This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Accio by Alibaba Group
Every developer hates tools that call themselves “automated” but still require:
Manual data bridging
Constant confirmations
Endless configuration
We learned this the hard way when our “AI procurement assistant” needed:
- 5 clicks to start a purchase
- 3 separate approval screens
- CSV exports for “integration”
The Wake-Up Call
A user screenshot showed our tool beside a physical button labeled:
“Press here to pretend you automated something”
What Changed
1. Natural Language as API
- Accepts commands like
order 200 monitors under $200 - Zero intermediate prompts
2. Silent Background Processing
- Auto-selects vendors based on history
- Parallel API calls with smart retries
3. One-Click Validation
- Single “Confirm” at the end
- Full audit trail available
Results
- User actions reduced from 11 → 1
- Support tickets dropped 70%
Discussion:
What’s your #1 red flag for ‘fake automation’ in tools?
(I’ll start: When the docs say “just add a few lines of code” but require 10 plugins)
This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Accio by Alibaba Group