The rapid development of artificial intelligence is also fundamentally changing industrial procurement. But while algorithms deliver increasingly precise recommendations in sourcing, the human component is indispensable. The specialist for digital Procurement FACTUREE shows why AI-supported automation and personal advice to achieve the best result.
A study carried out by the market research company Caspar Feld on behalf of FACTUREE in March 2025 states: Digital procurement solutions are increasingly establishing themselves as a tool to meet the growing demands of modern purchasing processes. 79% can imagine digital manufacturing service providers as a permanent main supplier for their orders in order to facilitate procurement processes. At the same time, more than 47 percent are looking for personal contact with the manufacturing service provider. The study is based on online interviews with 181 procurement managers from sectors such as mechanical and plant engineering, automotive and medical technology.
Customers who need a drawing part receive everything from a single source at FACTUREE: supplier search, technical advice, production, post-processing and surface finishing. This reduces the workload in many ways: it saves time, costs and risks, as all steps and quality assurance are coordinated via a single interface. FACTUREE has an extensive network of over 2,000 manufacturing partners. Almost all areas are covered, including CNC machining, sheet metal processing, 3D printing, casting and forging processes as well as surface technology and hardening processes.
Algorithm meets experience: personal advice remains indispensable
The AI provides FACTUREE with a data-based preselection of suitable suppliers in a matter of seconds. The software reads CAD-The software not only interprets drawings according to standard parameters, but also recognizes the finest tolerances, special features and potential sources of error that often go undetected by the human eye.
Billy Schulz, Head of Sales at FACTUREE, explains: "These We combine technological precision with personal advice - Just like the supplier around the corner. Each customer is assigned a dedicated contact person who, among other things, clarifies all individual requirements with them and supports them throughout the entire process."
Instead of an instant-quotations, FACTUREE customers benefit from tailor-made offers. Billy Schulz says: "We don't work with an anonymous black box that blindly relies on algorithms. After all, the best solution is often only found in direct discussions with the customer - both technically and economically."
Practical example: Expert advice as a starting point, AI as an implementation partner
A mechanical engineering company requires a complex component with several processing steps and a specialized surface treatment. The inquiry initially envisaged a conventional solution - but a consultation with FACTUREE revealed that an alternative production method could deliver better results with lower tolerances and shorter processing times.
The proposal is based on the FACTUREE team's experience with similar components and applications. The AI only comes into play after this decision has been made: it compares the updated requirements with the partner network and identifies suppliers that exactly meet this combination of processes and specifications.
"The AI filters out the optimal paver for the order based on parameters such as quality, price or delivery speed. However, it is crucial that we set the right framework during the consultation and feed the algorithms with the knowledge gained. In this way, we don't simply choose the cheapest supplier, but identify precisely the paver that ideally covers all the relevant criteria," says Billy Schulz.
Strategic use of AI in digital procurement
How important the interplay between technology and human expertise will be in the future was also the topic of the "Procurement of Tomorrow" event series initiated by FACTUREE. At the kick-off event in Berlin in June, industry experts discussed the growing importance of AI-supported processes in procurement - and their limitations.
Jan-Henner Theißen, keynote speaker, emphasized the need not to wait any longer before implementing AI. At the same time, he pointed out how important it is to involve your own teams at an early stage: Without employee acceptance and involvement, any technical solution would remain ineffective. Alejandro Basterrechea, Director Indirect Procurement at Zalando, also warned that AI would otherwise run the risk of becoming an isolated tool - without any real added value for procurement.
"Our series of events will continue in September to further promote the exchange between purchasing managers, technology providers and industry representatives. The aim is to create a sustainable basis for decision-making in industrial procurement in the long term through the interaction of automation and consulting," says Billy Schulz.
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