Buyer's guide ยท Steward AI
A Perfex CRM AI module that asks before it changes anything
Steward AI is a PHP module for Perfex CRM 3.2 and newer. Your staff ask about leads, customers, invoices, projects, tasks and tickets in plain language, on its own page or in a drawer on any admin page, and get answers from your own CRM data with links to the records. When the agent wants to change something, the change waits in an approval queue with the exact before and after values, and a person approves, edits or rejects it.
What you get
The full module source
The PHP module as a ready Perfex upload (upload/steward_ai.zip), its source code, tests and the documentation.
Installs like any Perfex module
Setup > Modules > Upload Module, then Activate. No Composer, Node.js or shell access needed on the server.
Runs inside your Perfex
Answers come from your own CRM data. AI calls go to the provider you connect, or to your own Ollama server, and a privacy mode masks e-mail addresses and phone numbers before they reach a cloud model.
Approval queue
Field-level before and after, risk level, edit before approve, reject with a reason, a two-person rule for high-risk requests and a stale-record guard.
Audit and limits
A hash-chained audit trail with a verify button and CSV export. Spending limits per day, per staff member, for automations and per month.
Your choice of AI
Anthropic Claude (default), OpenAI, OpenRouter, Ollama on your own server and any OpenAI-compatible endpoint, with a fallback provider.
MCP server
Claude, ChatGPT and Cursor connect with scoped API keys or OAuth 2.1, under the same approval rules.
How an agency uses it for clients
Steward AI is a module, not a separate SaaS: it runs inside a Perfex CRM install. An agency that sets up and runs Perfex for its clients installs it in each client's CRM.
One install per Perfex
Each Perfex install gets its own copy of the module, its own AI provider key and its own spending limits.
Staff see only what Perfex allows
The agent uses each staff member's Perfex permissions, so it reads and proposes only what that person could already see and change.
Ready-made routines
Team playbooks behind a / menu (five examples included) and automations for new leads, new tickets, recorded payments, overdue invoices, overdue tasks and a daily brief.
A daily overview at no AI cost
The home briefing lists overdue invoices, tickets waiting, tasks due, and new and quiet leads without any AI call.
Notifications in team chat
Slack, Microsoft Teams, Discord or any JSON webhook.
Room to extend
28 tools (19 read, 9 propose a change), and your own modules can add tools through a filter hook.
What it needs to run
Perfex CRM and AI usage are not included in the price.
- Perfex CRM 3.2 or newer, sold separately
- PHP 8.1 to 8.5 with curl, json, mbstring and openssl (already required by Perfex)
- MySQL 5.7+ or MariaDB 10.3+, the database your Perfex install already uses
- The Perfex cron job running, for automations and the expiry of old requests
- An account with Anthropic, OpenAI or OpenRouter, or an Ollama server you run yourself with a tool-capable 7B+ model and a context of 16k tokens or more
- Public HTTPS for Claude custom connectors over OAuth; Claude Desktop, Claude Code and Cursor work with a key
- Long questions can take a minute: if your host stops PHP after 30 seconds, ask it to allow 120 seconds for admin requests
What it does not do
- Perfex CRM is not included. It is sold separately and is not made or endorsed by MIKODES.
- Version 1.0 has no delete actions and nothing that moves money.
- It does not change the CRM on its own. Every change waits for a person, except low-risk tools an administrator opts in to apply without approval; those are still recorded in the audit trail, and requests from automations and external AI apps always wait.
- AI usage is not included: your provider bills you per token. Small local models give weaker answers.
- The live demo is a click-through of the module's screens with sample data. It is not a Perfex install, no AI is called and nothing is saved.
Questions
Can the AI change my CRM on its own?
No. Every change becomes a request in the approval queue and is applied only when a person with the right Perfex permission approves it. The one exception is opt-in: an administrator may let individual low-risk tools, such as an internal note, apply without approval. Those requests are still recorded in the audit trail.
Is AI usage included?
No. You connect your own Anthropic, OpenAI or OpenRouter account and the provider bills you per token. Spending limits stop the agent when a limit is reached. Ollama on your own server has no per-token cost.
Can staff see more than before?
No. The agent uses each staff member's Perfex permissions and the row rules Perfex applies, so it reads and proposes only what that person could already see and change.
Does it work with Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor?
Yes, through the built-in MCP server with scoped API keys or OAuth. Whatever an external app wants to change goes to the same approval queue.
Is Perfex CRM included?
No. Perfex CRM is sold separately and is not made or endorsed by MIKODES. Steward AI is a module you install into your own Perfex 3.2 or newer.
How much does Steward AI cost, and what does the licence allow?
$59, one payment, no subscription. One licence, no tiers: any number of projects and clients, a paid SaaS, every line changed. The only limit is reselling or publishing the source code itself. The services you connect bill you directly. See the licence.
Is setup included?
Yes. We install Steward AI for you and put in your logo, colours and texts. Bigger changes or new features get a fixed price before we start.
What if it does not work?
Write to us within 14 days. We fix it, usually the same day. If we cannot fix it within 7 days, you get your money back. See the refund policy.