Where should a manufacturing company start with AI? Start with how yours builds a quote today.
By Chris McCarthy, Founder & Chief AI Officer, OB.1
Your leadership team has decided it's time to talk about AI. Someone asks the fair question: where do we start?
Here's where my head is at. Start with how a quote gets built in your company today. Write down who does each step and which rules they follow. Then rank what to fix first.
The short answer
Start with one process your leadership team cares about. For many manufacturing companies, quoting is a strong first pick. Walk it with the people who run it. Write down each step, who owns it, and the rule they follow. Then rank what to fix. Pick AI tools last.
Before you buy AI, write down how your company runs.
AI tools run on rules and data. They need to know how you price, who approves what, and where the numbers live.
In a lot of companies, those rules live in people's heads. They work fine day to day. A tool can't read them, though.
So the first job is to get the work on paper. Write the steps down. Name the owner of each one. Note the rules they use to make calls.
The rule I work by is simple. Decide how AI will be used before anyone picks a tool. If you want more on this step, read how to decide how AI will be used.
Why quoting is a good first place to look
A quote touches most of your company. Sales takes the request. Engineering reads the drawing. Purchasing checks material. Scheduling checks capacity. Finance sets the margin.
Every handoff in that chain has a rule behind it. Some are written down, and many are not.
A quote also sets your price and margin before the work starts, so every executive cares about it.
When you map quoting, you see the whole company in one process: the handoffs, the owners and the gaps.
Who on your team knows how a quote gets built?
Ask that question in your next leadership meeting. See how many names come up.
Those people are your best source. They know which customers get which terms and which jobs need a second look.
Your best estimator shouldn't be the only map.
Writing it down with them helps the whole team and the next hire. More on this in how your company builds a quote.
How to start with AI in a manufacturing company, one process at a time
Start with one process. Done well, it gives you a plan you can trust.
Pick one process your leadership team cares about
Quoting is a strong default. Order intake and scheduling are good picks too. Choose the one that eats the most leadership time.
Walk it with the people who run it
Sit with the people who do the work. Ask them to show you a recent example, start to finish. Listen more than you talk.
Write down each step, who owns it, and the rule they follow
Keep it plain, with one line per step. Who does it, what they decide, and how they decide it.
Note where the data lives
Some of it is in the ERP. Some is in spreadsheets, email threads or one person's notes. Write down where each piece sits.
Rank what to fix first
Look for steps that wait on one person, rules nobody wrote down, and data your team enters twice. Rank them by how much they slow the business.
Then decide where AI is the right fix
Some fixes need a clear owner or a written rule. Some need a better report. A few will be good work for AI. You'll see which is which.
For a closer look at the mapping itself, read how to map how work moves through your company. If you'd like help with it, a Blueprint Session is the place to start.
Where an AI roadmap comes from
Leaders often search for an AI roadmap or a plan template. I get why. A plan feels like progress.
A roadmap is only as good as what it rests on. The strongest roadmap comes from the ranked list on your map.
Each item on that list has an owner, a rule and a reason. Some items are AI work. Others are process or ownership fixes. We'll tell you when AI is the wrong fix.
Start at the top of the list. Each fix you finish makes the next one easier to pick.
What you'll know when you're done
You'll know how work moves through your company and what to fix first.
Your team gets a shared picture, and your budget gets a clear first target. Any AI tool you pick later has something steady to work from.
Wondering if your company is ready for this? Read is your company ready for AI.
How OB.1 helps
We start by looking at how your company runs today.
The first step is an Operational Blueprint. It gives you a diagnosis of your platforms, process, and people, and a plan your team can act on.
We map how work moves through your company and who owns each rule, then rank what to fix first.
We build AI plans for Northeast Ohio manufacturing companies, starting with how yours runs today.
Already working with a program or advisor you trust? Keep working with them. The map is useful next to any program you already use.
No rush on any of this. Whenever you're ready, let's talk.
Questions manufacturing leaders ask
Where should a manufacturing company start with AI?
Start with how a quote gets built today. Write down each step, who owns it, and the rule they follow. Then rank what to fix first. Choose tools after that.
How do I start using AI in my business?
Pick one process that matters to your leadership team. Map it with the people who run it. The map shows which fixes need AI and which need a written rule or a clear owner.
How is AI used in manufacturing companies?
Front-office work like quoting, order intake and scheduling is a practical place to look first. Those processes have clear steps and lots of handoffs. AI helps most once those steps and rules are written down.
What goes into an AI roadmap or implementation plan?
A good roadmap starts with a map of how work moves today. From there, you rank fixes by how much they slow the business. Each item gets an owner. Some items are AI work and some are not.
Where should a smaller manufacturer start with AI?
The same place. Pick one process, often quoting. Write down how it runs and who owns each rule. Then fix the top item on your list before you buy a tool.