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Byko Pilot Engagement and Pitch Development

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Byko Pilot Engagement and Pitch Development

Summary

The Byko Pilot Engagement is a strategic sales process aimed at securing Byko (a major Icelandic hardware and construction retail chain) as a flagship customer for the Sókrates platform. This process involved deep research into Byko’s organizational structure, its ERP systems (Dynamics AX), and the synthesis of a specialized pitch deck designed to leverage the EDIH-IS (European Digital Innovation Hub Iceland) “Test Before Invest” subsidy program.

Details

Strategic Targeting: Sérlausnir

The engagement focuses on Byko’s Sérlausnir (B2B Professional Sales) department rather than the entire organization. This department was identified as the optimal entry point because it is knowledge-intensive, revenue-critical, and suffers from high “workflow friction” that employees have become “nose-blind” to.

Key operational pain points identified include:

  • Manual Quoting: Sales staff currently perform “vélmenni” (robot) work—manually looking up items in Dynamics AX, checking inventory across 13 locations, and verifying credit limits for contractors.
  • Information Silos: Data exists in Dynamics AX and InRiver PIM but requires significant manual effort to synthesize into a customer-facing quote or material specification.

Technical Mapping and MCP Integration

The proposed solution centers on the Hermes Agent loop. The Sókrates on-premises appliance (the “Box”) connects to Byko’s internal systems via MCP (Model Context Protocol).

  • Dynamics AX Integration: Sókrates uses a secure read-only connection to AX to automate inventory lookups, pricing history, and credit checks.
  • Workflow Automation: The agent observes the quoting process, learns the business logic from top performers, and builds custom plugins to reduce a 20-40 minute manual task to a 30-second automated process.

Economic and Subsidy Framework

A core component of the pitch is the utilization of the EDIH-IS subsidy. Byko, as a subsidiary of Norvik hf, was analyzed for eligibility. While Byko has approximately 410 employees, the total headcount of the Norvik group (including Bergs Timber) must be verified to determine if they qualify as an SME (100% subsidy) or a “large mid-cap” (subsidized under de minimis rules up to EUR 300,000 over three years).

The financial argument compares the cost of hiring a full-time AI specialist (approx. ISK 1.5M/month) against the Sókrates retainer (ISK 400k–800k/month), positioning Sókrates as an “outsourced AI department” rather than a software tool.

Pitch Synthesis and Design

The pitch materials were developed through an iterative process using notebooklm-py for initial synthesis and python-pptx for final design refinement. The visual style adheres to the Icelandic Archive design system:

  • Palette: Charcoal (#121416) and Amber (#f2ca50).
  • Typography: Manrope and Inter.
  • Narrative Arc: Problem (manual friction) → Solution (The Box/Hermes Agent) → Security (On-premises/Data Sovereignty) → Economics (EDIH-IS/ROI) → Trust (Exit clause/No vendor lock-in).

Specific Use Cases for Byko

  1. Autonomous Quoting: Executing the entire Sérlausnir workflow (AX forms, inventory, credit) in seconds.
  2. Natural Language Inventory Intelligence: Allowing managers to query ERP data in plain Icelandic (e.g., “Hvað selst verst á Akureyri í desember?”).
  3. Credit Hold Decision Briefs: Automatically assembling payment history and recommendations when a contractor hits a credit limit.
  4. Real-Time Delivery Promise: Calculating committed delivery dates by checking inventory, reservations, and transfer times across all 13 locations.

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