Accelerating Business Processes with AI workshop.

Understanding AI for Business

What is AI and How It Works - 1
• A clear and practical introduction to artificial intelligence and large language models (LLMs), stripped of hype and technical complexities and jargon
• Visual, simple explanations of how LLMs like ChatGPT generate answers using patterns —not understanding (pattern matching vs comprehension, and why that matters in business decisions).
• What AI does well, when it fails (e.g. hallucinations, math) and why, and how to think critically about results (reasoning, bias, etc.)

Everyday AI in Business
• What are the available tools for text and image, and how to use them
• How can AI be applied to daily business tasks: summarising information, rewriting emails, generating replies, and reporting?
• Introduction to prompt engineering, including how to write clear, specific, and constrained prompts. From Prompts to Assistants
• Real-world uses of Custom GPTs for internal processes like onboarding, HR, compliance, and support.
• Breakdown of what a GPT can do: structured outputs, embedded documents, and business-specific tone.
• Live example: building a simple documents-based Custom GPT assistant from scratch.

Understanding AI’s Limits and Potential
• Advanced Custom GPT assistants: social media, customer support, HR (tips & tricks)
• Introduction to automations, agents and tools (Model Context Protocol or MCP)—what they are, what’s real today, and what’s not.
• Help starting your own Custom GPT, recap and work for next session

Outcome: By the end of this workshop, you’ll have a grounded understanding of how AI works without technical knowledge, how to use it practically for real business tasks, and what makes a good use case. You’ll leave with a custom GPT example you can recreate for your business, and a clear sense of what you’ll build in the next sessions

Building AI Workflows & Automation - 2
From Concept to Practice
• Quick recap of Session 1: how LLMs work, prompt logic, and the structure of Custom GPTs.
• Live walkthrough: building an advanced Custom GPT using uploaded documents and tailored instructions.
• Understand how Custom GPTs simulate agent behaviour without added complexity.

Interactive GPT Building
• Hands-on session: participants create or refine their own Custom GPT tailored to a real business task (e.g. customer support, HR, onboarding).
• Live feedback and one-on-one troubleshooting to improve structure, tone, and retrieval logic.

AI Automations
• Digging deeper into the automation platform Make.com, and how to integrate AI into workflows using real data (emails, forms, documents).
• Demo examples: trigger GPT actions from business email or documents (Google Sheets), extract and summarise documents, and log or email output.
• Help participants define automation use cases to work on and expand in Session 3.

Introducing Tools (MCP)
• Introduction to Model Context Protocol (MCPs) and how LLMs can now interact with other tools and services
• Demo: ask a natural language question → AI queries a live database or Google Sheet → structured output.
• Begin mapping potential use cases for participants' business needs. Outcome: By the end of this session, you will have built your first real-world GPT or automation flow and understand how to design AI processes that can work with your business data and documents in real time.

Advanced Use Cases & Project Mentoring - 3
Check-in and Applied Insights
• Recap of what worked and what didn’t from Session 2 projects.
• Group reflection: key insights, common pitfalls, standout outcomes, sharing of examples and challenges.
• Key patterns emerging from participants’ use cases, and how to face the challenges of scaling up GPTs and automations into repeatable, embedded workflows.

Private AI & Sensitive Data
• Introduction to local/private LLMs, privacy-first AI (free software StudioLM) for sensitive document interaction.
• Example: run an internal knowledge assistant entirely offline (good for legal, private, IP, etc.)
• Discussion: privacy, cost, and trust trade-offs—when local models matter (and debunking privacy in AI)

Tools (MCP) Advanced Usage
• Recap of Tools (Model Context Protocol MCP) from Session 2
• Digging deeper into advanced MCP tools to connect to data, services, and applications
• AI retrieving, integrating and reasoning on multiple pieces of information from multiple sources Mini Hackathon & Mentoring (1h)
• Each participant picks one goal (improve GPT, build new automation, test an idea).
• Live guidance: each participant receives feedback, suggestions, discusses challenges and optimisation tips, so that everyone can get something from other use cases.
• Final thoughts, show-and-share of progress or insights with the group.

Outcome:
By the end of this session, you’ll have seen and tried multiple working prototypes tailored to your business, a better understanding of the available tools, when to use public vs private AI, and hands-on experience with GPTs and tools that go beyond simple prompting, grounded in context, automation, and practical needs

Meet the Trainer
Giancarlo Erra is a seasoned tech-creative entrepreneur and business consultant with over 25 years of experience across multiple industries. As a professional touring musician, his unique background bridges the worlds of technology and creativity, giving him a distinctive edge in using innovative solutions to drive business growth and streamline operations. As a former developer and technical director, Giancarlo has led projects ranging from full?stack development and system administration to AI-driven applications, providing tailored consultancy to SMEs and startups. His extensive experience includes founding Promethean Box Ltd, an umbrella company including AI-driven startups like Tweetify It, a tool for generating personalised social media content, and Copyforge, which helps automate blog and article creation. As the founder of YourVault.AI, he is currently developing private AI solutions to help small and micro-businesses deploy AI models securely on their own data. A public speaker and mentor, he regularly organises AI Summits and hackathons, helping businesses and individuals easily adopt AI tools and focusing on practical applications that deliver real value

Registration at 9am, workshop starts at 9.15am. There will be a refreshments on arrival and mid-morning.

Eligibility:

These small group workshops are funded by Norfolk County Council and Department of Business and Trade and are open to any business, freelancer, or charity based in Norfolk, UK.

New Anglia Growth Hub can help your business access a range of business support services from hundreds of sources. The hub’s IMPARTIAL service is fully funded and provided at no cost to your business and can help you access grants, finance, international trade support, skills, training and a range of other specialist advice from single point of contact.

Our Business Growth Advisers can talk with you over the phone or via Microsoft Teams or Zoom, or you can request a free appointment at your business premises.

Our Business Support is available to all SMEs throughout Norfolk and Suffolk (UK).

To get the most out of the service, call our local business support helpline:

0300 333 6536

Email: info@newangliagrowthhub.co.uk

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