Every AI Replenishment result comes with a built-in chat assistant. You can ask questions about the analysis, request a re-run with different assumptions, or get a prioritized view across your entire multi-SKU batch — all without leaving the tool.
Opening the chat
Look for the "Talk to data and edit" floating button at the bottom-right of the result screen (single-SKU) or results table (multi-SKU). Clicking it opens a chat panel. The AI already has full context: forecast data, replenishment numbers, inventory position, open orders, and all three order scenarios.
What can you ask?
Questions about the analysis
Ask anything about the numbers on screen, for example:
• "Why is the reorder point so high compared to last month?"
• "How confident is the forecast for Q4?"
• "What's driving the Critical urgency rating?"
• "Which of my SKUs in this batch is most at risk?"
Comparisons across a multi-SKU batch
In a multi-SKU run, the AI can see every completed SKU and answer cross-batch questions:
• "Which SKU should I order first?"
• "Summarise all the High and Critical SKUs from this supplier."
• "Which SKUs have enough stock to last past the holiday season?"
Re-running with different assumptions
If your lead time has changed, you're expecting a seasonal spike, or you want to apply a larger safety buffer, you can ask the AI to re-analyze with adjusted parameters.
For example:
"Re-run this with a 45-day lead time instead of 30."
"Add a 20% safety buffer for the holiday period."
"Re-analyze SKU-WOOD and SKU-BRASS assuming a 10% demand increase in November."
How re-analysis works
When you ask for a reanalysis with changed assumptions, the AI generates a confirmation card that shows the exact instructions it will use. Review it, then approve to start the re-run.
Your custom instruction is prepended to the standard analysis prompt — the baseline analysis logic is never changed.
This means:
Amendments are visible — an amber ⚡ pill appears on the SKU row (hover to see the exact text) and in the analysis drawer.
Amendments are reversible — click "Revert to standard instructions" at any time to go back to the original analysis.
Amendments are saved — if you re-run the same SKU in the same session, your custom instruction is applied automatically again.
Note: Custom instructions adjust the analysis for that SKU within this run. They don't change your Katana settings or affect future replenishment runs started from scratch.
Tips for getting the most from AI chat
Be specific about the SKU when working in a multi-SKU batch — use the SKU code (e.g. 'SKU-WOOD') rather than just 'this product'.
Ask for explanations if a number looks surprising. The AI can walk you through exactly how it was calculated.
Use it before placing orders to sense-check the recommendation against anything you know that isn't in Katana — such as a one-off demand spike or a supplier delay.
Request a summary at the end of a multi-SKU run to get a prioritised action list you can share with your team.
Tip: The AI chat does not have access to information outside your Katana data. For questions like 'what will the market do next year' it will tell you it can't help — but for anything about your own inventory and orders, it has full context.
Your feedback is invaluable. Let us know your thoughts on this article or anything in Katana you'd like to see improved: [email protected]