--- title: "From 20 Minutes to 16 Seconds: How a Manufacturer Automated Email Inquiry Processing" description: Discover how a mid-market manufacturer cut email inquiry processing from 20 minutes to 16 seconds with an Entech-built AI agent that reads emails, extracts order data, and updates the ERP automatically. --- [Skip to content](https://www.entechus.com/client-success/from-20-minutes-to-16-seconds-how-a-manufacturer-automated-email-inquiry-processing#main-content) [![Entech-Logo-600x100 (1)-Mar-13-2026-01-30-08-9890-PM](https://www.entechus.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Entech-Logo-600x100%20(1)-Mar-13-2026-01-30-08-9890-PM.png?width=150&height=25&name=Entech-Logo-600x100%20(1)-Mar-13-2026-01-30-08-9890-PM.png)Homepage](https://www.entechus.com?hsLang=en) - [What We Do](https://www.entechus.com/what-we-do?hsLang=en) - [Managed IT](https://www.entechus.com/managed-it-services/?hsLang=en) - [Managed Cybersecurity](https://www.entechus.com/managed-cybersecurity-services/?hsLang=en) - [Cloud Solutions](https://www.entechus.com/cloud-solutions?hsLang=en) - [Risk & Compliance](https://www.entechus.com/risk-compliance?hsLang=en) - [IT Leadership as a Service](https://www.entechus.com/consulting?hsLang=en) - [Managed 365](https://www.entechus.com/managed-microsoft-365-services?hsLang=en) - [AI Services](https://www.entechus.com/ai-services?hsLang=en) - [Industries](https://www.entechus.com/industries?hsLang=en) - [Construction](https://www.entechus.com/construction?hsLang=en) - [Financial](https://www.entechus.com/financial?hsLang=en) - [Government](https://www.entechus.com/government?hsLang=en) - [Healthcare](https://www.entechus.com/healthcare?hsLang=en) - [Legal](https://www.entechus.com/legal?hsLang=en) - [Manufacturing](https://www.entechus.com/manufacturing?hsLang=en) - [Non-Profits](https://www.entechus.com/non-profits?hsLang=en) - [About Us](https://www.entechus.com/about-us?hsLang=en) - [Resources](https://www.entechus.com/resources?hsLang=en) - [All Resources](https://www.entechus.com/resources?hsLang=en) - [Case Studies](https://www.entechus.com/client-stories?hsLang=en) - [Executive Resources](https://www.entechus.com/strategy-risk-briefings-entech?hsLang=en) - [Events](https://www.entechus.com/events?hsLang=en) - [News](https://www.entechus.com/news?hsLang=en) - [Blog](https://www.entechus.com/blogs?hsLang=en) [Start a Strategy Session](https://www.entechus.com/start-a-strategy-session?hsLang=en) - [What We Do](https://www.entechus.com/what-we-do?hsLang=en) - [Managed IT](https://www.entechus.com/managed-it-services/?hsLang=en) - [Managed Cybersecurity](https://www.entechus.com/managed-cybersecurity-services/?hsLang=en) - [Cloud Solutions](https://www.entechus.com/cloud-solutions?hsLang=en) - [Risk & Compliance](https://www.entechus.com/risk-compliance?hsLang=en) - [IT Leadership as a Service](https://www.entechus.com/consulting?hsLang=en) - [Managed 365](https://www.entechus.com/managed-microsoft-365-services?hsLang=en) - [AI Services](https://www.entechus.com/ai-services?hsLang=en) - [Industries](https://www.entechus.com/industries?hsLang=en) - [Construction](https://www.entechus.com/construction?hsLang=en) - [Financial](https://www.entechus.com/financial?hsLang=en) - [Government](https://www.entechus.com/government?hsLang=en) - [Healthcare](https://www.entechus.com/healthcare?hsLang=en) - [Legal](https://www.entechus.com/legal?hsLang=en) - [Manufacturing](https://www.entechus.com/manufacturing?hsLang=en) - [Non-Profits](https://www.entechus.com/non-profits?hsLang=en) - [About Us](https://www.entechus.com/about-us?hsLang=en) - [Resources](https://www.entechus.com/resources?hsLang=en) - [All Resources](https://www.entechus.com/resources?hsLang=en) - [Case Studies](https://www.entechus.com/client-stories?hsLang=en) - [Executive Resources](https://www.entechus.com/strategy-risk-briefings-entech?hsLang=en) - [Events](https://www.entechus.com/events?hsLang=en) - [News](https://www.entechus.com/news?hsLang=en) - [Blog](https://www.entechus.com/blogs?hsLang=en) [Start a Strategy Session](https://www.entechus.com/start-a-strategy-session?hsLang=en) # From 20 Minutes to 16 Seconds: How a Manufacturer Automated Email Inquiry Processing ![Warehouse office workstation in action](https://www.entechus.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Warehouse%20office%20workstation%20in%20action%20(1).png?width=1448&height=1086&name=Warehouse%20office%20workstation%20in%20action%20(1).png) Industry Manufacturing Challenge Staff were manually opening hundreds of email inquiries every day, pulling order details out of attached documents, and keying the data into the ERP system one record at a time — a slow, error-prone process that consumed the team's capacity. Results An AI agent now reads every incoming inquiry, extracts and validates order data, and pushes confirmed records directly into the ERP. Processing time fell from 20 minutes per inquiry to 16 seconds, and staff manage only the exceptions. Key Product AI Services, Agentic AI 16 sec Avg processing time per inquiry, down from 20 minutes 98%+ reduction in inquiry handling time 100s Daily inquiries processed automatically ## Our team went from typing orders all day to simply confirming the handful that need a human eye. Chief Operating Officer @ Manufacturing Company ![Industrial office and warehouse workspace (1)](https://www.entechus.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Industrial%20office%20and%20warehouse%20workspace%20(1).png?width=1448&height=1086&name=Industrial%20office%20and%20warehouse%20workspace%20(1).png) ## About your Customer A mid-market manufacturer that receives a high volume of order inquiries from customers and distributors every day, most arriving by email with order details buried in attached documents — purchase orders, spec sheets, and forms in inconsistent formats. Accurate, timely order entry into the ERP system is critical to production planning, fulfillment, and customer satisfaction. As inquiry volume grew, the manual workload grew with it.  ## The Challenge Every order inquiry followed the same manual path: a staff member opened the email, opened each attachment, located the relevant order details, and typed the data into the ERP system one record at a time. At roughly 20 minutes per inquiry — multiplied across hundreds of inquiries per day — order entry consumed a large share of the team's working hours. The process created several compounding problems: - **Capacity drain: **Skilled staff spent their days on repetitive data entry instead of higher-value customer and operational work - **Error exposure: **Manual transcription from attachments into the ERP introduced avoidable data-entry mistakes downstream - **Throughput ceiling: **Processing speed was capped by headcount, so busy periods created backlogs and slower customer response times The company needed a way to process inquiry volume accurately and at speed — without simply hiring more people to type faster. ## The Solution AI engineers designed and deployed an AI agent that handles the entire inquiry-to-ERP workflow automatically. The agent reads each incoming email as it arrives, extracts order data from the attached documents, validates every record against the product catalog, and pushes confirmed orders directly into the ERP system — no human touch required for clean records. > *It reads the email, checks the catalog, and the order is just...in the system.* The automation was built around three core principles: - **Accuracy first: **Every extracted record is validated against the product catalog before it reaches the ERP, so automated entries are trustworthy by design - **Exception-based workflow: **Staff only see the inquiries the agent can't confidently resolve — incomplete data, catalog mismatches, or unusual requests — keeping humans focused where judgment matters - **Seamless ERP integration: **Confirmed records flow directly into the existing ERP system, preserving the company's established processes downstream The solution was tailored to the manufacturer's existing systems and document formats, so the team could adopt the new workflow without disrupting operations. ## The Results With the AI agent in production, inquiry processing that once took 20 minutes now completes in 16 seconds — a reduction of more than 98% — and the team's role has fundamentally changed. - **Speed at scale: **Hundreds of daily inquiries are processed automatically, with no backlog during peak periods - **Staff redeployed to higher-value work: **The team shifted from manual data entry to managing exceptions only, applying judgment where it's actually needed - **Improved data quality: **Catalog validation on every record reduces transcription errors before they reach the ERP - **Faster customer response: **Orders enter the system within seconds of arrival, accelerating downstream fulfillment and planning ## Ready to turn your most repetitive workflows into 16-second processes? 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