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Frequently asked questions

Everything about what Pilla is, how you build and run workflows, what it connects to, what it costs, and how your data is handled.

Pilla overview

What is Pilla?
Pilla is a work automation platform for teams of frontline and deskless workers. You design your day-to-day work as visual workflows, your team runs them from their phones, and Poppi, the AI built into Pilla, handles the briefing, checking, deciding and chasing that used to eat a manager's day. Building, running, tracking and automating work all live in one place.
What kinds of businesses use Pilla?
Any business where the work happens on the ground rather than at a desk, from a single site to a multi-location operation. It suits owner-managers running one team and operations leaders standardising work across dozens of locations. If your work is repeatable and needs to be done right every time, Pilla fits.
Which industries is Pilla for?
Pilla is built to work across industries, not for one sector. Hospitality, retail, care, cleaning, facilities, logistics, warehousing, construction, clinics, gyms and more all run on it. The common thread is teams doing repeatable work in the real world that has to be consistent and accountable.
What does work automation actually mean?
Work automation means the routine parts of running frontline work happen on their own. Instead of just listing tasks, Pilla briefs your team with the right context, checks the work as it comes in, decides what should happen next, and takes follow-up actions in your other tools. Task and team management track work. Pilla runs and automates it.
Who uses Pilla, managers or frontline workers?
Both, on different surfaces. Managers and operators build and oversee workflows on the web app. Frontline workers carry out the work on the mobile app. Owners and operations leaders get visibility across every team and location without chasing people for updates.
What tools does Pilla replace?
Pilla replaces the patchwork most frontline teams stitch together: paper checklists and SOP binders, spreadsheets, a separate training tool, and a group chat for work. It pulls building the work, running it, tracking it and chasing it into one product. It connects to the tools you keep, like Slack and Google, rather than replacing them.
What can I actually do with Pilla?
Build opening and closing routines, audits, inspections, onboarding, compliance checks, incident handling, and any repeatable process. Attach photo, video and written guidance to each step, require evidence, and have Poppi decide what happens next based on what your team submits. Then let Poppi brief the team and act in your connected tools when the work is done.
How is Pilla different from a checklist or SOP app?
A checklist app shows a list and records ticks. Pilla runs the work: steps can unlock in order, demand photo or signature evidence, branch based on an answer, and trigger AI actions when complete. Poppi adds the judgement and follow-through a static checklist cannot, so the work does not just get recorded, it gets driven.
What is Poppi, the AI assistant?
Poppi is the AI built into Pilla. It briefs your team with context pulled from your connected tools, judges the answers they submit against your rules, decides what happens next in a workflow, and carries out actions for you when a step is done. It does the reminding, checking and chasing that used to fall on a manager.
Do I need to be technical to use Pilla?
No. You build workflows by dragging steps onto a canvas, and you can set up or edit them just by describing what you want in plain English. There is no code, and Poppi can draft a whole workflow for you from a short prompt.
How do I get started?
Book a call. We will ask how your team works today, then show you what we would automate first, what setting it up involves, and what it would cost for an operation your size. If it fits, we build it with you: your workflows, your teams, your integrations and an AI agent configured to your rules, all working before your staff ever open the app.
How do I move my existing checklists or SOPs into Pilla?
Describe the routine to Poppi in plain English and it drafts the workflow for you, or start from a ready-made template and adjust it. You can attach your existing photos, videos and written instructions to the relevant steps. Most teams have their first few routines live the same day.
Where do I learn Pilla and get support?
The Resources hub has guided courses, help docs and ready-made templates to get you going, and you can ask Poppi as you work. If you need a hand from us, get in touch through the contact page.
I manage several clients. Can I run multiple accounts?
Yes. Pilla runs an expert program for consultants and agencies who set up and run Pilla for several businesses. You can switch between the accounts you manage from one login, each kept fully separate. Get in touch if you would like to join.
Why now? Why has this not existed before?
Two things changed. Frontline teams now all carry a smartphone, so the work can live where the worker is. And AI got good enough to brief, judge and act reliably, which is what turns a checklist into automation. Pilla is built around both, rather than bolting AI onto an older task tool.

Building workflows

What is a workflow, and what is the Canvas?
A workflow is a piece of work your team runs, like an opening routine or a safety check, built as a series of connected steps. The Canvas is the visual builder where you create it: you drag steps on, connect them, and decide how the work flows. It is the web-app screen where managers design everything their team will do.
How do I build a workflow?
Open the Canvas and drag steps onto it, then connect them in the order the work should happen. Each step can carry instructions, photo or video guidance, an input for your team to complete, or a Poppi action. You can also describe the workflow to Poppi in plain English and have it built for you.
What step types can I add?
Guidance steps with written instructions, photos or videos. Input steps where your team types text, enters a number, picks a time, chooses from options, ticks a checklist, or gives a rating. Evidence steps for photos, audio, signatures and file uploads. And Poppi steps that brief, decide or act. Steps can be gated so the next one only unlocks when the last is done.
What is a Poppi step: briefing, decision or action?
Three kinds. A briefing step has Poppi gather information from your connected tools and brief the team right on the step before they start. A decision step has Poppi judge an answer against your rule and choose what happens next. An action step has Poppi carry out a task in your connected tools when the step is complete, like posting to Slack or updating a sheet.
Can I try building a workflow first?
Yes. The playground lets you build a workflow on the canvas without an account: start from a prompt and watch Poppi assemble it. It is a good way to see how the canvas works before you speak to us. The workflows we build with you during setup go further, because they are shaped around how your operation actually runs rather than a prompt.
Do you have ready-made templates?
Yes. There is a library of ready-made workflow templates covering common routines across different industries. Open one, see how it is built, and use it as the starting point for your own. You will find them under Templates in the Resources hub.
Can Poppi build a workflow from a prompt?
Yes. Describe the routine you want in a sentence or two and Poppi assembles the workflow on the Canvas, with the steps, guidance and logic in place. You then tweak anything you want before it goes live.
Can I edit a workflow in plain English?
Yes. Alongside the Canvas you can tell Poppi the change you want, like add a photo step after cleaning, or ask for a temperature reading, and it edits the workflow for you. You do not have to build every change by hand.
Can a workflow branch or make a decision mid-way?
Yes. A Poppi decision step judges what your team submits against a rule you set and chooses the path: revealing extra steps, picking a branch, or simply carrying on. So a workflow can react to what is actually happening rather than running the same way every time.
Does Poppi act on its own, or am I in control?
You are in control. Poppi only does what you design into a workflow: the briefings, decisions and actions you place on the Canvas, against the rules you set. It acts when a step runs, within the boundaries you have given it, not on its own initiative.
Can I test what Poppi will do before it runs for real?
Yes. You can preview a workflow and have Poppi's steps run for real against a test team, so you see exactly how it briefs, decides and acts before any of your live teams touch it. Adjust until it behaves the way you want, then publish.

Running workflows

How does a workflow get to my workers?
When you assign a workflow to a team, or privately to individual people, it appears in the Pilla app on their phones, ready to run. You decide who gets it and when, including on a repeating schedule. Your team just opens the app and works through the steps.
Can I assign a workflow to one person?
Yes. When you choose who a workflow runs for, switch to the People tab and pick individuals instead of teams. Each person gets their own private run that only they, the manager who assigned it, and account admins can see. It works well for one-to-one check-ins, reviews and onboarding checklists, and it can repeat on a schedule like any other workflow.
Is there a mobile app? Which platforms?
Yes. There is a mobile app for iOS and Android where your team does their work, plus a web app you can use from any browser. Managers can build and review from either a phone or a laptop.
What do workers do on mobile versus managers on web?
Frontline workers use the mobile app to run their workflows: following guidance, completing steps, and capturing evidence like photos and signatures where the work happens. Managers mostly use the web app to build workflows, review completed work, and see what is happening across teams. Either role can use either surface.
How do workers get added? Do they need accounts?
They join with a simple login on their phone, with no setup or technical steps. We do this part with you during setup, so your people are already on and trained before they are asked to use it. Everyone is included in your package: there is no cap on how many you add and no per-seat charge, so the whole team can be on Pilla from day one.
What if some staff do not have smartphones?
They can log in through the web app in any browser and do all the same things. Nothing is locked to the mobile app.
Can workflows repeat on a schedule?
Yes. Set a workflow to recur, like every opening, every Monday, or on whatever pattern the work follows, and it appears for the right team automatically. You can also run one ad hoc whenever you need it.
What happens when a worker finishes a workflow?
The completed run is recorded with everything your team captured, including timestamps, answers and evidence, so you have a full record. Any Poppi action steps fire, carrying out follow-ups in your connected tools. Managers can review it on the web app, with logs of every change along the way.
How does my team communicate in Pilla?
Pilla has built-in team messaging: direct messages and group chats, with photos and files. Because it lives alongside the work, messages carry the context of what your team is actually doing, and Poppi can post into it too.
Can Poppi post messages to my team?
Yes. As part of a workflow, Poppi can send a message to the right team or channel, like flagging a failed check or confirming a job is done. The message lands in your team's Pilla app, where they see it with a push notification.
Do workers get push notifications?
Yes. Your team gets push notifications on their phone for new messages and for work they need to do, whether it is a direct message, a group chat, or a message from Poppi.

Integrations and API

What does Pilla connect to?
Pilla connects to more than 40 tools, including Slack, Google Calendar, Google Drive, Shopify and WhatsApp. Poppi can read information from them to brief your team and carry out actions in them when work is done. You connect the tools you already use rather than switching anything out.
Does Pilla post as me or as Pilla?
Actions run under the account of the person who connected the tool, not as a Pilla bot. So a Slack message Poppi sends appears as you, and a calendar event shows you as the organiser. It is a uniform "your account did this" model across every integration.
Can Poppi take actions in my other tools?
Yes. That is what a Poppi action step does: when your team completes a step, Poppi carries out a task in a connected tool for you, like posting a Slack message, creating a calendar event, or adding a record to Airtable. You decide which action sits on which step.
Can I connect a tool that is not on your list?
If a tool is not on our list, get in touch and tell us what you use. We are adding to the set of supported tools regularly, so it helps us prioritise. If your team has developers, you can also connect through the Pilla API to move work in and out of your own systems.
Do I need my own API keys?
For most integrations, no. You connect the tool by signing in to it once and approving access, the normal way you would connect any app. A few tools connect instead with an API key you paste in once, and Pilla checks the key works before saving it.
Does Pilla have an API or MCP server?
Yes. Pilla exposes its workflow capabilities through an API and an MCP server, so other systems and AI assistants can work with your workflows programmatically. Get in touch if you want access for a custom integration.
How many connections can I have per tool?
One per service for each account: one Slack workspace, one Google account, and so on. Connecting a tool again cleanly replaces the old connection. It keeps it clear which account Poppi is acting through.

Pricing and billing

How does pricing work?
Pilla is one package: our automation expertise and the workflow automation software, for a single combined monthly fee. We map how your operation runs, build it into working workflows, connect your existing tools, train your people on the app, and configure an AI agent to keep it on track. Pricing is quoted per operation and starts at £495 a month. Book a call and we will work the exact figure out with you.
What is a workflow step?
A step is one building block of a workflow: an input or guidance step your team completes, or an AI step Poppi runs on your behalf. There are 22 step types to choose from, covering things like checks, sign-offs, photos, messages and AI decisions. You chain steps together on the canvas to build the workflow your team follows.
Are there plan tiers?
No. There are no Basic, Standard or Pro tiers and nothing is gated behind a plan. There is one package, and everyone on it gets the whole product. What varies is the size and shape of what you run: how many people will be using it, how many sites, how many people need an AI agent of their own, and how much building and integration the setup involves.
Do I need a card to start?
No. Nothing here starts with a payment page. You book a call, we work out what your operation needs and what that costs, and you get the exact figure before committing to anything. Billing is only set up afterwards, once the scope is agreed.
What is included in the package?
Everything needed to get the operation running, on both sides of the offer. The expertise side covers your operation being mapped and built into workflows, your existing tools connected and tested, your people set up and trained on the app, and an AI agent configured to how you work. The software side includes unlimited people on the mobile app, unlimited workflows and records, all 22 step types, analytics and a full audit trail, and group chats and DMs. There is no free tier, and no per-seat charge, so adding staff never changes your bill.
Is there a usage limit on an agent?
No. An agent runs AI decisions, actions and briefings every hour of every day, with no usage caps and no bands to climb. Your fee is agreed up front from the size and shape of your operation, not metered against how hard the agent works, so a busy month costs exactly the same as a quiet one.
Is there an annual discount?
Pricing is quoted per operation, so the shape of the agreement is part of the conversation rather than a fixed list. Annual contracts and invoice or PO billing are available, alongside things like single sign-on and an uptime SLA for larger operations. Raise it on the call and we will factor it into your quote.
What happens if we use Pilla more?
Nothing changes on your bill. There are no usage charges, so running more workflows, logging more work or having a busier month costs nothing extra. Your fee is agreed from the size of your operation, and it only moves if that moves, for instance when you open another site or want agents for more of your managers.
What will my monthly bill look like?
One monthly fee covering both the setup work and the software, starting at £495. What sets the number is how many people will be using it, how many sites you run, how many people need an AI agent of their own, and how much building and integration your setup involves. You get the exact figure on the call before committing to anything, and it does not move around with usage.
How do I change or cancel?
Billing is monthly, and the agreement flexes as your operation does: another site, agents for more of your managers, or a change in what you want automated. Talk to us and we will adjust it. Notice and contract length are agreed on the call and written into your quote, so you know both before you start rather than finding them later.
Do you offer non-profit or other discounts?
Pricing is quoted per operation rather than taken off a list, so what is right for you is part of the conversation from the start. Non-profits and other special situations are welcome to get in touch. Larger operations and multi-site estates can talk to us about how the package scales across sites.
How is VAT or sales tax handled, and what if I am exempt?
Prices are set in GBP and your invoice is converted to your local currency. VAT or sales tax is worked out from your billing location and shown on your invoice. If your business is VAT-registered or tax-exempt, tell us when we set your billing up and we will sort it out for you.

Privacy, security and data

Who can see my data?
Only you and the people you invite to your account. Your data is yours, kept private to your business, and never sold or shared with third parties.
How is my data kept separate from other companies?
Pilla is multi-tenant, and every account's data is isolated so one business can never see another's. Access is enforced at the database level on every request, not just hidden in the interface.
What data can Poppi see?
Poppi only works with your own account's data and the tools you choose to connect. It uses that to brief your team, judge answers and take the actions you have set up. It cannot reach another business's data, and what it sees stays inside your account.
Do you train AI on my data?
No. Your data is never used to train AI models. Poppi uses it to do the work inside your account and nothing else.
Is Pilla GDPR compliant?
Yes. Data is encrypted in transit and at rest, stored in secure data centres, never sold, and only shared with the vetted providers that run the service, never for their own purposes. You can delete any person's data at any time.
Where is my data hosted?
Your data is stored on secure, reputable cloud infrastructure with encryption in transit and at rest. Get in touch if you have specific data-residency requirements.
How do you handle my workers' personal data?
Your team's personal details are part of your account's private data, visible only to you and the people you invite, and never sold or shared. You control it, and you can remove a person and their data whenever you need to.
Can I export or delete my data?
Yes. You can export completed work and records from your account, and you can delete any person's data at any time. It is your data, and you stay in control of it.