AI startup Noodle.ai has introduced a category of AI software for manufacturers which it calls Flow Operations, or FlowOps. This is to allow companies to improve operations flow and become no-waste enterprises.

FlowOps technology is designed to solve the problem of operations entropy in manufacturing and supply chain. These are seemingly random deviations and unpredictable events in production and distribution. Operations entropy leads to production problems and waste.

According to Noodle.ai, some $2 trillion is lost every year in the supply chain due to excess inventory, product defects and unplanned downtime, and 50% of the world’s waste comes from industry. 

Noodle.ai’s FlowOps technology product portfolio consists of five applications: Asset Flow, Quality Flow, Demand Flow, Inventory Flow, and Production Flow. 

The applications look for patterns in a company’s operations, predict possible scenarios, continuously learn, and make recommendations that improve the smooth flow of goods from raw materials to factories to shelf. 

Flow Ops uses Explainable AI (XAI), which takes in data about every action in a manufacturer’s operations and identifies previously undetectable patterns.

“We all should have a particular respect and empathy for front-line professionals who are responsible for manufacturing and distributing products. They have it rough and are the core of how we feed, clothe, and sustain society,” said Stephen Pratt, CEO of Noodle.ai. “Factories and supply chains are designed to flow perfectly. When we see the seemingly random disruptions to flow, factory and supply chain professionals bear the brunt of the noise. We are happy to announce that help has arrived with Flow Operations. For the first time, these professionals can see through the fog of entropy, eliminate waste, and restore flow.”

“During the pandemic, supply chains around the world turned to Noodle.ai to effectively predict and navigate an unprecedented crisis,” said Scott Darling, president of Dell Technologies Capital, a Noodle.ai investor and board member. “It also put a real spotlight on the need for FlowOps technology. This will be a requirement for every enterprise in the future, where minimising supply chain waste will be critical in order to maintain competitive advantage and maximise profitability.”

“FlowOps is more than a solution. It sets a new standard that enterprises must realise when managing complex supply chains, enabling profitability and scalability without waste,” Noodle.ai’s Pratt said. “This is truly a roadmap to a world without waste.”