How IFS & Anthropic are Shielding Supply Chains from Failure

A collaboration between IFS Nexus Black and Anthropic aims to bring new efficiency and resilience to sectors like aerospace, defence and energy by integrating sophisticated AI into core operational and logistical frameworks.

At the heart of this is Resolve, an AI-powered solution designed to prevent costly system failures and improve operational performance.

By leveraging Anthropic’s advanced AI models, including Claude, Resolve delivers actionable intelligence to support frontline workers in maintaining crucial infrastructure.

This is vital for managing supply chain integrity where downtime causes major disruption. 

Enhancing asset reliability in logistics

The partnership addresses a market gap where generic consumer-grade AI tools fall short. In industrial settings, asset reliability and safety are paramount when it comes to ensuring smooth-running supply chains.

The collaboration combines Anthropic’s leadership in safe and responsible AI with IFS' deep understanding of industrial software. This ensures solutions are technologically advanced, practical and safe for high-stakes environments.

“Partnering with Anthropic is about more than just their best-in-class AI models, it is also their commitment to responsible, safe AI – that’s non-negotiable when serving industries where, some days, life is on the line,” explains Kriti Sharma, CEO at IFS Nexus Black.

Resolve interprets multi-modal data inputs, such as video, audio and complex schematics, to predict equipment faults. For supply chain managers, this means far less unplanned downtime.

The system optimises schedules by assigning the right technician with the correct parts to the right location, streamlining maintenance and improving data collection through voice recognition and automatic transcription.

Mitigating supply chain disruptions

Modern supply chains face immense challenges from ageing infrastructure and disruptions. The integration of specialised industrial AI, like Resolve, becomes crucial for navigating these complexities.

“Anthropic combines frontier AI capabilities with the safety and reliability that industries require,” says Garvan Doyle, Applied AI Lead at Anthropic. “IFS has unquestionable expertise in the complex realities of the industrial world. Together, we’re deploying AI where stakes are highest.”

A practical application can be seen at the Scottish distillery, William Grant & Sons. Using Resolve to analyse plant schematics and sensor data, William Grant & Sons moved from reactive to proactive maintenance.

Previously, 38% of repairs were caused by emergencies, leading to costly production stoppages which impacted their ability to supply products.

Predictive maintenance has dramatically reduced this downtime, increasing output and securing their supply chain. The change is projected to save William Grant & Sons around £8.4m (US$11.1m) annually.

“IFS Nexus Black understood our industry – they weren’t trying to apply something generic,” explains Badri Narasimhan, Chief Technology & Business Growth Officer for William Grant & Sons. “It’s innovation that’s practical, fast and actually connected to results, not theory.”

Bolstering resilience against external shocks

The partnership’s impact extends to improving resilience against external events, like natural disasters - a major threat to supply chain continuity.

With weather-related losses growing, Resolve assists in disaster recovery by using predictive analytics to forecast impact zones and prioritise technician deployment. For utility companies, this means managing parts logistics automatically and coordinating mutual aid, enabling them to restore power 40% faster.

A stable power grid is fundamental to the functioning of the entire supply chain, from manufacturing plants to logistics hubs, ensuring that communities and essential services can recover more quickly.