{"id":4391,"date":"2026-02-18T18:49:15","date_gmt":"2026-02-18T17:49:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/laurentchani.fr\/?p=4391"},"modified":"2026-02-19T09:16:53","modified_gmt":"2026-02-19T08:16:53","slug":"lia-enters-the-industry-through-concrete-uses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/laurentchani.fr\/en\/lia-entre-dans-lindustrie-via-des-usages-concrets\/","title":{"rendered":"AI is entering industry through concrete applications."},"content":{"rendered":"<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-medium\"><a href=\"https:\/\/laurentchani.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/@Big-Daddy-105.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/laurentchani.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/@Big-Daddy-105-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4394\" srcset=\"https:\/\/laurentchani.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/@Big-Daddy-105-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/laurentchani.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/@Big-Daddy-105-18x12.jpg 18w, https:\/\/laurentchani.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/@Big-Daddy-105.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>AI will become established in industry through tangible use cases. ERP\/MRP systems will have to evolve\u2014with their inherent risks\u2014or disappear.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My decades of experience in the software industry (simulation, CAD, ERP) have given me a clear perspective on the potential of AI in the mechanical engineering market. Furthermore, I have no stake in any ERP\/MRP software vendors or AI companies. However, I possess extensive experience and explore AI use cases daily. I propose that we examine how AI can be effectively integrated into the various departments of a typical mechanical engineering company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With decades of experience in the software industry (simulation, CAD, ERP), I have a pragmatic view of what AI can truly bring to the mechanical engineering sector. I represent neither an ERP\/MRP vendor nor an AI player: my approach is independent and field-oriented. I explore concrete use cases daily and offer to identify, department by department, where AI is effectively integrated into an industrial company in this sector.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the 1980s and 90s, computers became ubiquitous in businesses, eventually becoming indispensable. Then came the internet, business applications, and ERP\/MRP software. Today, AI is presented as a &quot;good Samaritan,&quot; supposedly simplifying the work of industrial teams\u2014provided it is integrated methodically and managed rigorously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here is a non-exhaustive list of the potential impacts of AI on very small and small businesses, with examples of use cases:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Direction \/ Steering<\/strong> : direct involvement of the manager to frame uses and avoid abuses (e.g. automation of email management, summarization of audio and video meetings, financial analysis, generation of KPIs).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Administrative<\/strong> e.g. Automation of incoming call processing, qualification and routing, assisted drafting.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Customer\/supplier relations<\/strong> : automated matching of quote \u2192 order \u2192 delivery note \u2192 invoice \u2192 payment.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Commercial<\/strong> : e.g. quote\/client follow-up, response generation, synchronization with CRM.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Purchase\/sales accounting<\/strong> : matching customer\/supplier invoices with accounting and bank records.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Finance<\/strong> : analyses, KPIs, revenue forecasts and alerts.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Workshop \/ production<\/strong> : order-stock reconciliation-machine capacity-staff availability; workload calculation; scheduling assistance.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Quality (QA)<\/strong> : alignment of production measurements with standards and certification requirements.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>HR<\/strong> : monitoring of staff (leave, absences), planning, forecasting of recruitment needs.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Computer science<\/strong> : optimization and interfaces with GPAO\/ERP\/CRM software; security, data governance and GDPR compliance.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Engineering office (BE)<\/strong> : design assistance coupled with CAD and simulation, generation of variants and preliminary analyses.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Every level of a company can be impacted by AI. It&#039;s a revolution in progress: today&#039;s manufacturer will be nothing like tomorrow&#039;s. However, current industrial management tools\u2014ERP and MRP\u2014are based on outdated designs. AI will reshuffle the deck, to the point of rendering some solutions partially obsolete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Unless I&#039;m mistaken, no software publisher will escape this: these tools will need to be fundamentally redesigned to integrate AI into their workflows. This transformation carries major risks, both for publishers and for the companies that use them. Many of these tools have become behemoths: decades of R&amp;D and patches, accumulated complexity that makes any structural evolution difficult, if not impossible (beyond cosmetic changes).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In practical terms, AI can be integrated into ERP\/MRP systems in four ways:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Highly targeted automated systems<\/strong> on high value-added tasks. Reduced risk, rapid implementation, often excellent ROI \u2014 pending the evolution of offerings.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Minor integrations<\/strong> by ERP\/MRP publishers. To justify their maintenance and subscriptions, they must keep up with the rapid pace of AI developments\u2026 but many are not ready (R&amp;D resources, skills, funding).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Major integrations<\/strong> at the heart of existing platforms. This is a high-risk scenario for publishers, and a potentially dangerous gamble for manufacturers who commit to it too early.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>New players<\/strong> These will either come from the world of AI with alternatives to aging ERP\/MRP systems, or from industry-specific software vendors starting from scratch. Given the progress in automated code production, this scenario could emerge quickly\u2014within 1 to 2 years.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>I will return to these four trajectories, which are sure to generate a lot of discussion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When I write, &quot;all services can be impacted by AI,&quot; it doesn&#039;t mean we should overhaul the company&#039;s governance under the pretext that AI is essential to remain competitive. We must remain level-headed and prioritize what is truly useful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Instead, ask yourself this question: <em>What is your current challenge as an industrialist, and how could AI help you with a fast and measurable ROI?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>An audit is often the best way to identify a few key processes that would benefit from automation via an AI agent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Finally, here is a player who knows the industrial fabric of mechanics well and offers support for task automation:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/feed\/update\/urn:li:activity:7429436891701219328\">https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/feed\/update\/urn:li:activity:7429436891701219328<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>In conclusion:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>AI will transform all the services of an industrial SME, but success will depend on gradual, measured, and secure integration. Start with a few high-ROI automations targeting your pain points, then expand AI&#039;s involvement based on the results: a quick audit will help identify the best &quot;quick wins&quot; and chart a realistic course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And you: in your business, what areas would you like to optimize or have you already optimized with AI support?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>L\u2019IA va s\u2019imposer dans l\u2019industrie par des cas d\u2019usage tangibles. Les ERP\/GPAO devront \u00e9voluer\u2014avec leur lot de risques\u2014ou dispara\u00eetre. L\u2019exp\u00e9rience de plusieurs d\u00e9cennies dans l\u2019industrie du logiciel (simulation, CAO, ERP) me permet d\u2019avoir une certaine lucidit\u00e9 dans l\u2019implication de l\u2019IA au service du march\u00e9 de la m\u00e9canique. Par ailleurs, je ne suis pas partie prenante [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4394,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[10,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4391","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ia","category-uncategorized"],"blocksy_meta":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/laurentchani.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/@Big-Daddy-105.jpg",768,512,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/laurentchani.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/@Big-Daddy-105-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/laurentchani.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/@Big-Daddy-105-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/laurentchani.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/@Big-Daddy-105.jpg",768,512,false],"large":["https:\/\/laurentchani.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/@Big-Daddy-105.jpg",768,512,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/laurentchani.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/@Big-Daddy-105.jpg",768,512,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/laurentchani.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/@Big-Daddy-105.jpg",768,512,false],"trp-custom-language-flag":["https:\/\/laurentchani.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/@Big-Daddy-105-18x12.jpg",18,12,true],"mailpoet_newsletter_max":["https:\/\/laurentchani.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/@Big-Daddy-105.jpg",768,512,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"admin5261","author_link":"https:\/\/laurentchani.fr\/en\/author\/admin5261\/"},"uagb_comment_info":2,"uagb_excerpt":"L\u2019IA va s\u2019imposer dans l\u2019industrie par des cas d\u2019usage tangibles. Les ERP\/GPAO devront \u00e9voluer\u2014avec leur lot de risques\u2014ou dispara\u00eetre. L\u2019exp\u00e9rience de plusieurs d\u00e9cennies dans l\u2019industrie du logiciel (simulation, CAO, ERP) me permet d\u2019avoir une certaine lucidit\u00e9 dans l\u2019implication de l\u2019IA au service du march\u00e9 de la m\u00e9canique. Par ailleurs, je ne suis pas partie prenante&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/laurentchani.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4391","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/laurentchani.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/laurentchani.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/laurentchani.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/laurentchani.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4391"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/laurentchani.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4391\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4399,"href":"https:\/\/laurentchani.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4391\/revisions\/4399"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/laurentchani.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4394"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/laurentchani.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4391"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/laurentchani.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4391"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/laurentchani.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4391"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}