Application of artificial intelligence technology in the manufacturing process and purchasing and supply management

The complexity and interconnectivity of today's manufacturing and purchasing and supply management (PSM) systems are paving the way for new technological advancements in the manufacturing and purchasing and supply sectors. Recent developments in artificial intelligence (AI) and the extensive amount of generated manufacturing data, known as big data, are allowing the integration of new kind of analytics tools in the supply chain, which are optimizing the way goods are produced. The focus of this paper is the application of such AI systems in the manufacturing and purchasing and supply management processes in factories, leading to concepts like smart factory and smart manufacturing, and the restructuring and digitalization on the production floor, dominated till to now by the human workforce.