Most business owners I meet have the same pain in different clothing:
Techs make avoidable mistakes because the “right way” lives in someone’s head.
Onboarding takes months because new hires must memorize tribal knowledge.
Manuals exist, but nobody has time to search them mid-job.
Customer-facing teams improvise, so quality varies by person and day.
What surprises people is that you do not need a big AI budget to fix this. The high-leverage move is simple: train your team to prompt correctly, then give them a shared “company assistant AI” that answers using your documents (repair manuals, installation checklists, treatment protocols, safety procedures, product specs, SOPs, and FAQs). This approach is a key part of AI Automation Consulting for smaller businesses, focusing on leveraging existing knowledge.
A tool like Google NotebookLM is a practical example because it is designed to work from your sources and can live inside an environment many SMEs already use (Google Workspace). NotebookLM and NotebookLM Plus became core services for many Workspace business and enterprise plans, with the same enterprise-grade protections as other Workspace core services. read
What “prompting correctly” really means in a company
Prompting is not “asking nicely.” In a business setting, prompting is closer to writing a mini-brief that produces repeatable work.
Good prompts do three things:
Set context
“You are the installation assistant for our heat-pump service team in North Holland. Use only the uploaded manuals and our SOPs.”Specify the output
“Give me a step-by-step checklist, plus common failure points, plus what to photograph for QA.”Enforce constraints
“If the answer is not in the documents, say ‘Not found in our sources’ and ask what document I should add.”
That last line is the difference between “AI that sounds confident” and AI that keeps people safe. Such rigorous prompt training is part of our AI Workshops for Businesses, ensuring practical and safe AI deployment.
The real unlock: a document-grounded Company Assistant AI for everyone
A “company assistant” is not a chatbot that makes things up. It is an assistant that:
Pulls answers from your approved documents
Provides traceability back to the source material
Standardizes how work is done across the team
NotebookLM’s core idea is “grounded” answers from your uploaded sources (documents, notes, and links you provide). Google also states your data is protected and is not used to train NotebookLM unless you provide feedback. read
For local businesses in Holland, this matters because your value is operational: consistent service, fewer call-backs, safer work, faster ramp time. Through Business Process Optimization and Operational AI Implementation, we help companies achieve these goals.
Concrete use cases (repair, install, treatments)
1) Field technicians (repair/install)
“Based on our X model manual and our SOP, what are the top 7 causes of error code E14, and how do we diagnose safely?”
Output: a diagnostic flow, required tools, safety warnings, and the exact section references.
2) Clinics (treatments/protocols)
“Using our protocol docs, draft the intake checklist for treatment A, including contraindications and documentation steps.”
Output: a checklist that matches your internal policy, not generic internet advice.
3) Operations and onboarding
“Turn our onboarding docs into a 14-day ramp plan for a new hire, with daily tasks and quick quizzes.”
Output: a structured training plan that removes dependency on one senior person.
Why Owners Miss the Power of Company Assistant AI (and Why Results Feel “Astonishing”)
Owners often assume AI means either:
expensive enterprise software, or
risky consumer chatbots.
The middle path is where the value is: use your existing documents to create a shared assistant, then train your staff on a small set of prompts that match your workflows.
The moment a technician asks a question and gets a structured answer tied to the exact manual section, it changes behavior immediately:
fewer calls to the boss
fewer “I think it’s fine”
more consistent work
faster handoffs between shifts
A lean implementation plan that does not break the bank
Here is a practical rollout we use at First AI Movers for local businesses. This systematic approach forms the basis of our AI Readiness Assessment and ensures a smooth Digital Transformation Strategy.
Step 1: Pick one workflow that has pain today
Examples:
“install a unit with zero rework”
“handle the 10 most common customer tickets”
“run the top 5 treatments safely”
Do not start broad. Start where mistakes cost time and reputation.
Step 2: Build a clean document pack
You do not need hundreds of files. You need the right files:
current manuals and SOPs (no outdated versions)
checklists
safety notes
pricing rules (if relevant)
customer scripts (if relevant)
Step 3: Create the assistant and define “truth rules”
Example truth rules:
Use only approved sources.
Quote or reference the specific section when giving instructions.
If not found, ask what source is missing.
This is how you prevent hallucinations becoming operational risk.
Step 4: Train the team on 10 “gold prompts”
Instead of “teach prompting,” teach your prompts:
Diagnostic prompt
Installation checklist prompt
Contraindications prompt
Customer reply prompt
Escalation prompt
Quality check prompt
Photo evidence prompt
Handover summary prompt
Parts identification prompt
“What’s missing in our docs?” prompt
Within a week, most teams stop treating the assistant like a toy and start treating it like a tool.
Step 5: Make it measurable
Track simple metrics:
onboarding time (days to independence)
rework rate / call-backs
time to find answers
number of escalations to owner/senior staff
Privacy and governance, in plain language
For many SMEs, the first question is: “Is this safe?”
The practical answer is: treat it like any other business system.
Keep sensitive client data out unless your setup is appropriate for it.
Use organization accounts and admin controls where available.
Define what can be uploaded (manuals, SOPs, templates) vs. what cannot (medical records, identity docs, highly sensitive contracts).
Google’s help documentation states your data is protected and not used to train NotebookLM unless you provide feedback, and NotebookLM is positioned with privacy protections for organizations. read
You do not have to figure it out alone
For example, the Netherlands has strong momentum around SME digital innovation. For example, First AI Movers supports SMEs in regions including Noord-Holland with training and support for digital innovation and AI pilots. Moreover, at First AI Movers, we go beyond traditional training and complement it with AI Strategy Consulting and Executive AI Advisory tailored to the unique needs of EU SMEs.
That matters because the winning strategy is not “buy tools.” It is:
pick one workflow,
ground the assistant in your documents,
train staff on repeatable prompts,
measure results,
expand.
The bottom line
If you run a business in North Holland, you already have the raw asset that makes AI useful: your operating knowledge.
Prompt training turns that knowledge into usable instructions.
A shared, document-grounded assistant turns it into an always-available teammate.
Fewer errors. Faster onboarding. Less memorization. More consistent quality.
And because you start small, it stays affordable.
Ready to increase your business revenue? Book a call today!
Dr. Hernani Costa
Founder & CEO at First AI Movers
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