Based in Southland, Tonic Interior Systems specialises in suspended ceilings, wall systems and acoustic solutions for commercial construction projects.
With 12 staff and limited administration support, the business was facing a steady rise in paperwork. This included health and safety documentation, contracts, HR and training materials, and client communications.
Co-owner Leeanne turned to AI to help manage the workload. Trialing tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Microsoft Copilot and Canva, she was able to streamline a wide range of tasks.
ChatGPT quickly became her primary AI assistant helping with documentation, HR processes, research, tender preparation, strategic planning, and marketing.
These tools helped her draft and improve documents, summarise information, support decision-making, and reduce the time spent on routine administration. After attending a Southland Chamber of Commerce workshop and seeing value for the wider business, AI quickly became part of Leeanne’s daily toolkit.
Leeanne introduced AI to her business gradually, starting with her own workflows. Over time she built a library of business resources. These included learning modules, onboarding packs, policies and procedures, quality assurance checklists, and Safe Work Method Statements (SWMS). By starting small and testing AI on everyday tasks, she built confidence and identified where it delivered the most value.
She found AI to be fast and highly effective, but not perfect. Results still needed a human to review them, particularly in health, safety and legal contexts. Applying real-world knowledge and judgement was essential. Asking AI for sources and prompting it to consider risks helped identify gaps and improve accuracy. Moving to paid versions of some tools also improved consistency and control.
For Leeanne, the benefits to her business are clear. Health and safety documents that once took several hours now take under an hour to complete. Award submissions, governance documents, HR processes and communications are produced at a professional standard, with no need to be outsourced at an additional cost.
Most importantly, AI has freed up time to focus on strategic priorities rather than administration.
Leeanne’s tip to other small businesses is to start small. Choose one repetitive task, such as rewriting emails, drafting templates, or summarising documents, and build from there.
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