In automation, product variety is often a source of strength. It allows companies to solve a wide range of customer challenges. At the same time, it can slow down the process of getting to the right solution.
Selecting a robot tool changer can involve navigating thousands of possible configurations across robot brands, payloads, and utilities. Ensuring the right fit requires expert validation, which introduces delays as teams manually analyze and validate each request.
We set out to simplify that experience while maintaining accuracy.
With the launch of an AI-powered assistant on ati.novanta.com, customers can now begin configuring tool changers through a guided, conversational experience. Instead of manually interpreting specifications, users can describe their application needs and receive recommendations grounded in known configurations and historical data.
The system is designed to accelerate the process of identifying the right product for the application. When a configuration aligns with known and validated combinations, users can move forward more quickly. When a request introduces new variables or falls outside standard parameters, it is routed to our engineering team for review.
Since launching in April, the assistant has already supported hundreds of customer interactions. This early adoption reflects a clear need for faster, more guided configuration experiences.
It also points to a larger shift. In increasingly complex automation environments, competitive advantage comes from scaling expertise, not just applying it. When knowledge becomes accessible in real time, organizations move faster, making better decisions and creating capacity for higher-value work.
Reducing friction at the start of the process has a meaningful impact. Customers spend less time navigating complexity and more time moving toward a solution. At the same time, we benefit from a more consistent product selection, improved alignment with available configurations, and a more efficient quote process.
As automation solutions continue to grow in complexity, making expertise more accessible will be essential to maintaining speed, accuracy, and customer confidence.