---
title: "AI for Manufacturing | Shipshape Data"
description: "AI for manufacturing that sits over the ERP you already run. Bespoke apps for each department, and AI that automates the manual work between them."
canonical: https://shipshapedata.com/shipshape-manufacturing/
language: en-GB
---

# AI for Manufacturing

> AI for manufacturing that sits over the ERP you already run. Bespoke apps for each department, and AI that automates the manual work between them.

Section: Home > Industries > Manufacturing

Canonical page: https://shipshapedata.com/shipshape-manufacturing/

On this page:

- An AI layer over the ERP you already have.
- Your ERP should keep the operation together.
  - Everything pushed into the ERP
  - Clunkier the more you add
  - Designed for the system rather than the users
- This was our solution before it was our product.
- Your ERP stays. We add the layer on top.
  - The ERP stays the central system
  - One app for each department
  - AI that compounds
  - Map the work
  - Build around it
  - Own the code
- A memory that compounds.
  - Illustrative query
  - The answer's path through connected company knowledge
  - Memory, not guesswork
  - Built on what is already there
  - Apps that look after themselves
- Usable tools, built around your teams.
  - Custom CRM
  - Vendor portals
  - Shop floor data capture
  - Quality assurance
  - R&D and development
  - The Company Brain
- Faster to use. Quicker to trust.
- Questions we hear most.
- Sort the foundation once.Everything after it gets easier.
  - Sort the foundation once.

## Frequently asked questions

### 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.

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Shipshape Data is a London AI consultancy: we build the data foundation your AI depends on, then the AI on top. Site guide for agents: https://shipshapedata.com/llms.txt | Contact: hello@shipshapedata.com