When production complexity outpaces planning.
Order changes at short notice, machine downtime, shifting staff capacities, volatile supply chains—in complex manufacturing, disruptions are the rule, not the exception. Every production cell can become critical, and a single bottleneck cascades through the entire line.
Conventional planning systems optimize for stable conditions. When reality deviates, schedules break down—and planners are left to bridge the gap manually, often under time pressure and with incomplete information.
flow21: Multi-agent AI for self-optimizing production flows.
flow21 is a multi-agent AI system based on reinforcement learning. It continuously monitors operational production conditions, dynamically identifies constraints, and resolves bottlenecks in real time — before they propagate downstream.
Unlike conventional planning tools that operate on static schedules, flow21 adapts to the actual situation on the shop floor at every scheduling cycle. It complements your existing ERP and MES systems, operating on-premise without cloud dependencies. The result: increased reliability of your entire production line, shorter lead times, minimized downtime, and improved on-time delivery — without hardware investment or workforce reorganization.
How flow21 works.
flow21 implements a two-stage decision architecture that runs at regular scheduling cycles:
Stage 1: Adaptive resource allocation
A reinforcement learning agent assesses the current production state—buffer fill levels, order mix, machine availability—and determines the optimal allocation of resources across production cells. This decision adapts continuously as conditions change.
Stage 2: Priority-based sequencing
Within the allocated configuration, a deterministic sequencing algorithm orders pending tasks based on deadline urgency and processing characteristics. This ensures traceable, explainable scheduling decisions that planners can understand and trust.
Both stages operate within your existing infrastructure. flow21 integrates with your MES and planning systems—capturing production snapshots, computing recommendations, and feeding them back into operations without disrupting existing workflows.
flow21: Benefits for production flows
Optimized production flow
Adaptive resource allocation and priority-aware sequencing ensure that capacity is deployed where it has the greatest effect—dynamically.
Improved on-time delivery
Thanks to the transparent scheduling logic, delivery times become more predictable—enabling tighter commitments.
Transparent decision logic
Every scheduling recommendation is explainable. This builds trust and acceptance among planners.
Seamless on-premise integration
Compatible with existing planning tools and local infrastructure—no rip-and-replace, no vendor lock-in.
Case Study: flow21 in industrial electronics manufacturing
flow21 was deployed and integrated with the local Manufacturing Execution System (MES), running operational in a site for over 12 months.
As an advisory scheduling assistant, flow21 left planners authority to override system decisions when neccessary. This proved essential for organizational acceptance—and acceptance grew thanks to the practical benefits: more equitable workload distribution and transparent prioritization.
- ~20% improvement in throughput compared to legacy human-driven scheduling
- On-time delivery increased from 62.5% to 85.5% in validated simulation experiments
- 61% reduction in late orders
- Lower variability in on-time delivery—more predictable, more reliable
Take the first step toward intelligent production.
Discover how flow21 can make your production smarter, faster, and sustainably competitive—regardless of your industry or production scale.
Reach out to our Industrial AI experts, tell us your use case, and learn how flow21 will improve your production.