The documents exist, but they are not together yet. Some are in Downloads, others arrived by email, and someone saved another batch in a project folder. Before handover, a person has to assemble the collection.
This work concerns files and their context. It is a possible role for an agent that can perform several steps within authorised access.
Organising files by their contents
Claude Academy describes Cowork organising files based on their contents. A related business task would be reviewing documents for the adviser and preparing a useful inventory.
This could help where filenames reveal little. A file called “Scan_0042” might contain an invoice. A name including the supplier and date would make it easier to find, with the original file providing the reference for the proposed category.
For a consistently organised collection, it also helps to agree who in the business supplies which documents.
Matching documents to requests
For annual accounts or an audit, a business may receive a request list, also known as a PBC list. It describes the documents the firm needs.
Anthropic’s SOC 2 audit example shows Cowork matching files to requirements. This suggests an application for working with a tax adviser. An existing PBC list could guide the collection of relevant documents and highlight outstanding items.
Outstanding items show where a closer look would help. A document may still be in another folder, or the available version may cover the previous year. The overview helps bring these questions together before handover.
What a more integrated agent could do
The Qonto case study offers an example of connected steps. Anthropic describes integrated financial administration agents with human approvals before financially consequential actions.
At Qonto, these agents are integrated into the financial application. A comparable link between Cowork and an adviser’s portal would need a suitable connection. Whether support ends with file preparation or extends to submission also depends on the systems in use.
A handover the adviser can use
The outcome should be documents delivered through the agreed channel in a useful form. We would therefore agree with the adviser which preparation helps and how the results fit into their work.
Setup includes defining which folders and applications are accessible. Anthropic’s current guidance describes cloud-based Cowork sessions; contents from authorised local files are also processed on Anthropic’s servers. That processing belongs in the decision about which documents may be accessed. The Austrian Data Protection Authority provides an introduction to the privacy questions.
For businesses mainly looking to bring information and explanations together, our ChatGPT article considers another opportunity.