Midwest Wheel builds toward AI agents that fix problems

Agentic AI governance helps midsized distributors decide which tasks software agents can handle and which require human oversight. For lean IT teams, automating more work also means checking the data and rules behind those decisions.

Infor (US) LLC is embedding industry-specific AI agents into its applications as businesses move AI into day-to-day operations. One century-old truck parts distributor got there by tying every new capability back to a single business system, according to Steve McEnany (pictured), senior vice president of Midwest Wheel Companies.

“I really believe in trying to stick with one foundation,” he said. “If you’ve got one place to start, even if we do reach out and bring in a third-party tool, we still want to tie it back to the Infor system because we want one point of reference.”

McEnany spoke with theCUBE Research’s Christophe Bertrand and co-host Alison Kosik at Infor Velocity Week, during an exclusive broadcast on theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s livestreaming studio. They discussed agentic AI governance, Midwest Wheel’s single-system approach and how AI fits into its daily operations. (* Disclosure below.)

Agentic AI governance starts with checking the math

Moving to the cloud took server management and software updates off Midwest Wheel’s lean IT team’s hands, freeing the company to build in-demand tools in just a few weeks. It also added AI features, including a product recommender in order entry and automation that scans emailed PDF invoices into the system, McEnany explained.