3. Put Ask AI to Work

Ask AI is built into every part of SwitchBase. It's like having a SwitchBase expert on call around the clock.

• Click any Sparkle and Ask AI to do its thing

  

• Look for Ask AI in your Mobile App too!

  

Use Ask AI — Index

Ask AI Permissions

Which Ask AI features you can use depends on your permissions:

• Some Ask AI features require Admin privileges → such as building Dashboards or deep-dive Reports
• Most AI uses only require standard User/Group permissions → if you belong to a Group that grants access, you can use Ask AI in that context. For example:
  • AI Auto-Fill for creating Records is commonly available to any User within a Guest Services or Maintenance Group
  • Ask AI can generate Records from detailed Chat or SMS threads

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A. Ask for Help & Training

Need training, a bit of help, or a quick lesson?

• Ask AI searches your Records, Knowledge Base, and the SwitchBase Help Center for the best answers
• It then applies what it knows about how your organization operates to everything from How To lessons and SOPs to event summaries and issue triage.
• Not bad, eh?

Just start a conversation! There are two ways to do it:

1. Launch Ask AI directly from the Sparkle icon on the Navigation bar

   • Click + New Chat, ask your question → then click Send

   

2. Click Search (or press Cmd+K for Apple or Ctrl+K for Windows) → then click the "Ask AI about your . . ." button

   • Click back with any of the Navigation options marked in Green if you change your mind

   

All About Training & Certification

Want to go deeper? SwitchBase offers several ways to learn:

• Quickstarts: short, self-guided articles to get you up and running
• How-to Guides: see how things work "under the hood," written for Admins
• Formal Training & Certification: participate in our hands-on lessons using the Thunderhawk Events and Test Track simulations
  • Walk (Lessons 1–6): strolls you through the skills your Staff will experience
  • Run (Lessons 7–12): runs you through a deep dive designed for SwitchBase operational Admins, event Planners & venue Managers
  • Race (Certification): a guided, Certification-level "let me show you what I can do" experience
• Master Class: a monthly email with product updates, use cases and follow-up training. If you don't do anything else, subscribe to Master Class

To join Master Class or get started with the training simulations, contact karl@switchbase.com

B. Create Records with Ask AI

In this example, we'll create a sample Asset Record in SwitchBase. (The process is the same for Issues, Work Orders, or any other Record you need to create.)

• The biggest challenge is describing (ex. Asset, Incident or Work Order) so collect as much data as you can. The whole process takes just a few minutes once you have the Record's details ready
• It's also helpful to know the details your Form is looking for
• Don't panic if you don't know everything in the moment. You can always add details later

1. In the left sidebar, click Ask AI

2. Click + New chat

3. Enter "Create a new asset record with these details" → and then paste what you know (description, location, maintenance)

   • Location: Men's Bathroom > A
   • Description: Monthly visual check, quarterly inlet filter cleaning, descaling every six months, and an annual professional inspection.

4. Click Send

5. Open the new Record and check that everything came through correctly

Example Prompt

Copy this, then swap in your own asset's details.

Create a new asset record with these details:

Name
Tankless Water Heater

Description
Tankless Water Heater asset located in Men's Bathroom A. Recurring inspections include a monthly visual check, quarterly inlet filter cleaning, descaling every six months, and an annual professional inspection.

Location
Men's Bathroom > A

Maintenance
- Flush and descale the heat exchanger every six months
- Clean the inlet water filter quarterly
- Yearly service of the burner, igniter, flame sensor, venting, and relief valve

Tips & Tricks

• Say what you want up front. Start with "Create a new asset record" so Ask AI knows to make a record, not just answer a question.
• Use labels. Short headings like Description, Location, and Maintenance help Ask AI put each detail in the right field.
• Match location names. Use the location exactly as it appears in SwitchBase (for example, Men's Bathroom > A).
• Always check the record. Treat Ask AI's output as a draft until you've reviewed it.

C. Create Records from Chat & SMS

SMS and Chat also sparkle your Record creation.

Check out how AI Auto-Fill works as you:

• Create Records from Chat Conversations with AI

  

• Create Records from SMS Messages with AI

  

D. Translate & Create Records from Chats & SMS

Learn how SMS and Chat translation works, and how to translate and convert a Chat or SMS thread into a Record in this complete article:

Translate & Create Records from Chats & SMS

E. Build & Configure Dashboards

Build a complete Dashboard, Tabs and Widgets included, just by describing what you want with Ask AI:

1. Create and name the Dashboard → then open Edit Dashboard

2. Click Ask AI → and then describe your layout as seen above

   

3. Follow up with any finishing touches Ask AI suggests → like uploading a heatmap image as directed below

4. Need changes? Ask AI again, review → and click Save Changes

   

Get the Details

• Jump to our Create Dashboards with Ask AI article for a full set of instructions → with a lot more pictures

F. Summarize & Analyze your Data

With Ask AI, you can ask questions to:

• Examine all, or a subset, of your Records

  

• Query your Knowledge Base for crafted answers to questions, such as:

  • "What do I do if there is a lost child during an event?"

  

• Conduct a deep analysis of your Records

  

• Ask AI cites its sources, as seen in the above image

• Don't forget to Ask your follow-up questions

• Every conversation is saved to the Ask AI nav menu, so nothing gets lost

  

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G. Summarize an Event with AI in a Form

See all of your issues summarized, refined, and saved in seconds.

To generate and refine a summary report of an Event:

1. Select an Event from your Event Controller

2. Click the Open Event Icon and open the complete Event Record

   

3. Scroll to find your Summary Field → and click its AI icon

   

4. Blink twice as your Event's Records are summarized

5. To start making improvements, click the Refine button

   

6. Improve and focus your summary by adding or excluding information → ex. "Move Magic Moments to the top" → then click Refine

   

7. Continue refining until you are satisfied → then click Save

   

8. Copy and paste your summary from its window → and place it anywhere you like

   

Reset your Event Summary Field and Start Over

To completely redo your AI Summary

1. Select → and Delete all of the Text in your Summary field

   

2. The AI Icon will reappear

   • Click the AI icon
   • Refine as needed

   

Add AI Summary Fields to your Forms

You need two things to create AI Summaries:

• A. Multiline Text Field
• B. One or more Linked Records attached

To add a Multiline Text Field to a Form:

1. Select Add Field

2. Pick Text

3. Click Multiline

   

4. Click ✓ Save Changes

Add AI Event Summary Widgets to your Dashboards

• See our AI Event Summary Dashboard example.

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Track AI Costs

• Each AI interaction with your Knowledge Base does come with a small cost on the back end based on usage

• You can keep an eye on usage anytime from your new Org Usage page, which shows daily and monthly limits at a glance

  

• Since each AI request has a cost, you'll control who has access

  • We'd suggest limiting access to a small group of Admins to help keep usage focused — though this is just a suggestion, not a requirement, so feel free to configure access however works best for your team

Connect to AI assistants

Claude or ChatGPT

1. Connect SwitchBase directly to AI assistants like Claude or ChatGPT →
   • Ask questions about your SwitchBase data and turn everyday conversations into instant SwitchBase reporting
   • Reports are rendered in a PDF format for easy consumption and sharing
   • Here's just a clip from a Claude-generated PDF report prepared for The Ballpark at America First Square
   • Visit our Connect AI Assistants article to learn how it's done

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