Over the last few years, artificial intelligence (AI) has moved from a largely theoretical concept to an active part of team and project management. Whether building a manufacturing project schedule or executing it to a T, AI has the potential to transform the way you think about managing your manufacturing business.
Just a quick Google search will show you that AI is a digital wild west. Numerous vendors try to sell their services to businesses that are desperate to jump on the trend. It’s what makes searching for the best AI platforms for manufacturing teams and projects so tricky.
You’ve come to the right place. Join us for a discussion of AI tools in the manufacturing industry, starting with a general overview of the variables to look for before digging deeper into the top tools available to manage teams and projects today.
Summarize this article for me pleaseWhat Should You Look for in AI Manufacturing Tools?
The potential applications of AI are very broad. Machine learning algorithms, robotic process automation, and AI-based predictive maintenance are all different applications of the same process. That said, the best AI tools all tend to share a few commonalities that can help you improve your business:
- Ease of use: Especially with technology as new and complex as AI, the tool you choose should be easy enough to use without holding an advanced computer engineering degree
- Collaboration opportunities: The more the tool enables you to work together as a team, the more successful it will be in improving your manufacturing processes
- Tangible process improvements: AI manufacturing tools are, at their core, process improvement tools. Make sure that any features they offer are likely to lead to tangible process efficiency improvements
- Flexible access: Can you use the AI tool on desktop computers as well as mobile devices? Its benefits should be location-agnostic, helping in both manufacturing plants and the office
- Automation capabilities: Any AI tool for the manufacturing industry should automate at least some typically manual practices to save working time and boost efficiency
Most importantly, of course, your AI tool needs to align with your project development strategy. The more it can blend into your existing processes, the better.
Summarize this article for me pleaseThe 10 Best Manufacturing AI Tools to Use
Take all of the above features and align them with the manufacturing industry, and you get the list that follows. These are the top tools that can improve your manufacturing processes, leveraging machine learning algorithms, predictive maintenance, and more.
1. ClickUp
You may know ClickUp primarily as a project management software, but its best work happens behind the scenes. That includes improving how you manage your manufacturing operations and projects and creating a comprehensive project plan with ClickUp’s AI feature.
With ClickUp, AI weaves its way through all parts of the productivity equation. The AI tools can summarize strategy documents, generate action items, translate instructions, and more. In short, it’s the perfect tool to optimize your productivity while creating and optimizing a comprehensive project plan.
ClickUp best features
- An advanced set of AI tools that specifically improve productivity and quality control through the automation of repetitive tasks and better process automation
- A broad template library, including industry-specific options such as the Manufacturing Project Plan
- Process mapping tools to map your production processes, including whiteboards and mind maps, that can link your strategic discussions with tactical, AI-based execution
- An emphasis on visual dashboards and user-friendliness to make onboarding and using AI features easy
ClickUp limitations
- The mobile app has a limited set of features, which can lead to mobility issues for some users
- AI systems and tools are still relatively new, and more features are implanting them
ClickUp pricing
free forever
Best for individual users
Free Free
Key Features:
60MB Storage
Unlimited Tasks
Unlimited Free Plan Members
unlimited
Best for small teams
$7 $10
Everything in Free +
Unlimited Storage
Unlimited Folders and Spaces
Unlimited Integrations
business
Best for mid-sized teams
$12 $19
Everything in Unlimited +
Google SSO
Unlimited Message History
Unlimited Mind Maps
enterprise
Best for many large teams
Get a custom demo and see how ClickUp aligns with your goals.
Everything in Business +
White Labeling
Conditional Logic in Forms
Subtasks in Multiple Lists
* Prices when billed annually
The world's most complete work AI, starting at $9 per month
ClickUp Brain is a no Brainer. One AI to manage your work, at a fraction of the cost.
ClickUp ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.7/5 (8,700+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.7/5 (3,800+ reviews)
📮 ClickUp Insight: 26% of workers say their best way to unplug is by immersing in hobbies or workouts, while 22% use end of day rituals like closing laptops at a set time or changing out of work clothes when working from home. But 30% still find it difficult to mentally disconnect!
ClickUp Reminders help reinforce healthy habits. Set an end-of-day wrap-up alert, auto-update your team on completed tasks with AI standups, and use ClickUp Brain, the built-in AI assistant, to run through your tasks daily so you’re always on top of your most important tasks.
💫 Real Results: Lulu Press saves 1 hour per day, per employee using ClickUp Automations—leading to a 12% increase in work efficiency.
2. Odoo
Odoo is a suite of apps that integrate seamlessly to optimize your entire business structure. CRM, sales, eCommerce, Timesheet, Helpdesk, Invoicing, Inventory, and Marketing Automation are just some of the many apps manufacturing companies can use.
Odoo best features
- AI-powered expense automation that automatically classifies and validates digital and paper bills
- Extensive library of AI systems and app integrations by third-party vendors, including automated equipment calibration and material request workflows
- A ChatGPT-enabled AI engine that allows project managers to use text prompts to create and execute their workflows
- An extensive user community that can help businesses new to the software optimize their use of it
Odoo limitations
- The use of several individual apps can make managing the overall business complicated at times
- Limited integrations with non-Odoo apps, requiring a full commitment to the vendor to make the most of its tools
Odoo pricing
- Free for one app
- Standard: $24.90/month per user
- Custom: $37.40/month per user
Odoo ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.2/5 (200+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.1/5 (700+ reviews)
3. Asana
A long-time leader in construction project management software, Asana is jumping on the AI train. Its emphasis on designing all features to connect AI with its existing functionality can help your team make better, more strategic decisions within and across your projects.
Asana best features
- Analyze team capacity based on historical and anticipated future workloads and make dynamic recommendations on how to shift capacity
- Automated workflows that create more efficient project flows and self-optimize over time according to your goals and best practices
- Dynamic project status updates that can analyze the health of a project and update the team accordingly
- Personalized ability to enable and disable AI functionalities for processes that still require a heavier manual touch
Asana limitations
- Limited standardization functions, especially when it comes to recurring tasks and processes common in the manufacturing industry
- A tendency to send too many notifications to users regarding task activities, making it difficult to catch every notification on more complex projects
Asana pricing
- Premium: $10.99/month per user
- Business: $24.99/month per user
- Enterprise: Contact for pricing
Asana ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.3/5 (9,400+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.5/5 (12,000+ reviews)
4. Teamwork
As its name suggests, Teamwork aims to do exactly that—help your team work better together to accomplish core business goals. Whether creating project timelines or improving how your manufacturing business executes individual tasks, its features can help you optimize your work.
Teamwork best features
- Automated task management that streamlines especially complex manufacturing data and projects
- Broad template library that includes simple meeting agendas and complex project plans
- Advanced analytics and reporting tools that keep an overview of and suggest improvements for all your projects and ensure more accurate demand forecasting
- Praised for its excellent and fast customer service
Teamwork limitations
- Limited API that has led to data export issues for some users
- Despite integrated AI on the backend, there are no explicit AI features users can leverage
Teamwork pricing
- Free
- Starter: $5.99/month per user
- Deliver: $9.99/month per user
- Grow: $19.99/month per user
- Scale: Contact for pricing
Teamwork ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.4/5 (1,000+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.5/5 (800+ reviews)
5. WiPro
As a comprehensive digital transformation and innovation partner, WiPro is more than just an AI manufacturing tool. The company provides comprehensive AI services that have the potential to transform the way you do business.
WiPro best features
- AI360 is an innovation ecosystem that integrates machine learning models and AI into all your business tools and processes
- A custom consulting and implementation team for every client to improve your production process and supply chain management
- End-to-end consulting on initial strategy, ongoing execution, project management, and accurate demand forecasting
WiPro limitations
- Because WiPro is a consulting service, it tends to be more costly than technology-only AI systems
- The company may delay some projects due to its global operations and client base
WiPro pricing
- Contact for pricing
WiPro ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.1/5 (40+ reviews)
- Capterra: No reviews to date
6. Procore
Procore is a leading construction management solution that optimizes manual work, from initial bidding through supply chain optimization, construction, and project closeout. AI tools that maximize efficiencies can enhance financial management, project management, and more.
Procore best features
- Advanced predictive analytics that can take construction data and build more accurate demand forecasting models while estimating future impacts for anything, including materials and timelines
- AI-enabled workflows to streamline decision-making and construction processes
- Intelligent data visualization that can show current and future project statuses
- Customization abilities to account for different construction projects and processes across the business
Procore limitations
- As a tool for the construction industry only, it has limited flexibility
- User interface is not necessarily intuitive for users new to digital project management
Procore pricing
- Contact for pricing
Procore ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.6/5 (2,000+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.5/5 (2,600+ reviews)
7. Monday
A popular project management solution, Monday is adding AI to its repertoire. As it rolls out, it will become available on more apps and for more users looking to streamline their project management on the platform.
Monday best features
- Automated task creation that builds more efficient workflows and projects on your behalf
- AI-enabled document templates to avoid starting from scratch with new job instructions or project docs
- Formula Builder allows you to describe a task or objective, for which it then builds an efficient process on your behalf
- Intuitive user interface and AI-powered systems make using the tool easy, even for new users
Monday limitations
- AI functionality is currently a beta version that’s only available to a limited set of customers
- Only available on a few of Monday’s core apps prior to the full rollout
Monday pricing
- Free
- Basic: $8/month per user
- Standard: $10/month per user
- Pro: $16/month per user
- Enterprise: Contact for pricing
Monday ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.7/5 (8,600+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.6/5 (4,100+ reviews)
8. Project Insight
Project Insight designed its project management system for simplicity, so it doesn’t tout its AI capabilities. Instead it subtly weaves them into its core functionality, helping manufacturing managers more easily build and optimize their projects.
Project Insight best features
- Automated task and deliverable approval processes to streamline the work of larger teams, leading to potentially significant cost savings
- Dynamic project planning that considers a company’s entire project portfolio, tasks, and workflows
- Project performance reports that analyze data and evaluate manufacturing projects during and after completion
- Personalized forms that flow directly into workflows and dynamic tasks for information intake and handovers
Project Insight limitations
- You cannot optimize some features, such as project status updates
- Relatively limited feature set compared to some of the other project management tools on this list
Project Insight pricing
- Free Forever
- Add-ons: $3/month for every feature you add on
- Enterprise: $45/month
Project Insight ratings and reviews
- G2: 3.6/5 (10+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.4/5 (40+ reviews)
9. Wrike
Wrike is a top enterprise project management software, and for good reason. Its design means it can upscale the collaboration and work of even the largest manufacturing teams, and its AI tools play a large role in getting to that point.
Wrike best features
- Generative AI tools to rapidly generate content, including initial project briefs and comprehensive plans
- Risk factor analysis within projects that uses historical data to recommend how to avoid delays, optimize work, and more
- Dynamic task creation based on briefs and conversations that saves time on complex projects
- Streamlined and simple interface that simplifies onboarding for small and large teams
Wrike limitations
- Desktop devices see an optimized user interface; the mobile app experience is less consistent
- Some AI features, such as work assistant and intelligent search, are still in development and not yet available
Wrike pricing
- Free
- Team: $9.80/month per user
- Business: $24.80/month per user
- Enterprise: Contact for pricing
- Pinnacle: Contact for pricing
Wrike ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.2/5 (3,400+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.3/5 (2,400+ reviews)
10. Salesforce Einstein
Einstein is the AI component of the world’s most popular CRM (not to mention a top CRM for manufacturing). It boosts productivity and improves customer communications thanks to advanced AI and language integrations that hook directly into your Salesforce account.
Salesforce Einstein best features
- AI-generated emails that learn from top-performing messages and improve customer communication over time
- Predictive insights that enable more data-focused and strategic decision-making
- Visual interface that enables users without any developer expertise to leverage all its functionality
- Direct integration with existing Salesforce accounts and setups
Salesforce Einstein limitations
- Scope tends to be limited, both to Salesforce and to the functionality within Salesforce
- According to some users, the large language model requires further training to become more reliable
Salesforce Einstein pricing
- Essentials: $25/month per user
- Professional: $75/month per user
- Enterprise: $150/month per user
- Unlimited: $300/month per user
Salesforce ratings and reviews
- G2: No reviews to date
- Capterra: 4/5 (2+ reviews)
Summarize this article for me pleaseFind the Right AI Tool to Optimize Your Manufacturing Process
It’s time to become more efficient when managing your manufacturing process and projects. With the right AI tool, you can get there—and that tool is ClickUp.
Our AI capabilities are strong and continue to expand. Most importantly, it’s designed to optimize your work and improve your workflow, helping you manage your processes and teams more efficiently.
But enough with the talk. Time to test it out for yourself! Create a free account to get started and find out why ClickUp is the best AI tool for the manufacturing industry.
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