No AI Jargon, Just Practical Advice & Solutions
A frank and practical guide to AI for manufacturers
It is incredible to think that projects we undertook in 2024 would be done completely differently today. In some consultancy scenarios, our advice changed week to week based on new releases coming out of the AI sector.
We regularly attend seminars, conduct R&D, and test the latest technology to make sure the advice we give is up-to-date, and the systems we create are as future proof as they can be.
AI has changed how Rich Material works with clients. By speeding up parts of the research, analysis and content creation process, it gives us more time to focus on the thinking that matters most, understanding your operation in fine detail.
Many SME manufacturers have been underserved when it comes to digital technology and AI. While larger businesses often have the resources to invest in transformation, smaller manufacturers are frequently left dealing with ageing systems, manual processes and unclear advice.
Rich Material exists to help close that gap. We believe the UK has an incredible manufacturing sector, and by helping businesses use technology more effectively, we want to support stronger operations, better jobs and new opportunities for growth.
What's good in AI for manufacturing now?
By training an AI chatbot on your systems, processes, documents and procedures, you can create a support tool that helps people find answers quickly, reduce repeated questions and make better use of the knowledge already inside the business.
For example, AI can read purchase orders, invoices or supplier documents from an inbox, extract the key information, apply the right coding and save it into the correct system. For manufacturers handling high volumes of documents, the time saved is huge.
What's the future hold for manufacturers with AI?
At Rich Material, we believe AI systems will continue to improve rapidly over the next few years. One of the biggest shifts will be in AI-assisted development. In the near future, we believe business owners will be able to design, build and maintain increasingly complex applications with the support of AI agents, without always needing to follow a traditional software development route.
Large technology companies will likely host, maintain and support many of these applications, making powerful tools more accessible to smaller businesses.
On the shop floor, technology that once felt advanced, such as QR code scanning for tracking products and parts, is now standard in many apps. We believe the next step is AI that can be trained to recognise products, check quality and support inspection processes using something as simple as a smartphone camera.
For manufacturers, the opportunity is not to replace what they do best. It is to use AI to manage data, support quality, build and maintain systems, train staff and reduce admin. That gives manufacturing businesses more time to focus on what really matters: making things well.