05 · Intelligent Workflow Automation

Intelligent Workflows & Automation

SHEPHARD uses business process analysis, system integration, automation and AI applications to connect different steps of work, so tasks move automatically according to defined rules, with AI stepping in to assess and handle them when needed.

Why it matters

Much of your employees' time goes into “passing information along”.

Much of a company's work is not done in isolation, but involves multiple roles, departments and systems.

For example, a single order may pass through customer confirmation, order entry, stock checks, purchasing, logistics and financial settlement. If these steps are not properly connected, staff have to keep switching between systems, re-entering information, sending notifications and chasing tasks.

Does this sound like your company?

The same information gets entered again in several systems
Handovers rely on WeChat groups and verbal reminders, and things often slip through
Finding out where an order is stuck takes several phone calls
The first job every morning is exporting data by hand and building the daily report

None of these tasks is hard on its own, but together they often take up more than half of an employee's time.

What we offer

01 · Business Process Automation
Business process automation
Turn rule-based, highly repetitive business tasks into automated processes.
- Automatic data entry
- Automatic information sync
- Automatic notifications and reminders
- Automated approval routing
- Scheduled tasks and report generation
02 · Intelligent Task Management
Intelligent task management
Automatically trigger, assign and track tasks based on business rules and actual workloads.
- Automatic task creation
- Intelligent task assignment
- Progress tracking
- Task status management
- Exception alerts and escalation
03 · Cross-system Integration
Cross-system collaboration
Connect the company's existing business systems so information can flow between systems and business functions.
- ERP and business system integration
- CRM and customer management integration
- Financial system data sync
- Logistics and supply chain system integration
- Internal application integration
04 · AI-powered Workflows
AI-powered workflows
Bring AI into traditional automation so workflows not only follow predefined rules but can also handle tasks that require understanding information, recognizing content and supporting judgment.
- AI document processing
- Intelligent order processing
- Customer request recognition and routing
- Business information review
- Intelligent exception detection and handling

How we work

How a project unfolds

Define the rules first, then let the system run them. Where judgment is needed, keep a person in the loop or hand it to AI.

01Weeks 1–2
Process analysis
Follow a business process from start to finish and find the steps with the most re-entry, manual handovers and waiting.
Deliverables
- Current-state process analysis
- Automation opportunity list
02Weeks 3–4
Rule design
Document the triggers, handling rules, owners and exceptions for each step, and design the target workflow.
Deliverables
- Automation rules document
- Target workflow design
03Weeks 5–8
Integration and build
Connect the relevant systems, build the automated workflows, and bring in AI where content needs to be understood or a first-pass judgment made.
Deliverables
- Live automated workflows
- System interfaces
04From week 9
Operation and optimization
Monitor how the workflows run, handle errors and exceptions, and keep adjusting the rules as the business changes.
Deliverables
- Workflow monitoring dashboard
- Exception handling mechanism

The value for your business

What changes afterwards

01
Less repetitive manual work.
02
More efficient collaboration across departments.
03
Fewer errors as information is passed along.
04
Better traceability of business processes.
05
More time for staff to spend on work that needs professional judgment.

Typical scenarios

The following scenarios are based on situations we commonly see in companies and illustrate the kinds of problems this service can solve.

Wholesale and distribution
One order, entered separately in four systems
BeforeOnce an order arrives, back-office staff key it into the sales system, the warehouse system and the finance software, then message each department.
AfterThe order is entered once, synced to every system automatically, and the right people are notified. If stock runs low, purchasing is alerted.
Logistics and supply chain
Customers keep asking where their goods are
BeforeCustomer service spends hours each day checking shipment status and replying one by one, and cannot keep up at peak times.
AfterCustomers are notified automatically when a shipment milestone changes, and customer service is alerted straight away to any delay.
Professional and business services
Monthly reconciliation and invoicing done by hand
BeforeEach month, finance totals hours and expenses by hand, checks them, then issues invoices and sends emails one at a time, which means overtime at the start of every month.
AfterHours and expenses are compiled into bills automatically. After review, one click issues the invoice and sends it to the customer.