The unsexy AI: why your forklift matters more than your chatbot

This post extends the agentic AI governance thread by highlighting the critical need for robust governance in industrial AI applications where unplanned downtime carries substantial financial risks. It introduces the concept of specialized agents for specific workflow components (e.g., inventory, technician qualification, diagnosis) and demonstrates their effectiveness in increasing first-time fix rates. The post emphasizes the importance of integrating these agentic systems with existing enterprise infrastructure (SAP, ERPs, on-premises systems) and supporting flexible deployment models (SaaS, private cloud, air-gapped) to ensure practical adoption in manufacturing environments. It also showcases a use case in working capital management where multiple agents were used to detect, quantify, and mitigate supply chain risks, completing the process in 72 hours instead of months.