What we saw at AI Reality Check: practical AI in distribution and manufacturing

On 15 October 2026 we filled a room at the Manufacturing Technology Centre in Coventry with people who run, or shape decisions for, distribution and manufacturing businesses. The brief for the afternoon was simple: show AI that is running inside real operations, hear from the people deploying it, and leave the slideware at the door.

How the afternoon was built

The agenda had four parts, and the order was deliberate: context first, then working examples, then a look at real systems, then an open conversation.

• An opening session from Sean Culey, Director of Supply Chain at the MTC, on thriving through disruption in distribution and manufacturing.
• Two case studies, from Ben Firman of Continuum and Jenit Ramaiya of Ambit Software, each focused on what a working deployment looks like on the ground.
• A tour of the MTC's innovation labs, including the latest AI and robotics warehouse technology, so the room could see systems moving rather than only hear about them.
• An AI panel, moderated by Kevin McGirl, with Sean Culey, Rich Sinclair of EO Group (CTRL Commerce) and James Samuels of Vizibli, on practical AI in distribution and manufacturing businesses.

What the sessions covered

Thriving through disruption

The opening session set the backdrop for everything that followed: supply chains that have to cope with constant change, and how leaders in distribution and manufacturing can build the capacity to adapt rather than only to withstand the next shock.

Continuum: AI against labour and margin pressure

Ben Firman looked at how North American distributors are using AI and automation to counter two pressures at once: a shortage of experienced people and thin operating margins. The case study followed one of those distributors as it brought AI into its operation, with a focus on the work that moves between companies and systems.

Ambit Software: building AI-powered value chains

Jenit Ramaiya took the audience from the factory floor to the customer. The session covered how an AI and data layer can connect the whole value chain, with digital twins of production plants, predictive maintenance and automated responses to what the data shows.

The AI panel

The closing panel brought the threads together in conversation with the room, moderated by Kevin McGirl.

Why we run these

The audience for this afternoon is practical: leaders who would rather see systems running than sit through vendor pitches, and who want time with peers facing the same decisions. That is what we are building the series around.

Read the sessions in depth

Three of the sessions have their own long reads, built on the material the speakers presented:

• Why resilience is the wrong goal for supply chains in the age of AI: Sean Culey's opening session on thriving through disruption.
• The reverse supply chain: why returns and warranty claims are where distribution margins leak: Ben Firman's case study for Continuum.
• Digital twins, explained: Jenit Ramaiya's case study for Ambit Software.

What is next

Our next session is an online webinar on 26 November, and we are planning more events after it. Join the list and we will tell you first.

See and hear it for yourself

The recap page has the photos and video clips from the afternoon, grouped by session. If you would like to take part in a future event as a speaker or partner, get in touch. AI Reality Check is organised by Aventyr Partners.