AI That Puts Money Back Into Companies. A Conversation With Matt Kempson, COO AI at IFS, During Industrial X Unleashed

When I sat down with Matt Kempson, COO AI at IFS, during IFS Industrial AI X Unleashed, I immediately felt that I was about to hear something more than corporate slogans about artificial intelligence. Matt talks about AI in a deeply practical, almost operational way – always from the perspective of real problems that can be solved here and now. And indeed, this conversation turned out to be one of the most concrete I have conducted in recent years.

Industrial X Unleashed was a one-day event held by IFS on November 13, bringing together industry leaders, customers, and experts working at the intersection of industrial operations and artificial intelligence. The conference did not focus on futuristic visions, but on practical applications of AI – the kind that are already transforming how manufacturing, service, energy, and logistics companies operate.

Throughout this intensive day, IFS presented both its current AI strategy and concrete, fully functioning solutions used by customers today. Discussions focused on intelligent inventory management, digital workers supporting field technicians, supply chain automation, and tools that reduce diagnostic and repair times.

It was also an excellent opportunity to talk about the challenges faced by companies in Poland and around the world – from the shortage of skilled engineers to pressure to reduce operational costs and the growing need to automate processes.

It was in this context that my conversation with Matt Kempson, COO AI at IFS, took place.

When I opened the conversation by asking Matt about the biggest opportunity for AI across the industries IFS serves, I expected to hear about predictive maintenance, process automation, or intelligent planning. Instead, Matt began with a topic that is painfully down-to-earth – and financially enormous: inventory.

And not “inventory” in the sense of having a slightly better-stocked warehouse, but in the sense of millions in frozen capital that companies often don’t even know about.

Matt stated it clearly:

Listening to him, I immediately thought of many Polish companies investing in machines, automation, and ERP systems – while inventory quietly drains their cash flow in the background.

Then, he took it further:

It was at this point that I fully understood what Matt meant when he described inventory as “the most underestimated domain” in industrial AI. Not advanced predictive models, not robotics – but real-time visibility, normalization, and understanding of what
a company actually owns.

Matt also emphasized a crucial point: inventory is the area where AI delivers the fastest ROI. Often from day one.

And maybe, as Matt implicitly suggested, the perfect AI use case many companies are searching for… is already lying on a shelf in their warehouse.

My second question to Matt addressed a problem I see constantly in Poland: companies begin AI initiatives, run pilots… and stay stuck at that stage. Matt immediately acknowledged that this wasn’t just a local issue:

He explained that AI adoption always began with people – and that organizations could not bypass this phase:

He highlighted a step that most companies overlook:

Only then, Matt said, should companies move toward quick wins using ready-made solutions:

The most powerful statement came when he explained why companies get stuck:

Then came a warning every decision-maker should remember:

This part of the conversation showed me clearly that AI leaders weren’t distinguished by the tools they used – but by the pace and order in which they adopted them.

When I asked Matt which upcoming AI innovations at IFS excited him the most,
he didn’t hesitate: "Let me give you three.”

The first area was the upcoming relaunch of IFS.AI Logistics, enhanced by the acquisition of Seven Bridges.

Second were the digital worker capabilities demonstrated during IFS Loops:

The final area was clearly the one closest to Matt’s heart: inventory.

And then he delivered the sentence that shows just how transformative AI has become:

At that moment, it became clear that we weren’t talking about the future – but about solutions ready to reshape operations right now.

As we wrapped up, I asked Matt about the broader meaning of AI for companies – beyond individual use cases. His answer captured perfectly the essence of our discussion.

He stressed that companies often hunt for savings at the end of the year in the worst possible places – by cutting staff or squeezing suppliers. Meanwhile, the real opportunity lies elsewhere:

Then came the statement that stayed with me long after our conversation:

This made me realize that our discussion was not about the future – but about very real, very urgent decisions companies can make right now. About the money they lose every day by waiting. And about the competitive edge earned by those who don’t delay.

That’s why this conversation with Matt was one of the most eye-opening and concrete discussions I’ve had this year.