Answers · AI in operations · As of 6 October 2026
Where do AI agents pay off first in mid-sized companies?
Short answerFor recurring processes with clear rules: capturing orders, processing returns, preparing quotes. In published examples, the processing time for a return falls from 15 to 20 minutes to around 2 minutes1. Approval remains with a human3.
Three published examples
The Duisburg-based electrical wholesaler EVG uses an AI agent in order intake that transfers item numbers, prices and customer data into the ERP system1.
Recording a return manually often takes 15 to 20 minutes; with an agent, around 2 minutes1.
For tenders, one supplier states 30 minutes for review and approval instead of 4 hours per tender2.
How to recognise suitable processes
The process occurs frequently, follows fixed rules and ends in a system you already have. Typical fields are quotes and documents as well as the pre-sorting of incoming emails4.
What remains with humans
Fully autonomous agents without human control are not yet ready for operation for most processes in mid-sized companies. That is the assessment of the consultancy SEST3.
The division has proved successful: the agent prepares, a human checks and approves.
How to get started
With one process whose time you can already measure today. Then, after a few weeks, you can say whether the agent pays off.
Sources
- bluebatch: AI agents, examples: bluebatch.io
- App and web development: AI agents in mid-sized companies: app-web-entwicklung.de
- SEST: AI agents in mid-sized companies: sest.gmbh
- realmaker: AI agents in mid-sized companies, 9 July 2026: realmaker.de
Every figure on this page comes from the source named next to it and was read on the date shown above. Figures from studies describe the sample examined; they are no promise for an individual case.