Integrate Artificial Intelligence Into Your Manufacturing Operations
Help your smart factory earn top grades with artificial intelligence.
- It is difficult to know where to start with an AI initiative.
- There are a multitude of options for how AI can be implemented in manufacturing, making it difficult to decide on the ideal first AI initiative to undertake.
- It’s hard to differentiate between vendor hype and realistic use cases for AI.
Our Advice
Critical Insight
- Data governance capability is the gatekeeper to AI success.
- There are an incredible number of applications for AI. Focus your time on figuring out what AI projects you are reasonably able to undertake to avoid option paralysis.
- AI should be used to enhance the capabilities of your employees, not to replace them.
Impact and Result
- Identify the initiatives you are currently capable of undertaking. The lifeblood of AI is good data. See how you can use your current data before you get overwhelmed with the possibilities AI offers.
- Build the business case for AI around what is possible for your organization. Decide what you should be doing with AI based on what you are currently capable of doing.
- Assess your current skills and identify where you will need help from vendors. Knowing when to look outside of your organization for help will be critical to your AI success.
- Gain the support of the business by showing the quick wins your AI initiative will provide and the business pains it will help to solve. Provide regular communication on the progress of your AI initiative to ensure continued support from the organization.
Member Testimonials
After each Info-Tech experience, we ask our members to quantify the real-time savings, monetary impact, and project improvements our research helped them achieve. See our top member experiences for this blueprint and what our clients have to say.
10.0/10
Overall Impact
18
Average Days Saved
Client
Experience
Impact
$ Saved
Days Saved
Ideal Boilers Limited
Guided Implementation
10/10
N/A
18
Kevin is super approachable and his knowledge is extensive in this space. The intro on DDMRP alone is a super next step for us and will really help... Read More
FreightCar America
Guided Implementation
5/10
N/A
5
Best: Focused and to the point Worst: None
Interfor Corp
Guided Implementation
8/10
N/A
N/A
That we need to establish the ground rules on the AI terminology. Make sure that everyone as the same understanding and expectations of AI. That o... Read More
Workshop: Integrate Artificial Intelligence Into Your Manufacturing Operations
Workshops offer an easy way to accelerate your project. If you are unable to do the project yourself, and a Guided Implementation isn't enough, we offer low-cost delivery of our project workshops. We take you through every phase of your project and ensure that you have a roadmap in place to complete your project successfully.
Module 1: Identify the AI Initiative That Best Fits Your Company
The Purpose
Assess the data you have to understand what kind of AI project you are capable of undertaking.
Key Benefits Achieved
Identifying and starting with an easy win will help ensure success and continued support in your organization.
Activities
Outputs
Assess data quality to identify data suitable for AI.
- Identified high-quality data sets
Develop an AI initiative shortlist.
- AI initiative shortlist
Module 2: Develop an AI Business Case
The Purpose
Evaluate your shortlist and choose an AI initiative that is aligned to your business needs.
Key Benefits Achieved
Identifying the business pain you want to alleviate is key to creating a sound business case for your AI initiative.
Activities
Outputs
Create a business pain mind map and rank your initiatives shortlist.
- List of business pains AI can alleviate
Align your AI initiative with a business pain.
- Chosen AI initiative
Brainstorm approaches to the AI initiative.
Module 3: Form a Long-Term Vision for the AI Project
The Purpose
Develop a long-term vision for the AI initiative.
Key Benefits Achieved
A defined vision and a sound business case will set you up for success.
Activities
Outputs
Carry out a cost-benefit analysis.
Do a risk assessment.
- Draft of AI initiative business case
Identify key tasks.
- Draft of AI initiative roadmap
Mind map project goals and metrics.
- Defined goals and metrics
Module 4: Develop a Communication Plan
The Purpose
Identify key stakeholders and develop a communication plan to ensure stakeholder buy-in for the AI initiative.
Key Benefits Achieved
An AI initiative is more likely to be successful when it has executive support.
Activities
Outputs
Identify key stakeholders.
- List of key stakeholders
Analyze the impact of the project for key stakeholders.
Develop a communication plan.
- Communication plan for key stakeholders
About Info-Tech
Info-Tech Research Group is the world’s fastest-growing information technology research and advisory company, proudly serving over 30,000 IT professionals.
We produce unbiased and highly relevant research to help CIOs and IT leaders make strategic, timely, and well-informed decisions. We partner closely with IT teams to provide everything they need, from actionable tools to analyst guidance, ensuring they deliver measurable results for their organizations.
What Is a Blueprint?
A blueprint is designed to be a roadmap, containing a methodology and the tools and templates you need to solve your IT problems.
Each blueprint can be accompanied by a Guided Implementation that provides you access to our world-class analysts to help you get through the project.
Need Extra Help?
Speak With An Analyst
Get the help you need in this 3-phase advisory process. You'll receive 7 touchpoints with our researchers, all included in your membership.
Guided Implementation 1: Analyze capabilities & identify an AI initiative
- Call 1: Discuss current data sets, what you need from your data in order to run an AI initiative, and how AI can alleviate business pains for manufacturers.
- Call 2: Assess the results of Phase 1 activities.
Guided Implementation 2: Build the case for AI & develop processes
- Call 1: Identify business pains specific to your company that “low-hanging fruit” AI initiatives could alleviate.
- Call 2: Discuss the role a business case plays in your AI initiative.
- Call 3: Understand how to go about choosing an AI vendor.
Guided Implementation 3: Ensure long-term vision & support for AI
- Call 1: Identify key stakeholders and how the AI initiative will impact them.
- Call 2: Understand the benefits of an AI project roadmap and best practices for communications during your AI project.
Contributors
- Rob Wilson, Plant Manager, FPH Group
- Robert Austin, Professor, Ivey Business School
- Craig Pawson, Material Planner, Formet Industries
- Rachel Hardman, HR Coordinator, Diply
- Sue Hardman, Human Resources Consultant, Fanshawe College