Mendix VP on Getting Manufacturing AI Returns Beyond Hype

Businesses, including manufacturers, are not seeing returns from AI, according to Grant Thornton's 2026 AI Impact Survey. 

Despite three in four boards approving major AI investments, the results show that governance gaps and data readiness are holding back performance.

Dr Raffaello Lepratti is Global Vice President of Industrial Manufacturing at Mendix, a Siemens business.

He works with manufacturers around the world to put the low-code application development platform to use, creating industrial applications that help to increase agility and productivity. 

Before joining Siemens in 2005, he earned a master's degree in electrical engineering, as well as a PhD in advanced human-machine interactions from the Brandenburg Technical University. 

Dr Lepratti shares his insights on how manufacturers can get impact from AI with Manufacturing Digital. 

How can manufacturers deliver fast, measurable ROI?

Fast ROI doesn’t come from chasing the latest tech trend just because everyone else is talking about it. It comes from fixing real problems that manufacturing companies deal with every day. Low-code platforms make it easier to build practical solutions that actually help both top and shop-floor by streamlining processes that connect users, data and systems across various domains.  This often looks like automating tasks through AI to providing users with integrated data from multiple systems.

The impact shows up quickly. Processes run more smoothly, there’s less repetitive manual work, and people spend less time firefighting and more time focusing on tasks that actually matter. When teams can point to fewer errors, faster turnaround times or clear cost savings, ROI stops feeling like a finance concept and starts feeling real. It’s something people can see, feel and take pride in – not just something that appears in a quarterly report.

What do core systems need to evolve for AI and digital tools?

Most manufacturers rely on core systems that have been in place for years, sometimes decades. They’re trusted because they keep the business running. In most cases, these systems represent relevant investments, in the form of financial or IP, that manufacturers want to further leverage in the digital evolution. The answer isn’t to rip everything out and start over. It’s to build incremental value on what already works.

Low-code platforms let AI and digital tools sit on top of existing systems, extending what they can do without disrupting daily operations. That makes a huge difference for the people using these systems every day. Innovation feels less like a disruption and more like an opportunity. Teams can try new ideas, improve processes, and see results without worrying that something critical will break. Progress then becomes incremental and manageable, and confidence grows alongside capability.

How can manufacturers move from AI hype to proven outcomes?

AI comes with a lot of noise, and for many people, that noise can feel intimidating. It can feel complex, risky or completely disconnected from their day-to-day work. The shift from hype to results happens when AI is made practical and approachable.

Low-code platforms help demystify AI by putting it directly into real workflows by predicting maintenance issues, improving quality checks or smoothing out production planning. People can try it, give feedback and see what works. Those small wins matter. They build trust and confidence, turning AI from a buzzword into something genuinely useful. Over time, adoption feels natural rather than forced, because people can clearly see how it makes their jobs easier, faster and more satisfying. That’s when outcomes stop being theoretical and start showing up in the business.