Asking questions in natural language
A natural-language query means typing a question to a computer the way you'd say it, instead of picking from a menu: "Which province did we sell the most in last quarter?", "How much of our receivables are more than 90 days overdue?", "Will cash get tight in the next two weeks?"
Plenty of software offers this feature today. Most share a common weakness: they answer questions they don't understand too. They bring up the closest report and present it as if it were the right answer. With financial data, that's more dangerous than not answering at all, because a wrong number arrives at the meeting table looking like a right one.
READERP first asks: can this question be answered?
When you type a plain-language question in READERP, the system first runs a scope check:
- If it can be answered: It shows which reports and queries will run. If it adds something beyond what you asked (e.g. the same period last year for comparison), it tells you, along with why it added it.
- If it can't be answered: It says so clearly, explains what is missing and doesn't guess. Where possible, it suggests the closest information it can give, making clear that it doesn't substitute for your question.
Example: "What was the return on our advertising spend?" Advertising spend sits in the ledger as an expense item, but campaign and conversion data isn't in the ERP. READERP doesn't make up a number for this question; it says "This question can't be answered with the existing queries" and instead suggests an item-by-item breakdown of marketing expenses.
The AI doesn't write SQL
Many natural-language tools translate your question into a database query (SQL) on the fly. That is risky for both security and accuracy. In READERP, no new SQL is generated at runtime. Your question is routed to queries that were written in advance, validated on your data and signed. So however fast the answer comes, the calculation behind it is always the same. Details: read-only and security.
Every answer's credentials
Next to every figure returned, you'll find:
- A summary of the query that produced it and the calculation method
- Which period it covers
- Who ran it, and when
So when a figure is shared, the answer to "where did this come from?" is ready. You can sign off on the figure.
What questions can you ask?
Anything within the scope of the ready-made reports: cash position and projection, receivables aging, revenue and product sales, stock coverage, payroll summary and the cash conversion cycle. As the catalog grows, so does the range of questions it can answer. Questions outside the scope that matter to you can be added to the catalog as a custom financial report.
Who uses it?
General managers, finance managers, sales managers, owners. In other words, anyone who doesn't know SQL but needs the number today. For the questions managers ask most, take a look at our ERP reporting service page.
Frequently asked questions
Do we have to phrase the question with exactly the right words?
No. You can write the way you'd normally talk. If the system doesn't understand the question, it tells you what it understood and what it didn't.
Can we try the question screen before setup?
Yes. We show a trial screen running on illustrative data during the call.
Are our questions shared with anyone else?
No. Questions and answers stay in the panel, accessible only to your authorized users.
Send us a question you can't get an answer to today, and we'll tell you whether READERP can handle it: contact.