GUIDES
Guides for manufacturers
How to choose software and where AI pays off in a plant, written from the work we do with manufacturers and distributors.
01
AI for manufacturing
- AI in manufacturingAI in manufacturing, explained for industrial manufacturers: the use cases that pay off by department, where generative AI helps, and how to start on your ERP.
- AI for machine shopsAI for machine shops and CNC job shops: quoting from RFQs, control plans from customer prints, setup knowledge and scheduling, on the ERP the shop already runs.
- AI consulting for manufacturingHow AI implementation works at a manufacturer, what consultants, integrators and software vendors each leave you holding, and what to ask before hiring one.
- What is a forward deployed engineer?What a forward deployed engineer does, how the role differs from a consultant or solutions engineer, and what forward deployed engineers do at Structify.
02
Compare vendors
- Best AI startups for manufacturingTen AI startups for manufacturing, ranked for industrial manufacturers on what each one fixes, how it deploys, and the proof on its own site, with a worked example.
- Palantir alternativesLooking for a Palantir alternative? Nine Palantir competitors ranked by which Palantir product they replace, who they fit, how they deploy, and the proof on their own sites.
- Tulip alternativesLooking for a Tulip alternative? Ten options compared, from MES suites like Siemens Opcenter and Plex to connected worker apps and Structify, with who each one fits and how it deploys.
- Paperless Parts alternativesLooking for a Paperless Parts alternative? Nine quoting and estimating options for job shops compared, from shop ERPs like ProShop and JobBOSS² to AI quoting tools and Structify.
03
Quoting
- Manufacturing quoting softwareManufacturing quoting software compared: eight AI quoting tools for job shops, CNC shops, and contract manufacturers, on how each one prices a part, where the quote goes next, and the proof on its own site.
- RFQ automationWhat RFQ automation is, the steps from inbound request to sales order, what software does at each step and what a person still decides, and how an RFQ differs from an RFP and an RFI.
04
Quality planning
- APQP and PPAP softwareHow to choose APQP software and PPAP software in 2026: what each one has to manage, five questions to ask, and six tools compared from their own sites, including where Structify fits and where it does not.
- Control plan and PFMEA softwareHow to choose control plan software and PFMEA software in 2026: how the process flow, PFMEA, and control plan link, five questions to ask, and eight tools compared, including where Structify fits.
05
ERP
- AI ERPWhat an AI ERP is, the three ways manufacturers add AI to an ERP, and what to check before buying: replace the ERP, turn on the vendor's AI, or build on top.
- Epicor AIA plain guide to Epicor AI: what Epicor Prism, Grow AI and Automation Studio do, what to ask before you buy, and how to build AI on Epicor Kinetic data.
- ERP data migrationHow to migrate data to a new ERP: what to move, how to clean and map it, how to test and cut over, and when to put AI on the old ERP instead of migrating.
06
Data extraction
- AI data extractionAI data extraction for manufacturers and distributors: read POs, invoices, spec sheets and production sheets, check each field against the ERP, then post.
- Unstructured data extractionWhat unstructured data extraction is, four ways to do it and where each breaks, and how manufacturers turn emails, PDFs and paper forms into usable data.
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