From experiment to integral: Boltrics’ vision on AI

AI is no longer a thing of the future. It has become an integral part of everyday logistics operations. At Boltrics, we see this development entering a new phase. While AI is often still viewed as a standalone innovation or experiment, we have consciously chosen a different path: AI as an integral part of our platform, our processes, and our organization.

From experiment to application

Over the past period, we have invested heavily in AI – from training and inspiration to setting up a dedicated AI team. That phase has taught us an important lesson: AI only delivers value when it is directly integrated into the customer’s operations.

Without concrete application, it remains abstract. Interesting, but not scalable. That’s why we’ve made a clear choice: not AI as a standalone initiative, but as an integral part of everything we do. From development to consulting. Not alongside our operations, but embedded within them.

Three levels of AI

To put this approach into practice, at Boltrics we view AI in terms of three levels: Personal AI, Hybrid AI, and Embedded AI.

Most organizations are already familiar with Personal AI: tools like ChatGPT and Copilot that boost individual productivity. However, the real impact in logistics comes from Hybrid AI: where AI directly supports processes such as order processing or planning.

Embedded AI is the next step, in which systems make decisions on their own and optimize processes. But this phase requires something else: control over data, processes, and IT. Yet this is where things often go wrong.

More AI does not automatically lead to better results

What we’re seeing in the market is that organizations are piling on AI solutions. A different tool for every process. A new vendor for every challenge. That may seem like progress, but in practice it often leads to fragmentation. Data gets scattered across systems, governance becomes complex, and scalability takes a back seat.

AI enhances what already exists. So if the foundation isn’t right, problems will only get worse. That’s why we’ve made a conscious choice to use a single integrated platform, built on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, where AI isn’t an add-on but an integral part of the standard offering.

What does that mean in practice?

At Boltrics, AI is not about experimenting. It’s about concrete applications that directly impact operations.

A good example is order processing. This is a process that is still largely manual at many 3PL providers. Orders come in via email, PDF, or Excel and are then manually entered into the WMS or TMS. That works, until the volume increases. Then it becomes a bottleneck.

By leveraging the AI capabilities within the Microsoft platform on which Boltrics runs, we fully automate this process. Transforming unstructured data into structured data. Here’s what happens:

1. An order is received via email
2. AI recognizes the structure and interprets the content
3. Data such as customer, items, quantities, and delivery dates is automatically extracted
4. The system immediately creates an order in the WMS or TMS

Master data validations, logical checks, and exception handling ensure that quality is maintained. AI speeds up the process, but the platform ensures reliability.

The results are evident in several areas: less manual work, faster processing, and fewer errors. But the real benefit lies in scalability. The operation can grow without the organization having to grow in the same way.

We apply the same principle to other processes as well. Think of the automatic processing of purchase invoices and documents, or the interpretation of customer communications so that they can be put to immediate use within operations. AI also plays a role in our development processes, for example in identifying security and performance issues. These aren’t isolated applications, but part of a single, cohesive approach: AI as an integrated component of the platform.

AI is not a separate team anymore

This development also calls for a different approach to organization. Whereas AI used to be the responsibility of a separate team, we have chosen to fully integrate it into the organization. AI is not a specialized field on the sidelines, but a capability utilized by all teams. Precisely because AI is closely aligned with practical operations, it yields solutions that actually work for 3PL providers.

What does this mean for you as a 3PL provider?

The question isn’t whether you should start using AI. The question is where to start. Organizations that are truly making progress today aren’t opting for more tools, but for greater coherence. They operate from a single platform, standardize their processes, and ensure their data is in order.

That’s not a technical choice, but a strategic one. Because only with that foundation can you deploy AI in a way that remains scalable and manageable. AI will become less and less visible as a standalone technology, and increasingly seen as a natural part of operations. Like water: always there, essential, but not something you consciously think about. At Boltrics, we’re working toward that goal. Not by treating AI as an afterthought, but by weaving it into everything we do.