Bring Your Own AI to manage ERP data

Imagine asking your favourite AI assistant to pull last month’s revenue numbers from your accounting system, generate a cashflow forecast and schedule a task for your virtual assistant—all without you logging into different apps. That level of integration has been a pipe dream for small businesses that don’t have teams of developers. But in mid‑August 2025, Oracle NetSuite announced the AI Connector Service—a protocol‑based integration that allows businesses to plug any large language model or AI assistant directly into their Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) data.

For solopreneurs who depend on spreadsheets, separate apps and manual processes, the news is a game changer. In this article, we’ll unpack what the AI Connector is, why it matters and how you can prepare to leverage it even if you’re not on NetSuite today. We’ll connect the dots to show how this service could usher in a wave of custom AI agents tailored for small‑business workflows.

The Biggest AI News This Week: NetSuite Opens the Door to Custom Agents

According to NetSuite’s announcement, the AI Connector Service is a protocol‑driven integration built on the emerging Model Context Protocol (MCP). This standard defines how large language model agents communicate with other systems in a secure and structured way. Here are the main features:

• Secure, Role‑Based Access: Businesses can define exactly what an AI system can see and do inside NetSuite. Permissions and roles ensure that sensitive data remains protected while allowing the agent to perform permitted tasks.
• Bring‑Your‑Own‑AI Flexibility: The connector supports multiple AI assistants and agent platforms, so you can choose the AI model that best fits your business or switch models as they evolve.
• Modular SuiteApps: By turning AI integrations into modular, reusable SuiteApps, NetSuite makes it easy to install, maintain and update AI agents without complex coding. Developers and partners can build and monetise these extensions, creating an ecosystem of intelligent ERP add‑ons.
• Protocol‑Based Architecture: NetSuite emphasises that most vendors embed AI in fixed features, while the AI Connector uses an open protocol to enable structured, governed interactions between ERP data and external AI systems. This sets a new benchmark for AI‑ERP integration and lays the foundation for true AI‑native workflows.
• Agent Ecosystem and Developer Empowerment: The service lets partners build custom agents via the SuiteCloud MCP server. For solopreneurs, this means that future third‑party tools could connect to NetSuite data via the connector, making advanced automation accessible without enterprise budgets.

In essence, the AI Connector turns NetSuite into an AI‑ready platform—ready for you to plug in a custom agent that can read your data, take actions and even reason about tasks across sales, accounting and operations. This architectural shift signals a new era where small businesses can build AI workflows tailored to their unique processes.

Tools You Can Start Using Today

Although NetSuite’s AI Connector is aimed at its own ERP users, the concepts behind it can inspire practical steps you can take right now:

1. Get Familiar with the Model Context Protocol: MCP is quickly becoming the standard for secure agentic integrations. Read up on the protocol (start with Oracle’s documentation) to understand how context windows, permissions and data structures work. This will prepare you to adopt tools built on MCP in the future.
2. Map Your Data and Workflows: Custom AI agents are only as good as the data they access. Create a list of systems and spreadsheets you rely on—accounting, CRM, project management, marketing—and note what tasks could be automated (e.g., generating invoices, pulling metrics, sending follow‑ups).
3. Experiment with Low‑Code Integrations: Use tools like Zapier, Make (formerly Integromat), or n8n to build simple workflows between your apps and an AI model. For example, use Zapier to send new invoices to OpenAI’s API for summarisation or to generate friendly payment reminders. This will give you a feel for orchestrating AI without writing code.
4. Try Existing AI‑Ready ERPs: If you’re considering an ERP system, evaluate solutions that support AI extensions and open protocols. Besides NetSuite, platforms like Sage Intacct and Odoo are rolling out AI connectors and agentic interfaces. Compare pricing, ease of setup and community support.
5. Engage Developers or Partners: If you have the budget, consult with a developer or solution provider who can build a lightweight agent to automate one workflow (such as syncing expenses between a bank feed and your accounting software). This small experiment will show you the power of custom AI integration.

The goal isn’t to overhaul your tech stack overnight but to start thinking of your business as an orchestrated system of data and tasks that AI can help manage. The sooner you build these skills, the smoother your transition will be when protocol‑driven connectors become mainstream.

So, what’s in for me?

The AI Connector may feel abstract now, but its implications are tangible for small businesses:

• Customised Automation: Instead of relying on generic AI features baked into software, you’ll be able to define your own agent that understands your specific processes. This means automations tailored to your business, not the average enterprise.
• Unified Data Access: By connecting AI to your ERP, CRM and other systems via one protocol, you reduce data silos and manual copying. Imagine generating a sales forecast, accounts receivable summary and marketing plan from a single AI prompt.
• Greater Control and Security: Role‑based permissions ensure you decide what data the AI sees and which actions it can perform. This reduces risk compared to uncontrolled integrations that might expose sensitive information.
• Competitive Edge: Businesses that adopt agentic integration early will build intelligent workflows faster than their competitors. In a world where efficiency is everything, being able to set up a custom AI assistant could be the difference between thriving and merely surviving.
• Learning Curve and Investment: Implementing a custom agent will require technical expertise, time and possibly additional costs. Start with small pilot projects and partner with experts or platforms that handle the heavy lifting.

Takeaways for the Week

Ready to prepare for the AI Connector era? Here’s a roadmap:

• This Week: Identify one repetitive task—like compiling a weekly sales report or reconciling expenses—that you wish an AI could handle. Map out the data sources involved.
• Next Week: Build a simple automation using a no‑code tool (Zapier or Make) and OpenAI’s API to handle that task. Track how much time you save.
• By Month End: Research ERPs or apps that support AI connectors and MCP. If you’re already on NetSuite, sign up for updates about the AI Connector Service and look for early access programs.
• Quarterly: Attend webinars or developer events about protocol‑driven AI integrations. Consider partnering with a developer to explore building a custom agent for a high‑value workflow.
• Ongoing: Stay informed about evolving standards like MCP and how vendors integrate AI into their ecosystems. Engage with communities (forums, Slack groups) to learn from others experimenting with agentic workflows.

Build Your Own AI Assistant now

The NetSuite AI Connector Service represents a shift in how small businesses will adopt AI. Instead of relying on monolithic tools, solopreneurs will soon be able to mix and match models, define permissions and orchestrate their data through open protocols. While the service is still new and primarily targeted at existing NetSuite customers, the underlying ideas—secure integration, bring‑your‑own AI and extensible architecture—will ripple across the tech landscape.

By preparing now—mapping your data, testing small automations and learning about protocols—you set yourself up to leverage these capabilities as they become available. And as always, SoloAITool.com is here to guide you through every step, with news, tutorials and community stories to help you transform your one‑person shop into a high‑performing, AI‑powered business.