Paid for contentNew start-up Nordshore aims to take admin work away through AI
ADMIN work eating 15-20 hours of your week? A new Shetland company is offering free assessments to show you how AI could automate it.
NordShore, founded by local graduate Daniel Henry, is focusing on bringing practical AI automation to small and medium-sized businesses in Shetland, targeting sectors where admin work can take up excessive amounts of time.
Henry grew up in Shetland and benefited from scholarships from Ocean Kinetics, Sullom Voe Trust and JLo Engineering while completing a first class masters in chemical engineering.
Now 23 and working in Aberdeen’s energy sector, he’s seen first-hand how automation is transforming industries on the mainland.
“I grew up in a fishing heritage. I’m seeing the energy sector change completely through automation, and I don’t want to see Shetland businesses left behind,” he said.
The gap between businesses adopting AI now and those waiting is widening quickly, he says.
While some mainland companies are processing invoices in minutes rather than hours, many Shetland businesses are still managing everything manually.
A current project includes developing an AI agent to analyse data from a whitefish trawler, matching historical catch locations with current weather, fuel costs and market prices to optimise profit on each trip.
Previous work includes automation systems that have eliminated administrative bottlenecks. One booking system for a barbershop cut admin time from eight hours per week to nearly zero, handling appointments, reminders and follow-ups automatically.
“These aren’t experimental projects,” he explained. “They’re practical tools that are saving real businesses, real money every week.”
The technology can handle tasks like automatic invoice processing, compliance reports, inventory management and customer communications – work that currently takes hours of staff time.
“This isn’t about replacing people – it’s about freeing them up from repetitive admin work so they can focus on what actually grows their business,” he said.
The decision to focus on Shetland reflects a desire to give back to the community that supported his education and career development.
January partnerships and training opportunities
In January, NordShore is looking to partner with three to five Shetland-based businesses to start a data and AI automation journey together.
All Shetland businesses are invited to request a free 90-minute automation audit that will identify specific tasks costing businesses time and money and demonstrate how AI could handle them.
Over the past year Henry has trained more than 300 people in AI prompt engineering, and he is planning to run AI training sessions for local businesses and individuals.
For those who aren’t sure where to start or simply have initial ideas about where AI might benefit their operations, he is just a phone call away and happy to discuss possibilities without obligation.
“No jargon, no long-term commitments,” he said. “Just a clear picture of what’s possible for your specific business and what it would take to implement.”
Businesses or individuals interested in learning more can contact Henry at nordshoresolutions@gmail.com or visit www.nordshoresolutions.co.uk
“This is about keeping the businesses that built this community competitive for the next generation,” he said.
“The mobile phone revolution took years. AI is happening in months. It’s not coming, it’s here – and we need to make sure Shetland businesses are on the right side of that change.”
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