Manufacturing · Service & engineering

The right spare part, even when all you get is a photo.

Spare parts are recognised by the AI from a photo, type plate or serial number, availability is checked and the quote is created. It goes out after approval.

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MatchingVX-400
  1. Build stateRevision C from 2019fits
  2. Stock4 pcs, plant northavailable
  3. PriceList €486.00check discount
Part requestCustomer photo
Customer photo: blue pump with a type plate on a concrete floor, connected to black hosesWater pumpKP-12 · SN 40218
Item 7140-212Match 97%

Where time goes today.

  1. Requests arrive incomplete

    A photo, half a serial number, "the part at the bottom left". Whoever matches it searches drawings, parts lists and old orders.

  2. Build states make it hard

    The same series in three revisions. Without a look at the machine file the wrong part ships, and the return costs twice.

  3. Experience sits with a few people

    Often only one colleague knows which part replaced the old one. When they are out, the customer waits.

One case, step by step.

Spare partsInbox
  • Hoffmann Stanztechnik08:12Pump broken, photo attachedType plate hard to read, machine VX-400Photo
  • Customer portal08:31Spindle seal kitSN 38811, built 2017Serial no.
  • Plant Poland09:05Parts list items 14 to 22Quote by Friday pleaseParts list

The request comes as it comes.

By email, form or customer portal, with a photo, a type plate or just a description. The AI reads every channel in one place.

Your team decides

Which channels are connected.

Part requestHoffmann Stanztechnik
Customer photo: blue pump with a type plate on a concrete floor, connected to black hosesWater pumpKP-12 · SN 40218
Item 7140-212Match 97%

The AI recognises part and type plate.

From the photo it reads shape and type plate, matches them against catalogue and drawings and states how certain the match is.

Your team decides

Above which certainty a match goes on without a follow-up question.

CheckItem 7140-212
  1. Machine fileVX-400 · revision Cfits
  2. Stock4 pcs, delivery tomorrowavailable
  3. Successornot neededcurrent
  4. Customer priceFramework contract 2026check discount

Suggestion: quote with framework discount

Build state, stock and price at a glance.

The AI checks the machine file for revision and retrofits, asks the ERP for stock and lead time and suggests the successor for discontinued parts.

Your team decides

Whether a successor part is offered and at what price.

Quote AN-26-0412ERP
CustomerHoffmann Stanztechnik
MachineVX-400 · SN 40218
ItemCoolant pump KP-12, item 7140-212
Price€437.40 (-10%)
Deliverytomorrow, plant north
For approval

The quote is ready as a draft.

Items, prices and lead time sit in the ERP draft. Inside sales checks, adjusts and sends.

Your team decides

Whether and how the quote goes out.

What it delivers and what it connects to.

  • about 20%

    of revenue in German machinery comes from service and spare parts

    Source: VDMA, service (German)

  • 15 min

    instead of about an hour for an unclear part request

    Assumption for a typical company

  • 1 day

    sooner at the customer when the quote goes out the same morning

    Assumption for a typical company

Works with the systems you already use

Who does what.

What the AI takes on

  • Reads requests from every channel
  • Recognises part and type plate in the photo
  • Checks build state, stock and successors
  • Drafts the quote

What your team decides

  • Clarifies questions with the customer
  • Decides on successor parts
  • Sets price and discount
  • Approves the quote

Who it fits.

A good fit if

  • Your inside sales team gets many parts requests without an item number
  • Your machines run for years at customer sites, in several build states
  • Parts catalogue, bills of materials and drawings are digital
  • Stock and prices live in the ERP

Less of a fit if

  • Customers almost always order with your item number, for example in the shop
  • Older machines have no bills of materials or drawings left
  • A distributor sells your spare parts and the requests never reach you

What it costs

Fixed prices, clear steps.

You know up front what each step costs and what it delivers.

  • Recommended start

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    • You find out whether an AI strategy is worth it
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  • AI strategy

    €1,990plus VAT

    Fixed price

    • One workshop day on real cases
    • A calculation with your figures for the best use cases
    • A paper for management and shareholders

    Money-back guarantee: three use cases that pay back within 12 months on paper, with your figures, or your money back.

    Request the AI strategy

  • Pilot with one use case

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    Fixed price

    • On your data, in your process
    • Acceptance criteria agreed in writing
    Request a pilot

All prices net. Operation afterwards is from 20% of the project price a year, cancellable monthly. The code and the data are yours.

Built fromAI agentsData & documentsCustom software

Further reading

All posts
Why the AI cannot find your part number: pgvector, Azure AI Search and others compared in plain termsKnowledge systemsTiemo Timtschenko
Claude Code mods: what the new feature brings and why AI tools are becoming customisableAI toolsTiemo Timtschenko
Claude Skills: How to teach an AI the way your company worksAI toolsTiemo Timtschenko

Frequent questions

Common questions about it.

The questions that almost always come up about this use case.

What if the photo is not enough?

The AI says so and drafts the question to the customer, for example for the type plate or serial number. Inside sales sends it with one click.

Do we need images of every part?

No. The AI works with the drawings, parts lists and catalogue data you have. Photos from closed requests improve recognition over time.

Does the AI change our ERP?

It reads stock and prices and creates quotes as drafts. Nothing is booked or sent without approval.

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The next step

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