How AI Changed the Game for a Global Manufacturer

When Coberg, Germany-based Kaeser Kompressoren started on a journey to improve its data quality, little did it know that artificial intelligence (AI) would become a major game-changer for its business.

With a workforce of around 8,000 and a global sales and services organization operating in more than 140 countries, Kaeser is one of the world’s leading manufacturers and providers of compressed air solutions and services.

Together with SAP, Kaeser wanted to improve data quality and optimize its core business processes.  “AI was on our radar screen back then, but it wasn’t our starting point,” recalls Dr. Norbert Enge, chief business consultant for SAP Business Transformation Center.

The proportion of SAP Business AI in Kaeser’s data project rose from less than 10% in the first year to over 30% in the third. Today, the team is now 100% focused on SAP Business AI and has developed 12 specific use cases targeted at adding value for customers.

Discover more at the Fast Company article.

AI and Its Impact on Work

You have an idea for a new AI tool. Now what?  Two Northwestern Kellogg researchers offer tips on how to get AI development right. It's a podcast but a transcript is available, too.

Be careful how you approach this.  You don't want a rush to nowhere.

AI Picks in 2025 from MIT Technology Review

For the last couple of years MIT Technology Review had predicted what’s coming next in AI. A fool’s game given how fast this industry moves. But they're on a roll, and they've done it again.

So what’s coming in 2025? We’re going to ignore the obvious here: You can bet that agents and smaller, more efficient, language models will continue to shape the industry. Instead, here are five alternative picks from the MIT Technology Review AI team.

Strengthen Your People

To seize opportunities in an evolving global order, leaders will need to build geopolitical resilience by investing in three domains: insight, oversight, and foresight. There is, however, a fourth dimension that, without fail, arises in our [McKinsey's] discussions on geopolitical resilience with CEOs and board directors: people. The questions that come up include the following:

• How should I talk to my employees about sensitive geopolitical topics?
• How do I balance transparency with confidentiality around the work our company will not do in a market—a stance that, if it became known publicly, may jeopardize our organization’s operations, people, and reputation in that market?
• How should I upgrade our processes, from employment background checks to internal controls on unauthorized access to data, amid growing stakeholder and regulatory expectations and requirements?
• How can I strengthen unity within our organization and signal that we are committed to being global and inclusive in a changing world?

The question becomes:  How you plan to strengthen your people in 2025?

To learn more, access the entire article here.