Today’s global supply chains face increasing pressure from rising customer expectations, fluctuating demand, labor shortages, and the need for greater sustainability. Traditional manufacturing methods often struggle to keep pace with these demands, leading to inefficiencies, quality issues, and missed opportunities. This is where Industry 4.0 and smart manufacturing come in - transforming production with intelligent technologies that deliver real-time insights, automation, and data-driven decision-making.
SAP AI-assisted Visual Inspection is a key enabler of this transformation. As part of SAP’s Digital Manufacturing solution, it uses artificial intelligence to perform real-time quality inspections, reducing defects, minimizing waste, and improving customer satisfaction. This solution helps manufacturers move from reactive quality control to proactive, automated defect detection—a hallmark of smart manufacturing. SAP Digital Manufacturing is a cloud-based manufacturing execution system (MES) that connects people, machines, and processes across the entire production lifecycle.
In this article, we explore the role of AI in optimizing visual inspection, share an example use case, and discuss how Deloitte can support your organization adopt these cutting-edge solutions.
Understanding AI-assisted visual inspection in SAP Digital Manufacturing
AI-assisted visual inspection harnesses the power of machine learning to automate quality control processes, reduce defects, and enhance efficiency - seamlessly integrated into real-time production environments.
The process begins on the shop floor, where operators or quality engineers capture sample images of components, both flawless and defective. These images are used to train a machine learning model. Designed with usability in mind, the training process requires no coding expertise, allowing even non-technical staff to create and deploy accurate models quickly and effectively.
Once the model is trained, it’s deployed directly to the production line as part of the SAP Digital Manufacturing environment. Cameras positioned at key inspection points capture images of each component as it passes through the line. These images are then instantly analyzed by the AI model, which determines whether a part is defective or intact.
If a defect is detected—such as a crack, misalignment, or missing part—the system automatically flags the item and routes it for rework, scrap, or further inspection. If no issues are found, the component continues through the production process without delay. This real-time classification and routing prevent bottlenecks and ensure that only high-quality products move forward.
The solution is designed to improve over time. As new defect types are discovered or production conditions change, the model can be retrained and refined. Quality engineers can easily update the model using additional images or feedback from inspections, ensuring the system evolves with the needs of the operation.
By embedding this intelligent, automated inspection process into daily manufacturing workflows, SAP enables faster, more consistent quality decisions with minimal manual effort. The result is a significant reduction in defective products, lower inspection costs, and improved sustainability due to less waste. Most importantly, it strengthens customer satisfaction by ensuring that only high-quality products leave the factory.
Example Use Case: AI-Assisted Visual Inspection in Automotive Component Manufacturing
Scenario: A global automotive supplier produces high-precision brake calipers, which must meet strict safety and quality standards. Even small surface defects - like cracks, incomplete machining, or foreign material - can compromise performance and lead to costly recalls or reputational damage.
The Challenge: Traditionally, quality control is performed manually by trained inspectors using visual checks. However, this approach is slow, labor-intensive, and prone to human error, especially under high production volumes. As customer demand grows, the manufacturer faces bottlenecks at the inspection stage, inconsistent quality outcomes, and increasing rework costs.
The Solution: The manufacturer can implement AI-assisted visual inspection using SAP Digital Manufacturing integrated with high-resolution cameras and machine learning. The AI model can be trained using a sample set of images showing both compliant and defective calipers - no coding or data science expertise required. Once deployed, the system automatically analyzes each caliper on the production line in real time as images are captured.
How It Works: As brake calipers move through the inspection station, the AI system evaluates surface quality, geometry, and assembly completeness. Defective units are immediately flagged and diverted for rework or scrap. Good parts continue along the production line without delay.
Expected Results:
• Inspection accuracy improvement by 30%, reducing false positives and missed defects.
• Inspection time reduction by over 60%, eliminating the bottleneck without adding labor.
• Rework and scrap costs dropping significantly, as defects are caught earlier in the process.
• The company increases customer satisfaction by consistently delivering defect-free parts.
• Insights from the inspection data are used to adjust upstream processes, leading to overall quality improvements.
Deloitte’s integrated approach
Implementing AI-assisted visual inspection requires expertise in both quality processes and AI technologies. Deloitte’s extensive experience and deep industry knowledge position us as the ideal partner to guide organizations through this transformation. Here’s how we can help:
Strategic Assessment: We perform a comprehensive assessment of your current quality management processes and identify areas where AI can add value.
Tailored Solutions: Our team designs customized AI-assisted visual inspection solutions that align with your specific business needs and goals.
Training and Support: Deloitte provides training and ongoing support to ensure your team is well-equipped to leverage the new capabilities effectively.
Continuous Improvement: We offer continuous monitoring and optimization services to keep your quality management processes at the cutting edge.
Conclusion
In today’s fast-paced manufacturing landscape, quality isn’t optional - it’s a competitive advantage. With AI-assisted visual inspection, manufacturers can finally break free from the limits of manual checks and unlock a smarter, faster, and more reliable way to ensure product excellence. Powered by SAP Digital Manufacturing, this cutting-edge solution brings real-time accuracy, reduced waste, and scalable efficiency right to your shop floor.
The future of quality is here. Are you ready to see what AI can do for your organization?