AI for Manufacturing

An AI layer over the ERP you already have.

We built this system inside a manufacturing facility, evaluated it in each department, and then released it for broader use. Your ERP system stays in place to perform its existing functions. We add an extra layer that contains custom applications for each team, artificial intelligence that automates manual tasks, and data updates that keep pace with your production floor.

Talk to us See how it works
The problem

Your ERP should keep the operation together.

Most ERP systems work well for manufacturing. Problems typically occur because users demand more from the software than it can provide. Three particular issues show up in nearly every conversation, and they are usually all present simultaneously.

Everything pushed into the ERP

People frequently attempt to construct every process inside the ERP system. That approach ultimately fails. When you add excessive processes to the system, you become constrained by its original design. You must also wait for others to implement any required changes.

Clunkier the more you add

Adding processes to the ERP raises the count of screens, clicks, and manual steps. The system becomes harder to use and employees become less efficient. Tasks that should be done quickly instead take several hours of work.

Designed for the system rather than the users

The software interfaces do not accommodate the required tasks, leading employees to adopt alternative methods. Staff members resort to spreadsheets instead of the primary system. They input data several hours or days after the work takes place. As a result, the ERP system shows past events that the staff deems unreliable.

How we know

This was our solution before it was our product.

We ran a manufacturing business before converting this into a service. We employed an ERP system that we later adapted to manage every aspect of our operations. The system grew slower and harder to use as we added more functions. Tasks that should have been quick started to require several hours. Consequently, employees devised their own methods to finish their work, and data entered the system after delays. No single person caused this situation. This outcome occurs when a system built for core functions is used to manage every detail of a business.

Our background lies in software and artificial intelligence rather than ERP consulting. This distinction was the key factor in our process. The typical approach follows the ERP's prescribed workflow and asks teams to adapt to it. We applied the opposite method. We met each department and recorded their actual work processes. We examined this data using our custom AI systems to pinpoint where time was being spent. We then reconstructed the systems beginning with the largest sources of inefficiency. We completed this work department by department.

After the system became operational, we compared our results with other manufacturers. We discovered that they were encountering the same challenges we had recently solved. We received more assistance requests than we could handle as informal favours. As a result, we founded Shipshape Manufacturing as a formal service.

The approach

Your ERP stays.
We add the layer on top.

The ERP you've invested in remains the same. We build on the work that's already been done, keep the ERP doing the job it's good at, and add the layer above it that makes the whole thing quicker to use and far more accurate to read.

The ERP stays the central system

We keep the ERP as a standard core system. Every application we develop reads data from it and writes data back to it. This process ensures the ERP displays current floor activity as it occurs, rather than depending on manual data entry at week's end.

One app for each department

Procurement, sales, quality, research and development, and the shop floor each have tools built for their specific tasks. These tools employ artificial intelligence to automate manual processes that previously required a significant amount of time. For example, following up with suppliers drops from roughly one hour to a few clicks.

AI that compounds

The Company Brain gives the AI long-term memory and specific context. This includes vendor habits, escalation rules, past decisions, and lessons the team has learned through experience. The system manages drafting, follow-ups, and information retention. Performance improves over time, with results in month twelve better than month one, and month twenty-four showing further progress.

01

Map the work

We meet each team to document their actual operating procedures and informal workarounds. We use this information to create a roadmap organised by the amount of manual labour and financial cost involved.

02

Build around it

Each department has its own apps and portals. These tools synchronise with each other and connect directly to the ERP. Artificial intelligence is built into these applications and linked to the system. This setup ensures staff members do not need to search through multiple screens to locate specific data.

03

Own the code

The applications we develop are stored in your repository. You may keep working with us or shift development to your internal team after the project is complete. You can make this decision at any time.

Make the system serve the people, not the people work for the system.

The Company Brain

A memory that compounds.

When a raw language model is linked to an ERP, it makes guesses. The tables are huge, and the necessary context for interpreting them is undocumented. The model populates those gaps with information that sounds plausible yet is wrong. That constitutes the main problem when applying AI over an ERP system.

The Company Brain is arranged by department. It keeps data not present in standard tables, for example the main contact for each vendor, which suppliers ship partial orders when under pressure, and the rationale behind earlier decisions. That data is logged as code instead of subjective impressions. Each response contains the source email or record together with a confidence score. The system grows more accurate as the team utilises it.

Illustrative query

Company Brain, cited answer

June's delayed lines are linked to two suppliers, and one of those suppliers part-ships whenever it faces pressure. The chase that arrived previously was sent ten days early, and the production plan handled the split without stopping. Order the split up front, chase at day five, and hold safety stock on the two exposed lines until week 40.

Purchase historySupplier emailsProduction planLessons log

Each claim lists its source.

The answer's path through connected company knowledge

Illustrative
OTIF by monthMargin by lineDowntime logBuyer notesShift handoverSupplier historyPart-shipmentsLead timesPrice changesDual-source decisionSafety stock changeNext peak planPart-ship lessonChangeover lesson
Performance People Suppliers Decisions Lessons

Memory, not guesswork

Vendor preferences, contacts, decisions, and lessons learned are logged as code, forming a full audit trail. The AI accesses this record directly, instead of trying to infer conclusions from large data tables.

Built on what is already there

The Brain operates over the ERP and existing applications rather than replacing them. It treats completed work as readable context. This lets earlier investments stay useful instead of being discarded.

Apps that look after themselves

Each application provides a button to report a bug and another button to request a change. Both buttons trigger an agent. The agent gathers the logs, runs inside a sandbox, and carries out tests. It then forwards a snapshot to a person for approval prior to any code deployment. A human gives authorisation by default, and you may lower this requirement as trust grows.

Each answer draws on what the company already knows, and each approved outcome becomes new context.

What we build

Usable tools, built around your teams.

We most frequently develop these six types of software. Each application connects with your ERP and is tailored for the particular team that uses it.

Custom CRM

This software aligns with your sales team's current workflow by centralising all tasks and offering a live link to the ERP.

Vendor portals

Suppliers arrange their own deliveries and print their own labels. This booking process speeds up operations and guarantees that each delivery is entered into the ERP system as a separate record.

Shop floor data capture

Operators post directly to each job, and status updates move in both directions. This yields accurate profitability data for each job.

Quality assurance

The system records quality control checks and non-conformances via a fast interface. This data is transmitted directly to the ERP as clean records rather than being kept in a folder.

R&D and development

Store each trial, formulation, and revision in a single database with a structure that lets the AI read the data later.

The Company Brain

Long-term memory across all of the above includes vendor habits, escalation rules, decisions, and lessons. It drafts, chases, and retains memory.

What we deliver

Faster to use. Quicker to trust.

These figures show work already completed. They cover the period after the applications were launched and the AI started handling the manual follow-up tasks.

32%

We measured the efficiency gain across the whole company after launching the applications in every department.

60%

We automated multiple manual processes. These comprised following up on tasks, re-entering data, and generating reports that staff previously did not have time to complete.

Minutes

instead of nearly an hour. Contacting a supplier now requires only a few clicks since the AI manages the follow-up process.

The administrative work shows the change most clearly. Procurement staff previously devoted their time to making phone calls and updating spreadsheets to track dates, which they later entered into the ERP system. The Company Brain now takes care of these tasks. It creates follow-up messages, determines which suppliers need reminders after five days, and logs the responses. This enables the same staff members to handle a larger workload and concentrate on supplier relationships and pricing instead of manual data entry.

FAQ

Questions we hear most.

What is AI for manufacturing?

We deliver a software layer that sits on top of your existing ERP. The ERP continues to be the central system for its primary functions. We give each department an application built for its specific tasks. The AI handles follow-up communications, drafting, and data entry to lower manual workload.

Which department receives it first?

We prioritise the team that loses the most time. We examine how each team works and then structure the roadmap according to where manual effort and costs are greatest. In our company, this was procurement. Contacting a supplier used to take nearly an hour, but it now needs only a few clicks.

When will we see results?

We develop one department at a time. This lets the first application become active and save time before the whole program is finished. The pace of this process depends on how much work is documented in a readable format. The mapping process identifies this information first.

Does this mean we will replace our ERP?

The ERP you invested in will remain unchanged. We will keep it as a clean and standard core system. We will eliminate the external elements that have built up around it, such as spreadsheets and manual data entry. We will also discard the processes that were added to the ERP and made it more complex. These will be replaced with applications designed specifically for those tasks.

What level of disruption is expected?

We work with one department at a time to keep the rest of the business operating while we build the next application. Each team assists in designing its own tool before launch. This involvement avoids the disruption that usually occurs during implementation. No employees need to learn a system that was designed for a different role.

Are you building this one time, or will it be an ongoing project?

You have two options. The applications stay in your repository, which lets you keep working with us or shift development to your internal team after the project ends. You can decide at any time. The main benefit of a long-term partnership is the Company Brain. This system grows more effective as your team uses it over time, making it more valuable after a year than at the start.

What is the correct way to begin?

We talk with each team and document their actual work processes, including any unofficial methods they use. We use this information to build a roadmap organised by manual labour and costs. You can then use this document to decide which features to develop.

If you carry responsibility for output, margin, or delivery, you should be able to state what the layer saved. Talk to us for a clear read on where the ERP is holding your teams up, and what it would take to fix.

Next step

Sort the foundation once.
Everything after it gets easier.

After you establish this layer, each subsequent improvement builds on the same foundation. You will not have to work against the existing system. You can add new processes, improved reporting, and more automation while keeping the same ERP and core structure. You will not need to remove and replace your primary software.

Pick your most painful process. We'll deliver a working prototype to you in two days.

Talk to us
Emailhello@shipshapedata.com
Part ofShipshape Data, London