Email AI Agent. Handles RFQs. And Everything After.

Architecture and Workflow Overview

At the core of the solution is a seamless integration of AI and workflow automation technologies, architected for performance and security in the aviation context. Microsoft Graph API connects directly to your email mailbox (Office 365/Outlook), allowing the system to monitor incoming emails and send responses on your behalf through secure, OAuth-consented access. This means the AI agent operates within your existing email infrastructure, preserving all your usual email logging and threads. As soon as an email arrives, the workflow engine is triggered to process it. Key components of the architecture include:

With this robust architecture, ePlaneAI’s Email AI essentially becomes an intelligent “co-pilot” for your email, handling routine communications at scale. Importantly, it’s not limited to RFQs – the platform supports multiple specialized AI agents that tackle different email-driven workflows in parallel. We describe several key agents below.

Suite of AI Agents for Automated Aviation Workflows

The Email AI solution encompasses a suite of AI agents, each trained and configured to automate a particular category of tasks that commonly arrive via email. These agents work in concert on the same platform – using the shared LLM brain, data integrations, and workflow engine – but are tailored to specific business processes. Here we highlight seven AI agents and how they revolutionize aviation operations:

1. RFQ Automation Agent (Quote Responder)

Role: Automatically handles incoming Request-for-Quote emails from customers looking to buy parts or services. This is the flagship capability of Email AI.

How it works: When an RFQ email comes in (often containing a list of part numbers and needed quantities, sometimes in the email body, sometimes in an attached form or spreadsheet), the RFQ Agent immediately parses it. Using the aviation-trained LLM, it reads the unstructured request and extracts structured data – e.g. Part Number: ABC123; Quantity: 2; Need By: ASAP; Condition: New; etc. Attachments (PDF, Excel, text) are also scanned and parsed. The agent then cross-references each requested item against your inventory database and pricing data. If the part is in stock, it fetches the available quantity and price. If not, it can optionally query connected suppliers or marketplace data (leveraging the in-memory Redis index of available supply) to see if there’s an alternative source.

Next, the agent generates a quote. It uses a template that your sales team can configure (ensuring the tone and format match your company’s style), filling in the details like quoted price, delivery timeline, and any conditions (e.g. “subject to prior sale”, warranty info). The LLM can also tailor the language of the email for context – for example, if the RFQ mentioned an urgent AOG situation, the reply will acknowledge urgency and highlight fast shipping options. In fact, during critical AOG scenarios where every minute counts, the AI “doesn't just read emails – it understands them, responding with precision-crafted RFQs” to address the urgency. The drafted response might look as if a seasoned sales rep wrote it, complete with a warm greeting and a clear breakdown of the quote.

Finally, the agent sends the email reply within minutes (often under 1 minute) of receiving the request. This turnaround is dramatically faster than a manual process that might take hours. By instantly quoting 24/7, you can capture opportunities even outside normal working hours. The system can even attach relevant documents (e.g. airworthiness certificates for the parts quoted, pulled automatically from your records) to the reply. If certain RFQs are identified as high-value or from VIP customers, the workflow can be set to loop in a human for approval or further personalization – otherwise, most quotes go out automatically. The impact is significant: companies see response speeds improve so much that on average RFQ replies are 90% faster than before, often turning around quotes in under a minute. This speed not only impresses customers but also improves win rates, translating to higher conversion of RFQs to actual sales. Moreover, because the agent pulls data directly from source systems and uses consistent rules, it improves accuracy and consistency of quotes (no more typos or misquoted prices that can happen with manual entry). Each RFQ handled by the AI costs only cents in processing, far less than the labor cost of manual handling – so you achieve massive scalability in handling quote requests without needing to add staff.

In summary, the RFQ Automation Agent ensures every customer inquiry gets an immediate, accurate quote at any hour, drastically reducing the RFQ cycle time and increasing your sales efficiency.

2. Sales & Customer Engagement Agent

Role: Augments your sales team by automating follow-ups, lead nurturing, and general sales inquiries through email. Beyond just replying to RFQs, this agent handles the broader spectrum of sales communications – ensuring potential deals don’t fall through the cracks.

How it works: This agent keeps an eye on the ongoing email conversations with prospects and customers. For instance, if a quote was sent out (by the RFQ agent or a human) and no response was received within a certain timeframe, the Sales Agent can automatically send a follow-up email to check in, politely reminding the customer and asking if they need any more information. These follow-ups are crucial in sales, and the AI ensures they happen consistently for every opportunity. The messaging can be tailored; e.g., a different tone or offer for a new customer versus a returning client. The agent can prioritize and personalize communications using smart customer segmentation – e.g. recognizing VIP customers or large orders and fast-tracking those for a more immediate or customized response. It categorizes incoming emails to identify sales-related ones (like a customer asking “Can you also quote part XYZ?” or “Do you have an update on my order?”) and responds or routes them appropriately.

Additionally, the Sales Agent can handle common inquiries that sales teams get. If a potential customer emails a general question (say, about your capabilities, or requesting a product catalog), the AI can respond with pre-approved informational templates, possibly attaching brochures or directing them to resources. It effectively serves as a first-line sales assistant. It also integrates with CRM systems: for example, if a completely new prospect emails in, the agent can auto-create a lead entry in your CRM and even kick off an onboarding workflow (sending them a welcome packet or scheduling a meeting). This agent also implements dynamic pricing and proposal generation for complex deals – for example, if there’s a known pricing formula or contract pricing for certain clients, the AI will apply those rules to ensure the quote or response is correctly tailored. It can even generate full proposals or order forms as needed, using data from your ERP (for stock availability) and CRM (for customer details).

By automating routine sales communications and follow-ups, this agent keeps your sales pipeline warm and moving. It helps maintain prompt engagement with dozens or hundreds of prospects simultaneously. The outcome is a smoother sales cycle – customers get quick answers and feel attended to, and your sales team is free to focus on strategic negotiations rather than chasing email replies. The constant, AI-driven follow-through can significantly improve lead conversion rates. For instance, the system’s ability to send 24/7 follow-ups means an interested buyer who emails at 8 PM on a Friday might get an answer or scheduled call link immediately, rather than waiting until Monday – a responsiveness that can give you an edge. All of this is done while logging activities into your CRM, so you have full visibility. Essentially, the Sales Engagement Agent ensures no opportunity is lost due to slow response, helping boost revenue and customer satisfaction in the long run.

3. Customer Support Agent

Role: Acts as an AI-driven support representative that triages and responds to support emails from customers (or internal teams), handling issues like order status inquiries, technical questions about parts, and even basic troubleshooting or FAQs. This agent reduces the load on your support team by resolving common queries instantly via email.

How it works: When a support-related email arrives (e.g. “The part we received isn’t fitting properly, what should we do?” or “Can you help track my shipment?”), the agent uses intent recognition to determine the nature of the request. If it’s a straightforward question, the agent can reply with an accurate, helpful answer drawn from knowledge bases or predefined solutions. For example, for an order status request, the agent can query the order database (using order number or customer email from the incoming message) and include the latest tracking info or delivery ETA in the reply. For technical questions, it can pull from an internal repository of manuals and past Q&A (thanks to the LLM’s training on aviation maintenance manuals and troubleshooting guides). The AI might say: “It sounds like the part may require an adjustment; please refer to section 5 of the attached manual for installation instructions. If that doesn’t resolve the issue, let us know and we’ll facilitate a replacement.” – providing immediate guidance.

In cases where the issue is more complex or sensitive (say a customer is unhappy or the question is beyond the AI’s current scope), the agent will automatically escalate or alert a human. It might draft a response and flag it for a support rep to review, or send a notification to the appropriate department. The goal is that the AI handles the bulk of repetitive FAQs and simple tasks, while ensuring anything requiring personal touch gets to the right person quickly (with a summary of the context prepared by the AI). The agent can also log a ticket in your helpdesk system with the details extracted from the email, so that even if it can’t solve it alone, it kickstarts the resolution process without the user having to re-explain everything.

A standout feature for aviation is handling AOG (Aircraft on Ground) support emails. If an email comes in marked as AOG or with very urgent language, the Support Agent not only sends an immediate acknowledgment, but can also trigger additional workflows: for example, notifying on-call technicians or starting a parts search via the Inventory Agent (described below) for a critical component. This rapid, multi-channel response in AOG scenarios can save precious time.

By deploying the Support Agent, companies can offer 24/7 support coverage without round-the-clock staff, and respond to customers even in off-hours. The responses are consistent and based on the latest data – for instance, always giving the current order status from the system, which avoids mistakes. Customers get quick answers (“instant response” is often noted as a huge plus in aviation where downtime is costly). Meanwhile, support staff see a reduction in their email workload and can focus on the tougher cases. Over time, the AI also learns from repeated issues, helping improve the knowledge base. The result is faster issue resolution, higher customer satisfaction, and more scalable support operations.

4. Warranty & Returns Agent

Role: Manages warranty claims and return requests via email. This agent automates the verification of warranty coverage, initiation of return merchandise authorization (RMA), and communication with the customer regarding next steps – drastically simplifying what can be a paperwork-heavy process.

How it works: Consider a customer emails saying a part they purchased failed within the warranty period or is not working as expected and they want a replacement. The Warranty Agent springs into action by first extracting key details: What part or order is this regarding? What is the issue described? Are there any attachments (e.g. photos of the part or a failure report)? Using these details, the agent checks the original sale info in the ERP/CRM database – verifying if the part is indeed under warranty (based on sale date, warranty duration, and serial number if provided). Because it’s integrated with your data, the AI can confirm instantly if the claim is valid or if more info is needed.

If the item is under warranty, the agent can automatically generate an RMA number and a return shipping label. For example, it might reply: “We’re sorry to hear about the issue. Your claim is covered under warranty. RMA #12345 has been created – please use the attached shipping label to return the faulty unit. We will ship a replacement immediately.”The shipping label can be generated via an API with your logistics provider and attached to the email. Simultaneously, the agent updates the internal systems: logging the warranty claim, deducting the replacement part from inventory (or alerting procurement if no stock for replacement), and creating any necessary case in the warranty/QA system. If the warranty is expired or conditions not met, the email response is polite and clear about next options (e.g. offering a repair quote or directing them to sales for a new purchase, possibly even automatically involving the Sales Agent to follow up). The LLM’s natural language capabilities help ensure these delicate communications maintain a professional and empathetic tone.

Furthermore, the Warranty Agent can handle quality documentation. For instance, it could request additional information if needed: “Could you please provide the serial number or a photo of the part’s data tag to verify eligibility?”– and when the customer replies, it will parse that info too. Any attachments like failure reports or teardown findings can be logged for engineering analysis. The agent ensures the process keeps moving swiftly: customers aren’t left waiting for someone to manually open a case. What once might require several back-and-forth emails over days can be condensed into a single automated reply within minutes of the request, with everything set in motion.

This automation of warranty and returns leads to faster turnaround for customers (less aircraft downtime waiting for replacements) and significantly reduced admin overhead. It also improves accuracy – e.g. the AI won’t forget to record a case or ship a part. Everything is tracked. Your team can oversee the process via the dashboard and only intervene if exceptions occur. By handling claims promptly and fairly, you also build trust with customers. The Warranty Agentessentially gives you a scalable way to honor after-sales commitments efficiently, which is especially crucial in aviation where service level agreements and reliability are paramount.

5. Procurement & Sourcing Agent

Role: Assists your procurement team by automating the sourcing of parts and managing supplier communications via email. This agent ensures that when you need to buy parts (for inventory replenishment or for specific orders), the process is fast and optimized – from RFQs to suppliers, to analyzing quotes, to issuing purchase orders. It complements the RFQ Agent (which handles customer-side quotes) by tackling the supply-side RFQs.

How it works: The Procurement Agent can operate in two primary modes: reactive purchasing and proactive replenishment. In reactive mode, suppose your RFQ Agent or sales team commits to supplying a part that’s not currently in stock. The Procurement Agent will automatically kick in to source that part. It can draft and send RFQ emails to approved vendors or even broadcast to a network of suppliers. These outgoing RFQs can be completely automated – the agent includes part number, quantity needed, required delivery date, and any other specs, and sends it to the suppliers’ email addresses on file. As responses from suppliers come in (quotes with price and availability), the agent reads those emails and extracts the quote details, just like it does for customer RFQs. It then can compare multiple supplier quotesside-by-side (e.g. Vendor A offers $5,000 delivery in 3 days, Vendor B $4,500 delivery in 2 weeks, etc.). Based on criteria you define (lowest cost, fastest delivery, preferred vendor, etc.), the AI can select the optimal quote. It might even negotiate – for instance, sending a follow-up email if a quote is too high, to ask for a better price or confirm if that’s the best offer. Once a decision is made, the agent can proceed to issue a Purchase Order: it generates a PO document or email, includes the agreed details, and sends it to the chosen supplier, while updating your ERP with the pending incoming stock.

In proactive mode, the Procurement Agent works closely with the Inventory Agent (next section). It monitors stock levels and usage trends. If inventory for certain critical parts falls below thresholds (or a forecast predicts a future shortfall), the agent preemptively initiates procurement. For example, it might periodically email a supplier who regularly provides part X to inquire about current pricing and availability once your stock of part X goes below, say, 5 units. This way, it helps prevent stockouts by ordering in advance. All of this happens via email or API, mimicking what a human buyer would do but at machine speed and scale.

The agent also handles supplier-side communications broadly – including order confirmations, shipping notifications, and delivery updates. If a supplier emails an order confirmation or tracking number, the agent can read it and update the corresponding order record automatically (and even forward tracking info to the relevant internal team or system). It ensures that the loop is closed on every purchase initiated.

The benefits are substantial: your procurement cycle becomes much faster and more cost-efficient. The AI can engage dozens of suppliers simultaneously and around the clock, which is something a single human buyer cannot do. This means when you have an urgent need (AOG procurement needs, for example), the AI might secure a part from a supplier and have a PO out the door in minutes, potentially getting that part on a flight to you far sooner. By evaluating quotes objectively, it also tends to drive costs down (always picking the best deal according to your parameters). And it enforces process compliance – every RFQ and PO is documented and standardized. The Procurement Agent essentially gives you a virtual purchasing officer who never sleeps, ensuring your supply chain is responsive and efficient.

6. Inventory Intelligence Agent

Role: Optimizes inventory management by analyzing demand vs. supply and automating inventory-related decisions. This AI agent works in the background to monitor inventory levels, usage patterns, and market data, and can trigger actions (often via email) to keep inventory optimized. It’s like having a smart inventory planner that reacts in real-time to changes.

How it works: The Inventory Intelligence Agent continuously ingests data about your inventory – current stock counts, parts consumption rates, lead times for restock, and even external factors like market price trends or known fleet maintenance schedules. It uses AI/ML models to forecast demand for parts (e.g. predicting which parts are likely to be needed soon based on maintenance cycles or historical request data). These predictive insights help reduce both shortages and overstock. For instance, the agent might predict that based on upcoming C-checks for a certain aircraft model, a spike in demand for a specific gasket will occur next month – allowing procurement to buy more in advance.

When the agent identifies a need, it can take initiative. If a certain part is projected to run out in 2 weeks, it will alert or activate the Procurement Agent to source more. This alert can be an email to the purchasing team for awareness, but often it’s entirely automated. Conversely, if it finds parts that are over-stocked or not moving (dead inventory), it could trigger actions like emailing your sales team suggesting promotions for those parts, or if connected to a marketplace, listing them for sale. The agent also watches supply & demand in real-time. Thanks to the Redis-powered live data index, it can instantly match inbound customer demands to either your inventory or someone in your network who has the part. In a split second, it might identify that a partner company or another depot has the part available, and facilitate a transfer or cross-company sale. This was traditionally hard to do quickly, but with the AI monitoring stock across sources, such matching is automated.

Another important function is pricing optimization. The Inventory Agent can adjust recommended prices based on supply/demand dynamics. If a part suddenly becomes scarce (demand high, supply low), the agent might suggest a price increase for new quotes to balance the market (and vice versa, prevent loss of sales by lowering price if there’s surplus). These dynamic pricing strategies ensure you remain competitive yet profitable. (The system can do this within boundaries you set to maintain sensible pricing.)

In terms of email workflows, the Inventory Agent might send notifications like restock alerts: “Part ABC123 is below minimum level. 2 units left, average use 5/month. Recommended to reorder 10 units.” – either to a human manager or directly to suppliers via the Procurement Agent as described. It could also handle inbound inventory-related emails, say a warehouse sends an email with a stock count update; the AI can parse that and update the system accordingly.

The net effect is an 80% reduction in manual inventory planning work, with far greater accuracy. You see fewer AOG incidents due to missing parts, because the agent helped avoid stockouts. Inventory holding costs go down as well, since it prevents over-ordering by fine-tuning levels to what’s actually needed. In essence, the Inventory Intelligence Agent brings a proactive, data-driven approach to inventory management – ensuring the right parts are in the right place at the right time, with minimal human intervention.

7. Document Processing Agent

Role: Automates the handling of documents commonly exchanged in aviation operations – such as certifications, compliance documents, manuals, and forms – especially when they come as email attachments. This agent uses advanced AI (Vision+NLP) to extract and organize information from documents with very high accuracy, eliminating tedious data entry and reducing errors in record-keeping.

How it works: Aviation deals with a lot of paperwork: Airworthiness certificates, 8130 tags, invoices, purchase orders, component repair reports, etc. The Document Processing Agent is designed to read these like a skilled human would, but faster and without mistakes. When an email arrives with an attachment (or even an inline image of a document), the agent automatically scans it. Using a combination of OCR and the specialized LLM, it extracts all relevant fields. For example, if a vendor sends an 8130 airworthiness certificate PDF for a part you purchased, the AI will pull out the part number, serial number, date, certifying agency, etc., and enter that into your system to attach to the part’s record – ensuring traceability. If a maintenance provider emails a service report, the agent can log the key findings or recommended actions into the maintenance tracking system.

In a sales context, suppose a customer sends a signed purchase order as a PDF – the agent can read the PO, capture order details (item, quantity, price, PO number, billing info) and automatically feed it into your order management system, without someone retyping it. Similarly for invoices from suppliers: the agent can parse the invoice document from email, cross-verify it against the PO and receiving records, and even initiate payment approval workflows. Essentially, it can serve as an Accounts Payable clerk as well, automating invoice processing.

What sets this agent apart is its accuracy and consistency. Traditional OCR systems might falter with varied document layouts, but our solution’s AI has been trained on aviation document formats, achieving over 98% field-level accuracy in extraction. This means it captures nearly all details correctly, even from complex maintenance records or multi-page documents – drastically reducing compliance risks that come from data entry errors. It also standardizes data: for instance, if different vendors format certificates differently, the AI still maps the data to the correct fields in your database every time in a uniform way.

Once the data is extracted, the agent files the digital documents in the right place. It might upload the document to an ERP or document management system, attach it to a transaction record, or store it in a structured repository with metadata for easy retrieval. It can also flag any anomalies – e.g. if a certificate is expired or an invoice amount doesn’t match the PO, it will alert the team instead of processing blindly.

By automating document handling, this agent can save up to 80% of the time and cost associated with manual processing of these files. It ensures critical documents (like compliance certificates) are never lost in someone’s inbox; they’re captured and stored immediately. Audits and regulatory compliance are improved because records are more complete and accurate. In short, the Document Processing Agent takes the pain out of paperwork in aviation, turning what used to be a slow manual chore into a quick, reliable digital process.

Key Benefits: Speed, Accuracy, and Privacy

Implementing the Email AI and its family of agents yields transformative benefits for aviation operations:

Conclusion: The ePlaneAI Email AI solution with its multi-agent architecture is a game-changer for aviation companies looking to modernize and streamline their operations. It brings together the best of AI (LLMs, machine learning, intelligent decision-making) with deep aviation domain expertise and robust system integration. From the moment an email comes in, to the final action or reply, the entire workflow can be handled with unprecedented speed and precision. Whether it’s rapidly answering RFQs to win more business, keeping customers happy with instant support, or optimizing your internal supply chain, this intelligent email automation delivers. Crucially, it does so in a way that augments your human team – taking care of the grunt work and repetitive tasks – while they can focus on strategic decisions, relationships, and exceptions. The combination of multiple specialized agents means every department (sales, support, maintenance, procurement, etc.) can benefit from AI assistance in their email communications. And thanks to the underlying architecture (Graph API integration, Redis caching, secure databases, etc.), all of this happens reliably, securely, and in harmony with your existing systems.

In a field where speed, accuracy, and reliability are literally life-and-death (or dollars-and-cents) matters, adopting AI automation in email workflows provides a competitive edge. It transforms email from a tedious necessity into a strategic asset – a real-time interface for intelligent agents to transact business at the pace of modern demands. The future of aviation operations is one where AI and humans work hand-in-hand, and ePlaneAI’s Email AI is a powerful step in that direction, automating everything from RFQs to warranties with an intelligence that will elevate your efficiency to new heights.