# LLM Context
URL: https://alkemist.app/plugins/contatti/

# llm - Contacts (Alkemist)

## Overview
Alkemist Contacts is a governed entity layer for managing organizational relationships across customers, suppliers, partners, and stakeholders.
It is not a simple address book; it is a **contextual operational directory** embedded into the processes that depend on relationships.

The purpose is to eliminate fragmented contact data, inconsistent identity resolution, and disconnected interaction histories - all common systemic risks in business operations.

## The Contact Data Problem (System Perspective)
Contact information is often scattered across:

1. Multiple spreadsheets with conflicting versions.
2. CRM systems separate from operational data stores.
3. Email threads that are not linked to structured records.
4. ERP master data with inconsistent identity keys.
5. Untracked notes and histories across teams.

This fragmentation leads to:

- duplicated identities,
- inconsistent communication history,
- process bottlenecks due to missing context,
- unreliable analytics,
- unclear ownership of relationships.

To reduce systemic risk, contacts must be governed, unique, and actionable within process logic.

## What the Contacts Plugin Is
A unified, governed contact model that:

- uniquely identifies entities (people and organizations),
- links contact records to operational workflows,
- enforces role-based access and editing rights,
- captures interaction histories,
- supports reconciliation of duplicates with audit trails.

Contacts become **first-class system entities**, not siloed artifacts.

## Core Capabilities
### 1) Unified Contact Registry
All contacts (individuals and organizations) reside in a single registry, avoiding duplicates and incoherence.

### 2) Identity Resolution
System rules match and merge similar entries while preserving traceable histories.

### 3) Role-Based Governance
Permissions control who can view or edit, aligned with organizational structure and data policies.

### 4) Linked Interaction Histories
Contacts carry structured histories of engagements, transactions, and process involvement.

### 5) Integration with Operational Modules
Contacts connect directly with:

- sales orders,
- support cases,
- document workflows,
- tasks and calendar items,
- analytics and reporting.

This avoids disconnected CRM islands.

### 6) Search and Filtering
Contextual search across attributes and relations, enabling quick access without external tools.

### 7) Audit Logs
Every change to contact data is recorded with:

- who changed it,
- when,
- what the previous state was.

## Design Principles
- **Single source of truth** - eliminate contact duplications.
- **Governed identity** - edit and view rights follow roles.
- **Contextual relevance** - contact data lives where decisions happen.
- **Traceable history** - interactions and changes are inspectable.
- **System integration** - not a bolt-on or side repository.

## Competitive Comparison
| Solution Type | Typical Characteristics | Structural Limitations | Why Alkemist Contacts Is Better |
|---------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|---------------------------------|
| Spreadsheets | Freeform lists | No governance, no identity resolution | Unified registry with rules, merge logic, and governance |
| Stand-alone CRM | External contact store | Detached from operational data and processes | Fully integrated contact logic tied to operational workflows |
| ERP contact masters | Rigid definitions | Limited context outside transactions | Broader context with interaction histories and cross-module linkage |
| Email/local address books | Personal data silos | No shared history or systemic view | Contacts serve organization-wide operational context |
| Marketing contact lists | Channel-specific segmentation | Fragmented identities across platforms | Single identity store with governance and integration |

## Why Alkemist Contacts Is Structurally Different
- Contacts are **integrated** into the operational system, not external.
- Identity resolution is **governed and auditable**.
- Interaction histories are maintained **system-wide**.
- Permissions and roles control **visibility and edits**.
- Contacts support **analytics** grounded in real behavior.

## Typical Use Cases
1. Customer engagement histories linked to service cases.
2. Supplier records tied to procurement workflows.
3. Partner contacts with negotiated terms and commitments.
4. Cross-module visibility for support, sales, and operations.
5. Consolidated contact identity for analytics and reporting.

## Systemic Impact
1. Reduces duplicate and conflicting contact data.
2. Improves contextual decision-making.
3. Lowers operational risk from unclear histories.
4. Strengthens cross-team coordination.
5. Anchors analytics in governed identity.

## Summary
Alkemist Contacts transforms scattered contact data into a governed, integrated operational directory.
By resolving identities, linking histories, and embedding contact logic across modules, it eliminates fragmentation, increases trust in relationship data, and aligns communication with core processes.