Speaking at the recent Make UK Northern Conference, I was part of a panel of experts on AI in manufacturing.
With more than 200 Make UK members present, ranging from large original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) throughout the supply chain, the message was unanimous. Everyone has AI on their agenda, but it’s not yet fully understood by many.
While others on the panel spoke about examples of AI driving mass-scale automation and academic study, I spoke about something a little more down-to-earth, SME know-how: how we can use AI, not as an amorphous future technology, but as a tool to drive business effectiveness today.
How we’re using AI
We’re already utilising it at PES Performance and PES Scanning: using AI in many useful ways.
- Automatically summarising Teams calls with customers to prevent ambiguous project scoping.
- Utilising AI-generated summaries to create proposals and monitor changes in scope over time.
- Utilising internally trained Custom GPTs to automatically create scoping documents, quotes, and clarification emails.
- Testing an AI tool to read images sent via enquiry forms to test part characteristics and create quotes.
We also leverage AI to increase the effectiveness of our marketing activities, turning case studies into LinkedIn-ready materials and repurposing them through newsletters and proposal templates.
One of the takeaways for any company beginning this journey is to configure AI tools effectively using personas or avatars, coming in with clear context such as job function, tone, and geographic settings (UK vs. US law as an example). This leads to a huge boost in response quality and relevance.
Data Protection & AI
Most importantly, we call upon all businesses to employ common-sense data protection practices:
- Never disclose confidential information to public AI platforms.
- Always decline “use for training” when working with GPT interfaces.
- Use business accounts or private installations for sensitive tasks.
We want AI not to be a human substitute, but an elimination of drudgery that can break productivity. Under guidance, it is a system of assistance, never a threat.
Looking ahead, we’re collaborating with Razor and the AMRC on a pilot to develop a user-friendly AI assistant tailored to the needs of SME manufacturers.
If you’re considering adopting AI, start small. Pick one admin-heavy task and experiment. Set your avatar. Test the tool. And build confidence step by step.
The future of AI in manufacturing isn’t hype—it’s practical. And it starts with your next small action.
