Can AI actually replace manual back-and-forth with overseas suppliers?
Hey everyone, I’m currently exploring different ways to improve supplier comms, especially when dealing with both English and Mandarin-speaking partners. So recently, I came across something called a 5 day AI agents intensive course with Google and I’m curious if it’s actually practical or just another hyped productivity tool. Atm I’m spending about $300–$500 a month on intermediaries and manual translation support just to keep communication clear and consistent. It works...yeah. But the cost adds up quickly(affecting margins) and still slows things down at times. So I got curious and it got me thinking about whether AI could be a more efficient alternative. My setup is pretty much standard e-commerce. Sourcing from Chinese suppliers, negotiating pricing, confirming samples, nd managing revisions before bulk orders. So communication is constant and small misunderstandings can delay everything especially across time zones. Managing multiple suppliers at once also makes it even harder to keep things smooth. That’s why and where I see potential in AI. If it can help manage conversations, keep context across threads and reduce friction in daily interactions, it could simplify operations quite a bit. At the same time I’m skeptical. Coz auto-translation can miss nuance, especially with specs or contracts. So I’m currently testing this through an Accio work setup. Has anyone tried something similar? Which AI tools are actually reliable for handling supplier communication and translation at scale?