Generative AI solutions help maximize the benefits of standards

SFS, the Finnish Standards Association, plays a significant role in improving quality, safety, and efficiency across various industrial sectors in Finland. As a national organization, SFS is responsible for the development and maintenance of Finnish standards and works closely with international standardization organizations such as the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the European Committee for Standardization (CEN), ensuring that Finnish industries are aligned with the best international practices.

SFS helps Finnish companies, government agencies, and organizations stay up-to-date and implement standards that enhance product quality, safety, and environmental sustainability, while also facilitating market access and international trade. There are nearly 30,000 active standards in Finland. SFS ensures that organizations in various industries—including machinery, manufacturing, chemicals, bioengineering, materials technology, and energy—have access to the information they need.

In the design of equipment and processes, it is crucial for companies to build their plans around the latest standards and adhere to established design guidelines. With tens of thousands of standards in use, finding the right information can sometimes be a challenge. The complexity of these tasks can occasionally slow down design processes, consuming valuable time and resources for companies. To unlock the full potential of standards, businesses need effective tools that simplify access to essential information and enable smoother decision-making and design processes.

Upon hearing about this challenge, the Etteplan AI team proposed collaboration with SFS. Etteplan's extensive experience in utilizing standards and the ability to validate service functionality in real-world applications intrigued SFS. Thanks to a well-crafted project plan, SFS decided to become a partner with Etteplan.

This collaboration led to the creation of an innovative, web-based AI solution. The solution enables interactive conversations with a conversational AI bot. The AI quickly identifies relevant standards and design guidelines from a vast database, including images. This solution enhances the user experience through efficient searches and access to standards, along with personalized recommendations for essential information. Simplifying the information retrieval process and facilitating understanding of standards saves technical designers both time and effort. A time savings of just 15-30 minutes per day per user can result in a 3-7% increase in productivity.

The reliability of the information provided by the solution is ensured through source references. When a designer submits a data request, the solution provides an excerpt from the standard along with a link to the source data. 

“Our goal was to create an easy-to-use and, above all, reliable AI service that our designers — and, in the future, our customers — could utilize. We wanted the service to leverage the best of what generative AI has to offer while avoiding any misleading information that the AI may invent on its own. Designers must be able to trust the accuracy of the information provided by the AI, ” states Tero Hämeenaho, the director of Etteplan’s AI team.

Etteplan's success is built on strong collaboration and its core value, Smarter Together, which emphasizes community-driven thinking and developing solutions together with clients. The partnership between Etteplan and SFS is a prime example of this approach.

“Our collaboration with Etteplan has been truly exciting. Generative AI is at its best when sifting through massive amounts of data, with our vast collection of standards being a prime example. The purpose of this tailored technology is to start offering a service where searches can be precisely filtered, and where sources as well as the timeliness of the information can be instantly verified. This is sure to have a positive impact on the customer experience, ” envisions Meri Valtiala, the expert responsible for the AI standardization group at SFS.

The Smarter Together value played a central role internally as well, as the project involved seamless collaboration among the company's AI experts, UX and software developers, and cloud architects to deliver a top-tier solution on the Microsoft Azure cloud platform. Led by project manager Sampo Autio, this internal initiative reflects Etteplan's commitment to innovation through collaboration.

"Our AI developers created cutting-edge features while our cloud architects ensured a secure, scalable infrastructure," Autio explains. "User feedback was crucial for maximizing the tool's value, and the entire project represents the spirit of Smarter Together collaboration."

Thousands of standards, along with Etteplan's design guidelines and documents, have already been integrated into the solution. The majority of Etteplan's global workforce of 4,000 will utilize this tool moving forward, and it is continuously being developed into a more efficient instrument. Future steps will include optimizing the solution based on user feedback and implementing new features to enhance value.

The collaboration between Etteplan and SFS is an excellent example of how leveraging artificial intelligence in engineering solutions can transform workflows and foster innovation. AI-based tools enhance efficiency, ensure compliance, and provide accurate, up-to-date information, significantly improving the entire design process. Looking ahead, the integration of AI into CAD systems is poised to revolutionize 3D design, promoting greater efficiency and creativity in engineering work.