The first factory AI project should give the production team a useful improvement they can recognise. Start with one recurring problem and a process small enough to observe, test and maintain.
Choose the decision before choosing the tool
Ask what someone needs to decide differently. A supervisor may need to see which jobs are blocked before a shift meeting. A quality lead may need to identify batches waiting for review. Those questions are more actionable than a general request for an AI dashboard.
Use a simple pilot brief
- Problem: what repeatedly delays or complicates the work?
- Owner: who will use the output and act on it?
- Information: which records exist, and who can correct them?
- Decision: what should happen when an exception appears?
- Measure: what will be compared before and during the pilot?
- Fallback: how will the team continue when the system is unavailable?
Test the awkward shift as well as the easy one
Include missing entries, late material, rework and a change in staffing. A pilot that works only when records are perfect will struggle on a busy day. Review the result with the people who captured the information, not just the people viewing the dashboard.
Suppose a job is marked complete while its final quality check is still pending. A good workflow distinguishes production completion from release for the next stage. That distinction may be more valuable than a complex prediction.
Keep the first release useful without a model
Consistent identifiers, capture forms and a clear exception queue can support the operation immediately. Add a model where it demonstrably improves a decision. Keep the underlying records and correction path usable if the model is paused.
Review before expanding
Compare the agreed baseline, inspect errors and ask whether the pilot adds work elsewhere. Confirm ownership, training and support before moving to another line. Expansion should follow evidence from the process.
Read the factory AI readiness guide, explore factory automation with Keen Systems, or bring us a pilot idea.