Distributors are hearing more about AI every day, but much of the conversation stays broad and abstract. This article looks at something more practical: how AI agents are already being used in distribution to handle routine tasks, free up people, and improve the customer experience.
Recently, I had the chance to speak with Mohamed Ben Aribia, founder of Helixia, and watch their platform in action. As someone who spent several years of my career in inside sales and later leading sales teams, I found it fascinating to see AI agents taking on those everyday tasks. I asked Mohamed to share his perspective directly, which led to this contribution for HVAC Trends.
How AI Agents Are Reshaping Sales, Support, and Operations in Distribution by Mohamed Ben Aribia, Founder – Helixia
Most HVACR distributors excel at the complex logistics of serving customers. But the daily flood of contractor questions, quote requests, order entry, and repetitive paperwork stretches teams thin. Too often, they’re running on muscle memory and struggling to keep up.
Contractors expect answers in seconds, not hours. Inside sales and counter staff juggle phone calls, emails, walk-ins, and texts. Back-office teams manage mountains of paperwork and payments. Everyone’s busy – but busy doesn’t always mean productive.
This is where AI agents are starting to make a real impact. Unlike chatbots, modern AI agents are able to connect directly into a distributor’s systems – product catalogs, ERP, CRM, finance tools – and handle tasks end-to-end, not just answer FAQs. Think of them as digital teammates who never sleep.
Where AI Agents Deliver Value
- Sales Support
Inside sales teams often spend hours every day answering routine product questions, checking stock, and generating quotes. An AI agent can automate much of that.
Example 1:
- Contractor A texts in a part number – a few seconds later, the agent replies with price and availability.
- Contractor A then texts back that they want X-quantity, delivered to an address for immediate delivery. The agent enters the order into the distributors ERP where an inside salesperson then reviews and releases the order to the warehouse for processing. This is commonly referred to as a “human-in-the-loop” system.
Example 2:
- Customer B emails a 10-item BOM. The agent pulls the data, generates a quote in the ERP system based on the customer’s profile, and sends it back for review.
The result: In both real-world examples, the distributor can improve customer service with faster responses, resulting in happier customers, and sales reps freed up to focus on larger, more complex deals.
- Customer Support
Many inbound requests are repetitive: order status, delivery times, invoice copies. An AI agent connected to your systems can answer those 24/7, across channels like webchat, WhatsApp, text message, etc. Customers get the information they need without waiting on hold.
What makes this even more powerful is that you can create separate AI-agents that follow your specific workflows – for example, a warranty claims, RGA’s, delivery status, etc. Each agent can walk the customer (or your team) step-by-step through the exact process, ensuring consistency and compliance every time.
- Finance & Operations
Beyond sales, AI agents are also starting to automate finance workflows. Examples include:
- Opening credit accounts: collecting required documents, validating details, and routing for approval.
- Document processing: extracting and filing data from invoices, purchase orders, or proof-of-delivery.
- Accounts receivable: sending reminders, answering balance queries, and flagging overdue accounts for follow-up.
These are areas where speed and consistency matter, and automation can reduce errors while improving cash flow.
Why This Matters for Distributors
Distributors live in a high-pressure environment. The challenge is that most distributors don’t have the luxury of big in-house AI teams. They need solutions that are quick to deploy, safe to use, and don’t require months of IT work.
That’s where AI agents change the equation. They give distributors a way to scale without adding headcount, handling the routine work – quoting, order status, credit applications, invoice lookups – so your people can focus on what drives revenue: solving complex problems, building relationships, and winning projects. Think of an AI agent as a digital team member that scales with your business – handling repeatable tasks so people can focus on strategy and growth.
Helixia: An AI Automation Platform for Distributors
Helixia has built a no-code AI automation platform designed specifically for distributors. It lets you run a big part of your operations with AI agents – without needing developers or large IT projects.
Because Helixia uses no-code agents, the implementation process is streamlined. In practice, it looks like this:
- Connect your knowledge base – upload product documents, technical sheets, FAQs, and SOPs.
- Activate your tools – integrate your ERP or PIM so the agent can access live product, stock, and pricing data.
- Build your agents – design sales, support, or finance agents using drag-and-drop, no-code workflows.
- Deploy instantly – publish agents across web chat, WhatsApp, SMS, or email with a single click.
Once implemented, distributors have a practical way to automate repetitive tasks that bog down sales, operations, and back-office teams. Over time, new SOPs or processes will emerge. Traditionally, that would mean calling the integrator back in. With Helixia, your no-code agents can adapt quickly in-house, reducing the total cost of ownership.
What to Expect
As with any new technology, AI agent platforms come with a few limitations that the entire industry is still working through. Two of the most common are:
- Latency – Complex requests that draw on large knowledge bases and multi-agent workflows may take 30+ seconds to return a response.
- Available tools – Most platforms, including Helixia, support a core set of functions today (file, image, and email sending), with more integrations being added steadily over time.
Helixia’s no-code design and multi-agent architecture mean we can add new tools and reduce latency faster than most platforms – so while these challenges exist industry-wide, our pace of improvement helps minimize their impact for distributors.
The Competitive Edge
AI isn’t about replacing people. It’s about removing the repetitive, time-consuming work that slows teams down. With AI agents, distributors can run a significant part of their operations autonomously – making sales faster, support smoother, and finance more efficient.
The real opportunity is competitive advantage. Distributors who adopt AI agents early won’t just reduce costs – they’ll move faster, deliver better service, and quickly outpace competitors who hesitate.
What Comes Next
The goal isn’t to chase hype. It’s to use AI in ways that make a measurable difference in how distributors sell, serve, and operate. AI agents are one of the first tools built with that in mind.
So, the questions for distributors are straightforward:
- Where are you spending the most time on repetitive tasks that add little value?
- What would your team be able to focus on if those tasks were handled by AI agents?
- How long can you afford to wait while competitors begin to move faster and deliver better service?
At CMG, we spend a lot of time helping distributors sort through questions like these – separating hype from what’s practical and building a plan that fits the realities of their business. If you’re starting to explore how AI agents fit into your strategy, the right conversation today can prevent wasted effort tomorrow.
As always, we appreciate your support and comments.
