Factory OS · for Mittelstand manufacturers
AI agents for your factory.
From enquiry to invoice.
Vantix puts a thin layer over your ERP, CAD and Outlook: AI agents take on the manual work between your systems – capturing enquiries, reading drawings, building bills of materials, drafting quotes. Your people approve. Your data stays in-house.
Target: 30% shorter lead time, 30% lower order-processing costs – more orders with the same team.
Manufacturers with 100 to 800 employees
owner-led · high mix
The order flow in eleven steps
Agents draft, your people approve
plugs into the systems mid-sized manufacturers actually run
The layer
Your data stays. We swap the tools on top.
Vantix is the Factory OS for your order flow: not another system, but the layer between the ones you already have. Your systems below, the best specialist tools on the market above, Vantix in between – thin enough that nothing has to be migrated and everything above it stays replaceable.
Your systems stay.
ERP, CAD, email, Excel. Nothing is replaced, nothing migrated. We plug in – read-only first, with no inbound port.
The tools change.
For every step there are specialist vendors, and better ones arrive every year. We plug in the best one – and swap it the moment another overtakes it.
Your knowledge stays yours.
Twenty years of quotes, drawings, routings: in your environment, for your agents, exportable at any time.
What you get
Quote faster. Keep the know-how. Start small.
For owner-led manufacturers who quote from customer drawings and lose orders to faster competitors, whose best people are retiring, and who have no IT department for AI projects.
Minutes
Draft in minutes, quote in days
Read the enquiry, read the drawing, build the BOM, price it: the agent drafts in minutes, your sales team checks and approves. Weeks become days – more quotes a week, fewer orders lost to a faster competitor.
20 years
Experience stays in-house
Your best people's quotes, drawing interpretations and routings become the knowledge base for each step. When your estimator retires at 63, his judgement doesn't walk out the door with him.
1 pilot
A paid pilot, not six figures upfront
One clearly scoped process, piloted at a fixed price. Then monthly, cancel any time, everything exportable. No three-year contract, no integration project, no six-figure budget before you see a first result.
1 department
That you don't have to build
Who at your company checks every year which AI tools for drawing recognition or supplier search actually hold up – and swaps them out if they don't? That takes two or three people you won't find on the job market. You rent that department from us, by the month.
The times are targets, not promises. Baseline and target are set with your own numbers in the letter of intent – and that is what we measure against.
The order flow
Eleven steps. Each one a node.
Your order flow as it really runs – from enquiry to invoice. Every step is a node: an agent, a specialist tool, a knowledge base, an approval, a metric. What is manual today stays manual until you change it.
- 01
Enquiry intake
Agent drafts, human approvesThe enquiry arrives by email, drawing attached. The agent reads it, matches customer and part, and creates the record in your ERP. Your sales team approves.
- Enquiry captured automatically from email, portal or PDF
- Drawing and attachments matched to the right customer and part
- Record created in your ERP, duplicates flagged
EffectNo more retyping – and no enquiry left sitting in an inbox.
- 02
Process planning
Agent drafts, human approvesThe drawing becomes a proposed routing: tolerances, material, operation sequence. Your production engineers' experience lives in this node's knowledge base.
- Tolerances, material and operation sequence read from the 2D drawing
- Compared with earlier interpretations of similar parts
- Ambiguities turned into questions for the customer
EffectProduction engineering checks rather than types: reading the drawing takes minutes, and the know-how stays on record.
- 03
Components
Agent drafts, human approvesBill of materials, standard parts, raw stock. The agent works out what the drawing calls for and checks it against your stock.
- Bill of materials derived from the drawing
- Standard parts and raw stock checked against stock and catalogue
- Shortages and stock levels flagged
EffectFewer rush orders and stoppages, because shortages show up before the quote goes out.
- 04
Make-or-buy
Agent drafts, human approvesFor each part: make or buy? One proposal, both cost paths. The decision stays yours.
- Machine time and setup cost estimated per part
- Purchase price taken from past orders and market data
- Proposal with both cost paths drawn up, decision in one click
EffectBoth cost paths per part at a glance – and your decision is on record, even when capacity or delivery date tips the balance.
- 05
Purchasing
Agent drafts, human approvesRFQs out to your suppliers, quote comparison, supplier queries. This is where third-party tools plug in – supplier search, supplier evaluation.
- RFQ sent to the right suppliers in one step
- Quotes compared and supplier queries collated automatically
- Specialist tools for supplier search and evaluation plugged in
EffectMore supplier quotes per RFQ in less time: better prices without hiring another buyer.
- 06
Quoting
Agent drafts, human approvesEverything upstream feeds the draft quote. No price goes out until a human clicks yes. Always.
- Draft quote built from BOM, machine times and purchase prices
- Margin and delivery date checked against your rules
- Approved by your head of sales, then sent
EffectQuotes in days, not weeks – each with a costing you can still follow a year later.
- 07
Production
Manual – as todayStays as it is. A manual step in the chain, properly documented – until you want to automate it.
- Stays on your machines, with your people
- Production status from your MES or shopfloor feedback, visible on the order
- Ready for automation whenever you want it
EffectNothing changes on the shopfloor. But job status sits on the order, where sales and dispatch can see it.
- 08
Quality assurance
Manual – as todayInspection plans from the drawing, results back on the order. Manual today, ready for tomorrow.
- Inspection plan drafted from the drawing and the customer's requirements
- Measurement results written back to the order
- Non-conformances linked to quote and drawing
EffectLess digging through folders, and every complaint traces back to the drawing.
- 09
Packaging & logistics
Manual – as todayKeeps running as before. The node is there when you need it.
- No change in packing or the warehouse
- Customer packing and shipping requirements stored on the order
- Freight comparison can be plugged in as a specialist tool
EffectNo effort now – and a node that is ready the day a freight comparison starts saving you money.
- 10
Dispatch
Agent drafts, human approvesDelivery note, shipping notification, tracking – the agent prepares, your dispatch team clicks.
- Delivery note and shipping notification generated from the order
- Tracking sent to the customer automatically
- Approved with one click by your dispatch team, no retyping
EffectFewer “where is my order?” calls, and no shipping notification ever forgotten.
- 11
Invoicing
Agent drafts, human approvesInvoice from the order, matched against the delivery note. Approved by your accounts team.
- Invoice generated from order and delivery note
- Matched against the quote and any change orders
- Approved by accounts, then sent
EffectInvoices go out on the day of delivery: cash in sooner, fewer credit notes.
Every node has a number. You see what each step delivers – before you switch on the next.
Every node is built the same way: an agent for the step's manual work, your systems plus the best specialist tool for exactly this step, a knowledge base built from your data, a human approval, a metric. Nodes pass the order along the way your departments do today – except that every enquiry, every drawing and every decision stays documented on the order. The next section shows what that looks like on a single node.
One node, one AI agent
How a node works.
A node is one step in the order flow with an AI agent, a specialist tool, a knowledge base, a human approval and a metric. Here, the quoting node, in fast-forward and with illustrative numbers: one enquiry runs through, from arrival to approval.
The agent picks up the enquiry.
It checks: new or existing customer? Part new, modified or made before? Then it picks up the record from enquiry intake and reads the drawing: dimensions, tolerances, material, surface finishes.
It draws on what you already know.
Past quotes, run times, NC programs, tooling lists: from these it costs the job the way your estimator would – based on your experience and your machines.
It works inside your systems.
abas, proALPHA or SAP, your CAD, Outlook – plus one specialist tool for exactly this step, in this case drawing recognition.
A human approves.
No quote, no order, no shipment leaves the building without a yes from your people. Every operation can be rolled back; liability is set out in the contract.
The chain gets faster. Measurably.
In the example: from ten days to two, enquiry to quote. Across the whole chain the target is 30% shorter lead time. Measured per node, every week: lead time, correction rate, approvals.
Data sovereignty
What stays. What changes.
Until now you had to choose: keep your data in-house and run ageing technology – or use the latest AI and hand your know-how to someone else's model. With Vantix you get both: everything below stays, everything above changes.
Stays with you
- Your systems
- Your data in your EU environment
- Your knowledge bases per node
- Every decision that goes out the door
What we swap
- The AI models Claude · 2026GPT · 2026Gemini · 2026Mistral · 2026the next oneClaude · 2026 Claude · 2026
- The specialist tools for each step Drawing recognition ADrawing recognition BSupplier searchPrice optimisationQuoting AIDrawing recognition A Drawing recognition A
- The vendor contracts including data terms EU processingZero retentionNo trainingAudit rightsExit clauseEU processing EU processing
- The risk of having bought the wrong thing on uson uson uson uson uson us on us
Step-by-step rollout
Node by node. Not everything at once.
A node without an agent is simply a manual step in the chain. You switch it on when the technology is ready – and when you are.
No big bang. No migration project. One process owner instead of a project team.
Drawing the line
What Vantix is not.
Vantix is the layer in between. Not the system below, not the tool above, and not a vendor with products of its own to push.
Not a replacement for your core systems
Your ERP, MES and CAD stay exactly as they are. Vantix replaces none of them. It reads and writes where your people already work.
Not a maker of specialist tools
Reading drawings, writing NC programs, inspecting parts: specialist vendors do this better than we ever could. We pick the best one, plug it in and swap it the moment something better comes along.
No products of our own to push
We sell no tool of our own that we would then have to recommend. If one comes from mantro's own stable, it goes through the same comparison as anyone else's. We disclose the criteria.
Our commitments
In writing. In the first meeting.
Other vendors want your money first, then a multi-year term, then your data. Vantix comes as a fixed-price pilot, then monthly, cancel any time – and it is on the table in writing after the first call: four commitments and a signature line.
One contract instead of ten
You sign one contract with us, not ten with tool vendors. Data terms, liability and termination sit in one document – and apply to every tool we plug in.
Latest tools, data stays put
Your knowledge bases stay in your environment. The tools above them move with the market.
One-pager · for signature
- Fixed-price pilot, then monthly, cancel any time
- No six-figure development budget
- Everything exportable, with an exit plan
- Tool failure: replaced at no extra charge
We don't lock you in by contract. Switching would still take effort – we'd rather say so now than later.
The rented department
Six jobs we do for you every week.
The work a large corporate has a whole department for – and that nobody at your company can do on the side: find specialist tools, test them, contract them, plug them in, measure them, swap them.
- 1
Scout
Worldwide: startups, universities, trade fairs. Our own tests, not brochures.
- 2
Select
Only what runs on a shopfloor today. Measured, not demoed.
- 3
Contract
We contract with the vendor; you contract with us. Data terms flow down to you unchanged.
- 4
Integrate
Through an interface that stays – even when the tool behind it changes.
- 5
Measure
Per node, every week. If a tool slips, we see it before you do.
- 6
Swap
Included in the monthly fee, the moment something better comes along.
A swap isn't free. Licence and integration are on us, and we plan the retraining together with your people. That is what separates this from lock-in.
The honest clock
Three stages. The third still needs years.
The office side of the factory
Enquiry, drawing, quote, purchasing. Usable today, with human approvals. This is where pilots start.
A steady flow of new tools
Every specialist tool that proves itself on a shopfloor lands in your plant – without a selection project, without a new contract.
The shopfloor
When humanoid robots genuinely work alongside your people – realistically five to seven years out for your kind of mix – the same nodes reach the shopfloor too. We orchestrate the workflow. We never build the hardware.
Build this layer now and you plug in each new robot generation as it matures. Don't, and in 2030 you'll be running modern robots on 2026 processes.
Data protection & IT security
Precise enough for your data protection officer.
And for your IT. And for your works council.
Your environment
Your own environment in the EU, shared with nobody (single-tenant). Runs without an IT department of your own. On your servers if you prefer (on-premises).
What leaves the building
Only the request to the AI model and to the plugged-in specialist tool – both under a data processing agreement and zero retention, so nothing is kept on the vendor's side. Never for training. Vendors and terms are named in the contract.
No holes in your firewall
A small service beside your ERP (edge agent) opens connections outbound only. Read-only to begin with. Every access logged. Your IT keeps the keys.
Nothing without a yes
Agents draft, your people approve. Every price, every shipment, every purchase order. Every operation can be rolled back.
Processes, not people
The audit log records steps and approvals – who approved is on record, because audit requires it. No performance monitoring, no per-person reporting. In writing, for the works council.
Leave at any time
Export in your systems' native formats, exit plan, source-code escrow. Standard from the first pilot.
Frequently asked
Short answers.
What managing directors, IT and data protection officers ask in the first conversation.
- What is Vantix?
- Vantix is the Factory OS for the Mittelstand: a thin software layer over ERP, CAD, Outlook and Excel where AI agents take on the manual work between systems. Your ERP (abas, proALPHA, SAP Business One), CAD and MES stay as they are – Vantix plugs in and replaces none of them.
- What is a node?
- A node is one step in the order flow with an AI agent, the best third-party specialist tool, a knowledge base built from your own data, a human approval and a metric. Eleven nodes form the chain from enquiry to invoice; what is manual today stays manual until you change it.
- Does the AI make decisions on its own?
- No. Agents draft, people approve: no quote, no order, no shipment leaves the building without a yes from your people, and every operation can be rolled back.
- Where does our data live, and is it used for training?
- In your own single-tenant environment in the EU, on your servers if you prefer; your IT keeps the keys. Data leaves the environment only for the request to the AI model and to the plugged-in specialist tool – under a data processing agreement and zero retention, never for training.
- Who is Vantix for?
- Owner-led manufacturers with 100 to 800 employees who quote from customer drawings: high mix, batch sizes from 10 to 10,000, in CNC machining, precision engineering, medtech, EMS, automotive Tier 2/3 and plastics. Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg first.
- How do we get started?
- With a paid, fixed-price pilot: one process (usually enquiry to quote), five months, one measured number agreed upfront in the letter of intent. Then monthly, cancel any time, everything exportable – there are no reference customers yet; the first five companies shape the product with us.
Pilot · five months
Five steps. One measured result.
A pilot is paid and tightly scoped: one process, five months, one number. At the end you see in black and white whether it paid off.
Define the process
Connect the systems
Load the know-how
Agent drafts, human approves
Measure. Decide.
Illustrative numbers. The real ones we set together in the letter of intent – and then measure against.
Request a pilot.
One 20-minute call: we pick the process with you, name the fixed price and agree the number we will be measured against.
- Fixed price
- Five months
- One measured number
- Exit at any time
First Five · pilot programme
We're starting with five companies. One of them could be yours.
Five non-competing manufacturers get the first pilots on founding-customer terms and shape the product with us. Two places in the first wave, three in the second.
What you bring
- One pilot process, usually enquiry to quote
- Access to the process, its data and its users
- One fixed meeting a month
- Your managing director as sponsor
What you get
- The process live, with a measured result
- A say in the roadmap
- Founding terms, fixed in the contract
- No direct competitor among the five
Your effort
- Process owner: 2 to 4 hours a week
- Key users: 3 to 4 workshops
- IT: 3 to 5 person-days in total
Without those hours it becomes our pilot, not yours.
Who it is for
Owner-led manufacturers, 100 to 800 employees, quoting from customer drawings: high mix, batch sizes 10 to 10,000. CNC machining, precision engineering, medtech, EMS, automotive Tier 2/3, plastics. Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg first.
We have no reference customers yet – the first five will be exactly that. In return they get what later customers won't: our undivided attention and a say in every product decision. If you'd rather buy a finished product with references, your turn comes after the first five.
Two places in the first wave. 20 minutes, no obligation – afterwards you'll know whether your process is a fit.
Lines from our first conversations with manufacturers – none of them is a customer yet.
“Our best process planner is 63. There's nobody coming up behind him.”
“Three weeks for a quote. By then the customer had ordered elsewhere.”
“Sat through three AI vendor pitches. Every one wanted six figures before anything ran.”
About mantro
A mantro venture.
Vantix is young, mantro is not: for twenty years mantro has been building companies and software for industry out of Munich. That is why first-wave contracts are with mantro GmbH – and all terms carry over unchanged to the future Vantix entity.
- years
- 20
- ventures
- 35+
- industrial projects
- 400+
The first conversation
20 minutes. Your process, your numbers.
You bring your numbers, we bring the eleven steps. Afterwards you'll know which step your pilot would be, which number it would have to move – and what the pilot costs.