AI-Assisted Engineering Project Intake Dashboard

Objective:
We require a lightweight AI-assisted project intake and admin dashboard for an engineering consultancy. The system will automate lead capture, project setup, document filing, email/project linking, and workflow approvals using n8n, Retool (or similar), Airtable/Supabase, Google Workspace, Asana, Quotient, and Xero.

This is NOT a full CRM build. The objective is to create a rough-and-ready internal operations dashboard and automation layer.
Preferred Technology Stack
• n8n — automation engine
• Retool or similar — admin dashboard
• Airtable or Supabase — lightweight database
• Google Workspace / Gmail / Drive — email and files
• Hiver HQ — shared inbox integration if practical
• Asana — project/task creation
• Quotient — quote creation or workflow trigger
• Xero — invoice lookup by project reference
• Claude/OpenAI — AI extraction and summarisation
Core Requirements
• Capture new leads from Gmail/Hiver shared inbox.
• Extract client details, project address, attachments, and project information using AI.
• Provide a human-in-the-loop approval workflow before creating projects.
• Automatically create Google Drive project folders and subfolders.
• Link email conversations to projects using AI matching and manual review.
• Create Asana projects/tasks automatically after approval.
• Create or trigger quotes in Quotient.
• Display Xero invoices related to each project.
• Provide an admin dashboard to monitor project status, AI activity, and conversations.
Admin Dashboard Requirements
• View all incoming leads and project statuses.
• View AI-extracted project information and confidence scores.
• View email conversation summaries and linked files.
• Approve/reject project creation.
• View RFIs and related email conversations.
• View linked Asana projects/tasks.
• View Quotient quote status.
• View Xero invoices linked by project reference number.
• Allow admins to manually override AI decisions.
Project Folder Structure
• When a project is approved, automatically create Google Drive folders:
• Emails
• RFIs
• Drawings
• Quotes
• Invoices
• Admin
RFI Handling
• Emails/items tagged as RFIs should automatically be saved into the RFI folder.
• RFIs should appear in the admin dashboard.
• Admins should be able to view all RFIs for a project.

Email-to-Project Matching Logic
• Match by client email.
• Match by architect/builder email.
• Match by site address.
• Match by project number/reference.
• Match by subject line and attachment content.
• Use AI confidence scoring.
• Low-confidence matches must go to a human review queue.
Deliverables
• n8n workflows
• Retool/admin dashboard
• Airtable/Supabase schema
• Google Drive automation
• AI extraction and matching workflow
• RFI filing workflow
• Asana integration
• Quotient integration or workaround
• Xero invoice lookup integration
• Setup documentation
• Handover video/walkthrough
Acceptance Criteria
• New leads can be captured automatically.
• AI extracts project information correctly.
• Admin dashboard displays leads and project data.
• Admins can approve/reject project creation.
• Google Drive folders are created automatically.
• RFIs are filed correctly.
• Asana projects/tasks are created successfully.
• Quotient quote workflow is triggered.
• Xero invoices display correctly by project reference.
• Low-confidence AI matches require human approval.
Suggested Milestones
• Milestone 1 — Data model and dashboard skeleton
• Milestone 2 — Gmail/Hiver intake and AI extraction
• Milestone 3 — Human approval workflow and Drive automation
• Milestone 4 — RFI handling and email/project linking
• Milestone 5 — Asana, Quotient, and Xero integrations
• Milestone 6 — Testing, documentation, and handover
Important Exclusions
• This is not a full CRM build.
• This is not a custom email client.
• No advanced customer-facing portal required.
• Focus is on internal operations and workflow automation.