AI Assistant Guide
Your intelligent ERP co-pilot
What is the Agentic AI Assistant?
The Factory Forward AI Assistant is an intelligent co-pilot that understands natural language and helps you navigate the ERP system. Unlike traditional chatbots, our Agentic AI doesn't just answer questions — it takes action, executes workflows, retrieves data, and provides proactive recommendations based on your business context.
Accessing the AI Assistant
The AI Assistant is available throughout the Factory Forward ERP. Look for the AI Assistant button in the bottom-right corner of any screen, or use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + K (or ⌘ + K on Mac).
What Can the AI Do?
Natural Language Queries
Ask questions in plain English and get instant, contextual answers
Example queries:
- →
"What is the current stock level for part ABC-123?" - →
"Show me all open purchase orders for Supplier X" - →
"What work orders are scheduled for this week?" - →
"How many items are on hold in inventory?"
Workflow Guidance
Get step-by-step help navigating complex ERP processes
Example queries:
- →
"How do I create a new work order?" - →
"Guide me through receiving a purchase order" - →
"How do I perform a cycle count?" - →
"Walk me through the three-way match process"
Data Lookups
Instantly retrieve information from across the ERP system
Example queries:
- →
"Find customer order #12345" - →
"What is the lead time for part XYZ?" - →
"Show me the BOM for product ABC" - →
"List all items with stock below minimum"
Proactive Recommendations
Receive intelligent suggestions based on your data patterns
Example queries:
- →
Alerts when inventory approaches reorder points - →
Suggestions for optimizing production schedules - →
Warnings about potential supply chain risks - →
Recommendations for quality improvement
Shop Floor Voice Commands
The AI Assistant is particularly powerful for shop floor operators who need to record activities hands-free or quickly without navigating multiple screens.
| Command | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Clock In | Start tracking time on a specific work order operation | "Clock me in to work order WO-001, operation 10" |
| Clock Out | Stop time tracking and record labor hours | "Clock me out of my current operation" |
| Report Completion | Report quantity completed for an operation | "Complete 50 units on WO-001, operation 10" |
| Material Consumption | Record materials consumed during production | "Issue 100 units of part ABC-123 to work order WO-001" |
| Report Scrap | Record scrapped quantities with reason codes | "Report 5 units scrapped on WO-001 due to material defect" |
Best Practices
Be Specific
Include relevant identifiers like part numbers, order numbers, or supplier names for faster, more accurate results.
Use Natural Language
Write questions as you would ask a colleague. The AI understands context and intent.
Ask Follow-up Questions
The AI maintains conversation context, so you can drill down into details without repeating information.
Request Explanations
Ask "why" or "how" to get detailed explanations of processes, calculations, or recommendations.
Pro Tips
- The AI remembers your conversation context within a session, so you can refer back to previous queries.
- Ask "What can you help me with?" to see a list of available capabilities for your current screen.
- Use phrases like "Show me..." or "Find..." for data lookups, and "Help me..." for workflow guidance.
- The AI respects your user permissions — it will only show data and actions you're authorized to access.