The short answer

Choose by how the work should happen. A chat-based helper suits a person asking questions or preparing a draft. An automation suits a repeatable trigger and sequence. A custom tool suits a task that needs its own interface, state or permissions.

A chat-based helper: a person starts the task

A configured assistant can be useful when a colleague brings a question, brief or document and needs a consistent way to work through it. Clear instructions and a defined reference set matter more than a broad promise to “know the business”.

The person still needs to understand the output and decide what happens next. Product capabilities and account controls vary, so check the current options for the workspace you plan to use rather than choosing from a name alone.

An automation: an event starts the process

A new enquiry, a completed form or a recurring reporting date can trigger a series of steps. The workflow gathers the required information, applies rules and prepares or completes an agreed action.

AI may handle one step, such as categorising an email. The rest can be ordinary system integration. This is often the right shape when the problem is repeated movement of information rather than a need for another chat window.

A custom tool: the job needs an interface

Some tasks need a screen that brings together inputs, a draft, supporting information and approval controls. A dedicated tool can make the process understandable without asking everyone to compose the right prompt.

That might be a document workspace, a focused internal assistant or a small dashboard with a next action. A custom application also brings responsibilities: access, ongoing operation, testing and a clear owner need to be agreed.

Compare them against the same example

Describe one real task, then ask how each option would handle it. Useful comparison questions include:

  • Who or what starts the task?
  • What does the person need to see while doing it?
  • Does the process need to remember progress between steps?
  • Will it read information, write changes or both?
  • Where does a person check or approve the result?
  • Who maintains it when the process changes?

The smallest useful implementation is often the right start

An existing feature may be enough. A simple automation may remove the frustrating part without requiring an application. Equally, forcing a complicated job into a chat can leave the team doing awkward workarounds.

We start with the problem and assess the fit. ChatGPT and OpenAI are part of our technical specialism, and we use Codex in our development work. The finished workflow should make sense to your team regardless of the tools used to build it.

Choose the shape of the tool around the task and the person doing it, then choose the technology.

Explore the connected topic

Put the idea to work

Custom AI Tools

Sometimes a business has a clear way of working, but no tool that quite fits. We design and build a focused application around that requirement, using AI where it helps.

How we can help