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July 26, 2026

Artificial intelligence is transforming how manufacturers approach software development. With the latest generation of AI coding tools, creating custom applications has become faster and more accessible than ever before. But does this mean companies should stop investing in professional software solutions? According to Lumeso CEO Georg Katzlinger-Söllradl, the answer is not simply "make" or "buy"—it's both. AI now makes it practical for manufacturers to develop small, internal tools tailored to specific workflows. Dashboards, monitoring applications, and other specialized utilities that were once too expensive to justify can now be created in a matter of days. This opens new opportunities for production teams to solve unique challenges quickly. However, building reliable enterprise software remains a different challenge. While AI can generate impressive prototypes in a short time, creating systems that are secure, maintainable, scalable, and dependable for daily production requires experience and long-term engineering. As software complexity increases, so do the demands for testing, documentation, and ongoing maintenance. This is where professional ERP systems continue to play a critical role. Core business functions such as master data management, costing, pricing logic, production planning, and traceability benefit from robust, professionally maintained software. At the same time, open ERP platforms allow companies to integrate AI-powered applications and custom-built tools through standardized interfaces, combining flexibility with reliability. Lumeso's AI solution demonstrates this approach by extracting information from emails, PDFs, scans, and technical drawings before transferring verified data into ERP systems through standardized interfaces. The ERP remains the trusted system of record, while AI accelerates data extraction and process automation. As AI continues to reshape manufacturing, the companies that benefit most will be those that combine professional software with targeted AI solutions—leveraging the strengths of both to build more efficient and competitive operations.