent is a helper with a specific job. It checks the work you have asked it to watch and prepares what your team needs next.
Keep an eye on customer payments
Review overdue balances, spot a missed payment promise and prepare a reminder for the account owner to check.
Bring invoice differences to the buyer
Compare the invoice with the order and delivery. Gather the supporting records so the buyer can resolve the difference.
Get the warehouse ready
Check what upcoming orders need and prepare replenishment tasks before the picking team starts its run.
Helpful preparation. Clear responsibility.
- Access follows your role. Asking a question does not give someone access to records they are not allowed to see.
- A suggestion is not an approval. Drafts and proposed changes follow the permissions and approval rules you have set.
- You can check the source. Open the records behind an answer before making a decision.
- Automation has limits. Any task allowed to run on its own stays within the rules your team has explicitly enabled.
What you need to know.
Do I need to know special commands?
No. Ask in the words you would use with a colleague. Include the customer, period or result you want when it helps make the question clear.
Can it create reports as well as answer questions?
Yes. Ask for a report or chart, choose the period and comparison, and follow the figures back to their source records.
Will it change records without asking me?
A proposed change follows your permissions and approval rules. A task can run automatically only where your team has explicitly enabled that action within defined limits.
What if the information is missing or uncertain?
The answer should show the gap or assumption. Your team can check the source, supply the missing detail or compare another scenario before deciding what to do.
Is Intelligence included in every plan?
Features and usage allowances vary by plan. See pricing and the full plan comparison for the current scope.
Bring your next business question.
See how Cobalt connects the records, explains the answer and helps your team move the work forward.
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