“Now with AI too!” The hype is real: every software manufacturer is currently advertising the fact that their product has AI functions. (We do too, with our ERP system APplus.) Is this just a marketing gimmick or does AI support really bring you tangible benefits?
In this article, we list 13 specific use cases in the ERP system that are already possible today.
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Procurement and warehouse
Optimized inventory management
The AI calculates the ideal stock quantities for individual goods based on previous orders, consumption and demand forecasts. It warns of impending shortages or excess stock and makes suggestions for orders.
Find out more: 3 use cases for material requirements planning with AI
Procuring consumables
For consumables, you can go one step further. Orders are usually routine and can be fully automated. The AI independently triggers orders based on stock levels, demand forecasts, delivery times and supplier information.
Find out more: Warehouse optimization with AI for disrupted supply chains
Market observation
Crawlers search the internet for information on suppliers, for example press releases and reports, annual financial statements, ratings or posts on social media. AI algorithms analyze and interpret these texts and decide whether the information is relevant to your company. If the AI sees signs of impending insolvency at one of your suppliers, for example, it could suggest looking for other suppliers as a precaution.
These analyses can also be used to monitor the competition or to identify sales opportunities at other companies.
Advantages in procurement and warehousing
- Less workload
- No interruptions thanks to high availability
- Low capital commitment thanks to optimal stock levels
Production
Plan production
Based on order data, machine capacities and material availability, the AI creates optimal production plans and adjusts them dynamically. This minimizes throughput times and makes the best possible use of machines and personnel. In the event of disruptions, you can react quickly and adjust all affected processes to minimize the consequences.
Predictive maintenance
In predictive maintenance, algorithms monitor the machine data in real time. This data is fed from the MES (Manufacturing Execution System) into the ERP. Based on patterns, the AI recognizes impending failures in advance and issues a warning. The maintenance measures can then be carried out at exactly the right time.
Advantages in production
- Maximum capacity utilization, less downtime
- Efficient use of resources
- Fast throughput times
- Lower maintenance costs
Marketing, sales and customer service
Identify attractive leads
The AI analyzes all your customer data, including contact and sales history. It identifies characteristics that your best customers have in common. From this, it creates a “digital twin”. It then searches your own CRM database or the internet for companies that resemble it and suggests them as potential leads.
Identify sales opportunities in the portfolio
The AI can also independently identify, evaluate and prioritize sales opportunities among existing customers. Based on the purchase history and other data, it can make suggestions for up- and cross-selling and create suitable offers. Employees only need to follow the suggestions and can devote their time to sales calls. By connecting to marketing automation software, customers can also be contacted automatically, for example via email.
ERP AI functions are no longer a gimmick, but already provide tangible support for many operational and strategic tasks.
Customer support through chatbots
AI-based chatbots answer frequent customer inquiries independently and around the clock. They access a knowledge database, learn from dialogs and forward more complex cases to human service agents. Linking the chatbots to the ERP system gives them even more capabilities. For example, customers can ask for
Advantages in marketing, sales and customer service
- Relief for employees
- Higher sales
- Higher customer satisfaction
Administration and finances
Document storage
With the help of AI and OCR (optical character recognition), incoming documents are automatically analyzed, classified and assigned to the correct filing system. The system recognizes invoices, delivery bills or contracts based on keywords and patterns. All documents are always in the right place and easy to find later.
Process invoices
Incoming invoices can then be processed directly, i.e. checked and posted. The system compares the recognized data with orders and delivery bills and posts the transactions to the relevant accounts. Payments can also be made completely automatically.
Create financial reports and plans
AI algorithms analyze and categorize all financial data and use it to create automatic dashboards and standard reports. They also use the data for forecasts, such as for liquidity planning. In addition to historical data, external data such as indices can also be included. This makes the results more accurate. You can also simulate various complex scenarios before making decisions: for example, how the return on investment of a large investment will develop if the demand situation improves and deteriorates.
Fraud detection in payment transactions
An AI monitors your transactions and payment traffic and warns you if suspicious patterns occur. You can intervene before major damage occurs.
Advantages in administration and finance
- Relief for employees
- Lower administrative costs
- Accurate planning and decisions
Process optimization
Process mining allows you to identify optimization potential in your processes company-wide. Algorithms analyze all processes documented in the ERP system for certain patterns. For example, they find processes that are frequently repeated and in which the same manual steps are carried out each time: Such processes could be automated. Or they find processes that frequently involve long pauses or idle times: There, the interaction with other processes would probably need to be improved.
Advantages through process optimization
- Lower process costs
- Faster throughput times
- Efficient use of resources
Also interesting: How to create the ideal conditions for the use of AI
Conclusion
Expectations of AIs may sometimes be unrealistic. However, this does not mean that everything is just hot air. ERP systems have been using AI algorithms and machine learning for years – this is nothing fundamentally new. However, the capabilities have developed exponentially in recent years. More and more is possible.
The ERP AI functions are no longer a gimmick, but are already noticeably supporting many operational and strategic tasks. Our customers report higher productivity, improved processes and also more enjoyment when working with the system.
Which of the use cases described above would help you the most in the short term?
Your benefits from AI-based functions in the ERP system
- Fast, well-founded planning and decisions through data analyses, forecasts and scenarios
- Optimization of business processes through automation and process mining
- More sales and satisfied customers thanks to personalized offers
- More efficient use of resources through better planning and process optimization
- Better user experience through proactive user support
- Productive employees, by relieving them of routine tasks
- Security and compliance, through continuous monitoring
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