AI solutions and automation in Lyon — Bespoke business tools for your small business or SME

Artificial intelligence working for Lyon's small businesses and SMEs

Demystifying AI for small businesses

AI can seem complex and out of reach, but in reality it solves very concrete everyday problems for small businesses and SMEs: answering frequently asked customer questions automatically, qualifying prospects overnight, drafting personalised emails, analysing sales trends or optimising stock management. This is not science fiction — these are tools that work today and deliver a tangible ROI from the very first month of use.

Which processes should you automate first?

The most profitable processes to automate are those that are repetitive, time-consuming and of little added value for people: initial qualification of incoming leads, first-line customer support (FAQs, opening hours, prices), appointment booking, invoicing and chasing unpaid invoices, and generating reports and dashboards. By automating these tasks, a five-person business can save the equivalent of one full-time position per month.

The ROI of automation: what can really be measured

The gains are measured in hours given back: qualifying quote requests with a chatbot, automatic booking reminders, collecting and filing accounting documents. How large they are depends on your volume and your current process — we estimate them with you, based on your own figures, before committing to the project, then measure them once it is up and running. We do not publish a typical percentage: no result can be guaranteed in advance.

Our AI and business solutions

AI chatbots for your website

Our AI chatbots do more than answer predefined questions — they understand context, qualify prospects and book appointments automatically. Available 24/7, they handle your visitors' requests instantly. They can be integrated with WhatsApp, Messenger and your CRM. The chatbot learns from every conversation to improve its answers over time. Find out how a chatbot can enhance your business website.

Business process automation (RPA)

We connect your existing tools (CRM, ERP, accounting, email, calendar) to create automated workflows. Technologies used: Zapier, Make (formerly Integromat) and n8n for simple scenarios; bespoke development for complex workflows. Every automation is documented and you keep full control over the trigger rules.

Automated quoting and invoicing tools

We develop bespoke quoting and invoicing tools that integrate with your website. Your customers fill in a smart form and receive an instant estimate. The quote is generated automatically as a PDF, compliant with French legislation, and sent by email. Invoice tracking, automatic reminders and bank reconciliation are handled without manual intervention.

AI dashboards and automated reporting

Smart dashboards that bring together your sales, web traffic, social media and accounting data in one place. AI detects trends and anomalies and generates recommended actions. Your weekly and monthly reports are generated and sent automatically.

CRM and sales tool integration

We connect your website to your CRM — Twenty or Odoo in open source, or the tool you already use — so that every captured lead is automatically enriched, scored and assigned to the right salesperson. AI can qualify prospects, draft personalised follow-up emails and prioritise the most promising opportunities. Find out how the CRM fits into your advertising strategy.

Open-source CRM & ERP integration (Twenty, Odoo)

Your website connected to your management tools

A website that lives in isolation wastes your time: leads re-keyed by hand, quotes scattered around, customers tracked in three different spreadsheets. We connect your website to leading open-source management tools so that everything flows automatically: every form feeds your CRM, every order your invoicing, every customer your single database. Quotes, customers and invoicing stay permanently in sync between your website and your business tools.

Twenty: the modern open-source CRM

Twenty is a next-generation open-source CRM, with usability comparable to the best proprietary tools on the market — without per-user licences or vendor lock-in. We install it, configure it around your sales processes and connect it to your website: your prospects arrive qualified in your pipeline, ready for your team to work on.

Odoo: the complete ERP/CRM to run your whole business

For businesses that want to go beyond CRM, Odoo covers every aspect of management: quotes, invoicing, stock, accounting, HR, projects. We integrate Odoo with your website for an end-to-end chain, from the online quote request to the invoice, with no duplicate data entry.

A concrete example: the Hans Leutenegger SA job portal

For Hans Leutenegger SA, we developed a job portal with a company area connected to management tools: job offers, applications and exchanges with partner companies are centralised and synchronised, with no manual processing. See this project in our portfolio.

Open source: your data stays with you

By choosing open-source solutions such as Twenty and Odoo, you depend on no proprietary vendor: no subscriptions that spiral, no features withdrawn overnight, no data held captive by a platform. Your data is hosted on your premises or on the infrastructure of your choice, and the code remains open and auditable.

Bespoke business tools: the example of 3D LIDAR mapping

Measuring a roof in 3D without climbing onto it

KAYZEN has developed a 3D mapping tool that uses public IGN LIDAR HD data (from France's national mapping agency) to reconstruct a roof in three dimensions and extract precise measurements — area, pitch, orientation — directly online, from a simple address. Roofers such as Muller Toiture and Aéro Toit use it to estimate a job remotely: fewer site visits before quoting, faster and more reliable quotes, and a sales pitch that impresses the customer.

Your business expertise + our tools = a measurable competitive edge

It is our conviction: the best digital tools are born where your field expertise meets our ability to turn it into software. Whatever your line of business — construction, transport, healthcare, services — there is probably an expert task we can equip with the right tool to save you valuable time and set you apart from the competition for the long term.

Nexus: our SEO platform for the AI era

We apply this tool-building culture to ourselves too: KAYZEN has developed Nexus (opens in a new tab), an SEO platform for the AI era that covers traditional search engine optimisation as well as the new visibility channels (SEO, GEO, AEO, LLMO) — so your business can be found by Google and by AI assistants alike.

Our AI deployment method

Phase 1 — Audit of existing processes

We start by mapping your current business processes to identify the tasks that can be automated. This audit reveals bottlenecks, time-consuming tasks and opportunities for productivity gains. Each process is assessed against three criteria: time consumed, frequency and complexity of automation. Discover our full strategic consulting service.

Phase 2 — Designing the bespoke solution

Based on the audit, we design a technical solution suited to your needs, your budget and your existing infrastructure. A detailed specification is written and approved with you before any development begins. We favour modular architectures that allow features to be added over time.

Phase 3 — Deployment and team training

Deployment is gradual, process by process, to minimise disruption to your business. Every team member is trained to use the new tools with tailored training materials.

Phase 4 — Monitoring and continuous optimisation

AI improves with time and data. We continuously monitor the performance of your AI solutions: chatbot resolution rate, time saved through automation, quality of lead qualification. Adjustments are made regularly to optimise results. Find out more about our maintenance and support plan.

Funding: IA Booster France 2030

The IA Booster programme, funded by France 2030 (the French government's investment plan) and run by Bpifrance, the French public investment bank, helps French SMEs and mid-sized companies adopt artificial intelligence. It is open to SMEs with 10 to 2,000 employees that have been trading for more than a year and have at least €1m in revenue: free awareness sessions, then a Data AI diagnostic (€10,000) funded at 25%, then partially subsidised consulting and deployment. The scheme is open until 31 December 2026; micro-businesses with fewer than 10 employees are not eligible. KAYZEN helps you put together your Bpifrance application: technical specification, quote in the required format and deployment plan.

For businesses in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, the Atouts Numériques programme (a regional scheme co-funded by the EU's ERDF) covers 100% of a diagnostic and support package for businesses with fewer than 50 employees, which can include an AI component. See all the funding available for your project.

Why choose KAYZEN for your AI solutions in Lyon?

KAYZEN is a Lyon web agency with expertise in both premium web development and artificial intelligence integration. Together with our partners, we combine skills in full-stack development (React, TypeScript, Python), UX/UI design and applied AI (NLP, chatbots, automation). This dual expertise lets us build AI solutions that are fully integrated into your digital ecosystem, rather than gadgets disconnected from your real business. Based in Lyon's 9th arrondissement, we understand the specific challenges of local small businesses and SMEs and build solutions tailored to your budget and your ambitions.