NL-query agent
Turns a question in plain language into a chart or table, using one agreed set of definitions for your numbers.
Validated with each clientWhat does NL-query replace? The work of an MIS / data analyst: build an ad-hoc report or chart. Turns a question in plain language into a chart or table, using one agreed set of definitions for your numbers.
Shows why
It shows its reasons and how sure it is on every draft. When it is not sure, it only brings the item to your attention.
Waits for you
Nothing is filed, paid or posted until a person approves it.
Gets reviewed
Every approval and correction is recorded, so you can see how it performs on your own books.
A day with the NL-query agent
A managing director asks a question on a Sunday evening and does not want to wait for the accountant on Monday. This is how the answer is built.
- The owner types a question. "What were sales by branch last quarter?" Plain words, no report builder.
- Kinnow works out the subject and the period. It decides whether the question is about sales, collections, stock, finance, people or purchasing, and reads the time words ("last quarter", "this month").
- It picks a ready-made query that fits. A prepared set of queries is used, with your agreed definitions for each number. Kinnow does not write database code on the fly.
- It runs against your data and formats the result. Numbers formatted for your locale and the currency in your company settings, with a chart or table and a short plain-language explanation.
- If nothing fits, it says so. It names what it can answer instead of guessing a number. The owner can ask again in other words, or ask us to add the measure.
Bring five questions you ask every month. We will answer them live on your data.
What it reads and what it hands back
| What it reads | What it hands back | Where it lands |
|---|---|---|
| Your question, and your company's agreed definitions for revenue, collections, stock and similar measures | A chart or a table, a short explanation, a suggested chart type | The Ask Kinnow screen |
| The period and filters in your words ("by branch", "last quarter") | The result for that period and filter, with the source shown | The same answer, with its source shown |
| A question it cannot match | A clear "cannot answer", with the list of what it can | The Ask Kinnow screen |
What a person decides
You approve
- Whether to act on a number, share it or save it to a dashboard
- New measures: a person proposes and a steward certifies them before they are used
You set
- Who may ask what: answers follow the permissions you already hold
- The definitions behind each measure
It never does
- Nothing is filed, paid or posted without a person.
- Show data you are not allowed to see
- Invent a number for a question it does not understand
Ask Kinnow about this
Example questions. Every answer shows its source and cost before it runs.
- "Top ten customers by sales this year." A ranked table.
- "What is overdue from customers, by age?" Collections by age band.
- "Gross profit by item group last month." A chart, with a note if cost is not recorded for some items.
- "Sales this month against last month." A chart or table over the two periods.
Ask us to answer your five most-asked questions live.
Works with
NL-query belongs to the Know application and sits behind Ask Kinnow. Related: the Ask Kinnow agent, Anomaly Detector, certified business metrics, and the glossary page on the agreed set of definitions.
Anomaly Detector
Checks nine business figures for unusual movements whenever an administrator or your scheduler starts a scan, and lists them in the Anomaly Feed, most serious first.
KnowPolicy Agent
Answers policy questions from your own handbook text and cites the source.
KnowRelationship Intelligence Planned
Builds a 360° brief: financial history, communication sentiment, commitments, risks and opportunities.
KnowCommitment Tracker
Reads your mail and meeting transcripts to pick out who promised what to whom, and by when, for a person to confirm.
Questions
What does the NL-query agent do?
Turns a question in plain language into a chart or table, using one agreed set of definitions for your numbers.
What can I ask the NL-query agent?
A question in plain language. It answers with a chart or table built on certified metrics, meaning one agreed set of definitions for your numbers.
Does NL-query get better with use?
Kinnow measures it rather than assuming it. Each time you approve or reject, the result is recorded against how sure the agent said it was, so you can see on your own books whether its confidence can be trusted. Your corrections are kept as feedback.
How is it paid for?
It is part of your agent pack. There are no per-user seats.
What happens if my question does not fit?
Kinnow says it cannot answer and lists what it can. It does not guess a figure.
Is there a limit to how much it shows?
Answers are capped at 200 rows and say when they are cut. Ask a narrower question for the rest.
Tell Kinnow what slows you down.
Answer three questions. Get the applications, the agents and a two-week plan for your business.