Let's get real about ai
We get it — you're tired of the AI hype. As a chemical manufacturer or distributor, you don't invest in technology because it's trendy. You invest because it works. So, we went out and got the data to prove it.
We partnered with independent research firm Tech-Clarity to survey over 250 chemical companies and find out what's really happening with AI in our industry. Not what the headlines say. Not what the tech giants promise. What companies like yours are actually doing — and the results they're getting.
More Than Half the Industry Has AI Projects Underway
This might surprise you: 53% of chemical companies already have AI pilots or proofs of concept in progress, and 29% have completed at least one. These aren't billion-dollar enterprises with dedicated AI labs. The study focused on small and mid-size businesses under $300 million in revenue — companies that look a lot like yours.
And they're not dabbling. On average, companies reported four distinct business goals for AI, from cutting costs and improving quality to streamlining customer service and strengthening decision-making. Only 4% said they have no AI plans at all.
The Results Are Coming Fast
Here's what caught our attention: among companies that have completed at least one AI initiative, 60% saw value in three months or less. Not years. Not even two quarters. One quarter.
Even more encouraging, almost two-thirds of those making progress have successfully scaled their early wins to new parts of the business. They're not stuck in pilot purgatory — they're building momentum.
The #1 Barrier Isn't What You Think
It's not fear. It's not distrust. Less than a quarter of respondents worry about job losses, and only about a third cite skepticism toward AI itself.
The real blockers are knowledge gaps and data readiness. Over half of companies say they don't have the AI expertise they need. Nearly half lack data science skills. And when it comes to data, the issue isn't that companies don't have enough — it's that it's trapped in silos, locked in proprietary formats, or too hard to contextualize for AI to use effectively.
Sound familiar? That's exactly why we've been investing so heavily in AI that meets you where you are.
We've Been Building for This Moment
While the industry figures out where to start, we've been shipping solutions that tackle these challenges head-on.
Our Office Automation Suite now runs on AI. We're using Vision-Language Models to automate purchase orders, sales orders, and other document processing — delivering results that are three times more productive than manual entry. Unlike basic OCR, our AI reads and understands the full context of every document, no matter the format. It matches products to your catalog, ignores irrelevant pages, and adapts as formats change over time.
Our new Data Lake puts all your data in one place. We've brought together data from across your ERP, CRM, and TrackAbout systems into a single, AI-ready repository built on modern Medallion architecture. You can ask questions in plain language, drill into product-level detail, set automated alerts, and get real-time visibility into the metrics that drive your business. No data science degree required.
We keep you in control. The Tech-Clarity research confirmed what we already believed: chemical companies want AI that supports their people, not replaces them. That's our philosophy, too. We automate the repetitive, error-prone work so your team can focus on serving customers, improving formulations, and growing the business.
As our Chief AI Officer Sundar Kuppuswamy puts it: "Data entry is extremely time-consuming and often prone to errors, but the latest advances in intelligent automation are transforming operations, allowing our customers to focus less on mundane, manual tasks and instead dedicate their time to more creative activities to grow their business."
And We're Just Getting Started
Our AI roadmap includes automated cash applications, AI-driven Safety Data Sheet processing, bank reconciliation, and an extensive chemical database built on the deep industry knowledge we've accumulated over decades. We're also launching a new AI consulting service to give you hands-on, tailored guidance — whether you're exploring your first use case or ready to scale.
See the Full Research — Live
We're hosting a webinar with Tech-Clarity to walk through the complete survey findings, share what's working for companies in our industry, and show you how Datacor is turning these insights into real products.
Save Your Spot: "No Bull, No Hype" Webinar →
The chemical companies finding value in AI are already pulling ahead. The question isn't whether to start — it's whether you can afford to wait.
