The Manufacturer’s Molly Cooper recently joined Epicor to visit its partner, the Visa Cash App RB Formula One Team in Faenza, Italy, to find out about the impact its new AI software is having on the team.
When sitting down on a Sunday to watch the latest grand prix, it can be easy to forget the work, power and technology that goes into making that happen. When offered the chance to find out how the Visa Cash App RB team is implementing AI software into its production strategy, I had to take it.
Although very glamourous and exciting on the television, behind the scenes there are huge teams of people working in factories to produce the incredible feats of engineering that are modern Formula One racing cars – each with the same aim, to make the car as fast as possible. Red Bull’s Italian Formula One team, Visa Cash App RB, is now entering a new era. Since the rebrand in 2020 to Scuderia Alphatauri, it has now rebranded again for the 2024 season to Visa Cash App RB, and the team is powering into competition. As it continues to fight to win races, it is expanding its technologies and introducing systems to make processes faster and easier. Now, alongside Epicor, the team’s official ERP partner, it has welcomed artificial intelligence (AI) with the target of achieving more efficient production and purchasing.
For over 50 years, Epicor has been supplying enterprise solutions to customers in automotive, building supply, distribution, manufacturing and the retail industries. Epicor Prism is a generative AI service based on state-of-the-art large language models (LLM) that are fine-tuned to create value. Epicor Prism empowers makers, movers and sellers to access the right insights faster to make
smarter decisions.
Fast factory processes
Visa Cash App RB uses Epicor Kinetic as its ERP for manufacturing. “We began working with Epicor in 2019 and after a few years together, we have decided to embark on a new collaboration, expanding our systems and introducing AI,” explained Fabia Ferrero, ERP Manager at Visa Cash App RB.
The introduction of AI changed how the programme worked for the users in the factory and improved the system for Fabia and her team. There are now three main processes in which the team uses the AI update.
The first is that AI helps the team write code more efficiently, providing support for Epicor-related tasks and enabling code sharing and comprehensive searches within the Epicor framework.
The second process is RFQ automation, which is crucial for the purchasing office. This system streamlines decision-making by allowing users to request multiple quotations without manually handling each email or attachment from suppliers. It summarises the best responses, enabling the team to focus on evaluating and transforming the data efficiently.
And the third is the searchable element, which is important for the everyday user because it allows them to access reports immediately without the deployment of the ERP team. “They can ask the AI system questions to find out what information they need. It can provide them with the data regarding production, development of the parts, costs, lead time and more,” Fabia said.
Working with a wider strategy
One of the benefits of this unique platform is the database, where all the information is stored in a structured way. This allows the team to perform the analysis that it needs, when it needs it.
As is the case with any team in Formula One, Visa Cash App RB wants development to be consistent and aggressive to ensure it is competing at the highest level. This is certainly the view of Raffaele Boshchetti, Head of IT and Innovation at Visa Cash App RB, but he explains how the $135m cost cap implemented by the FIA can make this tricky. “We know what we can do to develop, and we know our budget, resources and lead time. However, the Epicor platform allows us to understand if we can achieve this or not, depending on how we are specifically developing the car this season,” he explained. This is because each development is a new project, and is never the same. Epicor does this through the relevant intelligence data it has received each time developments have been made.
“An example of this is how the ERP platform can advise us on the best suppliers for our components. This means we don’t need to spend time understanding the assembly which we would require the suppliers for. It evaluates our process and provides the best solutions considering all conditions,” said Raffaele.
Previously, the team had to figure out how to input the correct data to receive the answers they were looking for. Now, it can speak directly to the ERP platform thanks to the AI upgrade. “With this platform, we can automate a lot of our work, and take our attention and focus to our core business which is ensuring that the car is in the best possible condition to make it race faster,” he added.
AI on the track
For the team working trackside, Laurent Mekies, Team Principal at Visa Cash App RB, said that all the team is trying to do is make the car go faster. “That’s what drives us every single day. We do this through two criteria; the first is to develop and train as much as possible, through practice and design; and second, is time to race,” he said.
For the team it is about how fast it can develop, and how quickly they can be back performing on the track. “The backbone of being able to achieve that is having a great ERP system in place,” added Laurent. From a business perspective, the time to race criteria creates pressure on the budget. “You can go faster by spending more money and by having more people work on a task. However, in the reality of today’s Formula One, this is not possible due to the cost cap,” explained Peter Bayer, CEO at Visa Cash App RB.
When the cap was introduced, there was the belief that it would not be as successful as it has ended up being. When some of the larger teams knew it was coming, they began to put money into new displays and infrastructure before it was implemented, resulting in the smaller teams now playing catch up. However, this has made the sport more competitive than ever and this year, the overall spread of the Formula One leaderboard is much smaller; which is why companies like Visa Cash App RB feel they should be taking risks to close the gap using new innovations, such as AI.
Using software is currently a great way to aid in competition without eating away at the limited budget. “Right now, when you acquire software licenses, you can keep them for a certain amount of time under CAPEX investments, away from the cost cap budget. However, the FIA is currently discussing a new approach to the cost cap concerning CAPEX and OPEX for 2026,” explained Peter.
A competitive edge
Everything that is going to give the team a competitive edge needs to ultimately, go into the race car. While the team has engineers for speed, the Visa Cash App RB management team need to translate that into efficiency. And this means optimising processes.
“My favourite advantage of the ERP systems and the use of AI is it allows people to focus on what they’re good at rather than repetitive tasks that can be time consuming. Comparing offers and creating the summary for your line manager can be done by the system. This has allowed us to improve our output without increasing cost and that’s a big advantage for the team this year,” said Peter. “The software is opening new doors for the team and leading us to ones we didn’t know existed.”
On the vehicle side, the biggest advantage of the ERP is the time to race. “We look at the cars’ data and talk with the drivers to see how we can improve. When we find a valuable upgrade we can test it in a simulator. It is a very fast paced process.”
At the start of the 2024 season, the team struggled with the steering feel, a crucial aspect for the driver assessing the car’s performance and balance. After experimenting with various options to adjust the steering weight, the team determined a new target. Once decided, the implementation was incredibly fast. “We collaborated using the Epicor system, which enabled us to efficiently source and deliver real parts across countries to the track in time,” said Peter. “Everybody must be on top of their game in this sport, so it is vital that we are able to pick the pace in every process. This is why it is necessary that once we have decided on our target, we action it.”
Data and behaviour
It is hoped that using AI technology to detect patterns in competitive behaviour could one day aid in race strategy. “If you could have the means of predicting what your competitor may do, it would be very relevant,” said Guillaume Dezoteux, Head of Vehicle Performance at Visa Cash App RB.
“Right now, it’s difficult to find patterns in the behaviour of the car, tyres and interaction between car and driver over the large number of races. However, we have engineers on duty to look at the live
data, allowing a good understanding of what’s going on – finding the patterns is the difficult part,” he added. The ERP system allows for constant monitoring of the car configuration. The team can then link this with the collected data and find relevant occurring patterns.
In every race the Visa Cash App RB team is fighting for one hundredth or thousandth of a second, and for a human being to be chasing that constantly can be quite overwhelming. However, having only fractions of a second to beat its opponents is what drives the team and it continues its development of new technologies to meet this end.
One example of this is the car’s aerodynamics; again closely linked to speed and is key to establishing a competitive edge. “We have thousands of simulations per day, but we are not physically able to
test the results of the simulations on the car, on the track. In 2024, we only had a couple of tests in February and the season started in March,” said Raffaele.
The team are currently using an app performance computing system to run the simulation. However, it produces too much data for a human being to number crunch. “We can input this data into the Epicor system and it can break down the results of the simulation for our engineers to look at, understand the psychics and work out how to develop performance.”
Taking the technology from F1
A common pattern in the automotive sector is that many of the developments, technology and innovations that begin in Formula One eventually trickle down into regular road cars. Looking at the
influence AI is having in the sport, the Visa Cash App RB team believes this will be no different.
Peter recalled previous technologies that made their way from Formula One to the roads. “A few years ago, when I worked with Laurent at the FIA, there was a discussion around autonomous driving and how to get cars to communicate with each other.
We launched a project to understand how we could continue the transfer of this idea from the track to the road. Everyday car components such as seat belts, rear-view mirrors and even newer systems like hybrids, began on the racetrack. AI is already working its way into mainstream automotive.
Another example of this transfer of technology was during COVID-19; UK racing teams worked together to help build ventilators, as part of the Ventilator Challenge UK. Not only that, but Peter recalled a project that tested drivers’ blood pressure, oxygen levels, and monitored general driver health through a sensor placed on the finger. “This was then used on patients during the pandemic. However, essentially the technology originated from track safety measures, proving the impact racing technology can have on the outside world.”
Future of Formula 1
The new Epicor systems have allowed the team to continue to be aggressive with its development plans for the car. “It’s a rolling plan with something new on the car in every race. Sometimes this is visible and sometimes not, but Epicor systems have enabled us to continue to do this smoother and faster,” said Guillaume
Thinking ahead, the team are pushing for Epicor to integrate more platforms like the recent AI roll out. “We have 14,000 parts for each car that need to be made to the same, best possible quality. However, the budget cap limits resources, making it impossible to have thousands of people examining each single part,” said Raffaele.
Now, Visa Cash App RB has a whole library of images for the correct parts that have been loaded into the software, which has been trained to examine and compare them to the newly produced parts to spot potential defects. This allows the team to discard defects and use the best components, while avoiding the same problem in the next process. Implementing more processes like this continues to push the team to be at the top of its game.
However, AI will not yet replace all human decision making. Despite the numerous applications of AI, the ultimate decision remains with a human. According to Guillaume, determining what needs to be done to make the car faster is never straightforward. “There’s not just one single parameter,” he said.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Epicor is the official ERP partner of Visa Cash App RB, and has recently introduced AI software, Epicor Prism.
- The ERP and AI systems from Epicor are used to streamline manufacturing, purchasing and data analysis processes, enhancing efficiency and improving the speed of decision making.
- The team uses the Epicor platform to manage the $135m cost cap imposed by the FIA, optimising development and resource allocation to stay competitive.
- Technological advancements like AI will trickle down into road vehicles, in the same way as other technologies like seat beats, rear-view mirrors and hybrid engines – all of which originated in motorsport.
- Although exciting, AI is yet to replace human work. A final decision will always need to be made as it is not always as straightforward as the machine may think.
Innovating together
VP of Products and Innovation at Epicor, Arturo Buzzalino (left) gave some insight on the Epicor Prism and Kinetic ERP software.
Can you please tell us a bit about the Epicor Prism software?
AB: Epicor Prism is part of the Epicor Grow portfolio. It allows users to access critical insights faster to make smarter, data-driven decisions. Engaging with Epicor Prism is intuitive and user-friendly, as it functions within the native Epicor ERP platform. Task specific agents work behind the scenes to surface the necessary insights or execute actions as prompted. Epicor Prism is designed to enhance efficiency across the board.
Can you please tell us a bit about the Epicor Kinetic ERP software?
Epicor Kinetic is an ERP platform designed specifically for the needs of manufacturers and offers a portfolio of integrated applications designed to manage critical aspects of manufacturing, including production scheduling, supply chain logistics, financial accounting and customer relationship management. Designed with scalability and flexibility in mind, Epicor Kinetic can adapt to the changing needs of growing businesses and evolving industry demands. Its cloud and on premises deployment options ensure that companies can choose the most suitable configuration for their specific requirements. By integrating various functions into a single cohesive system, Epicor Kinetic reduces complexity, improves data accuracy and drives operational efficiency, setting the stage for long-term business success.
How has the partnership with Visa Cash App RB grown over the years?
The Faenza-based Formula One team has used Epicor for many years to create efficiency in production and purchasing, which helps the vehicle performance team optimise the car for the best possible results on the track. As the official ERP partner, we are constantly looking for ways to help the team deploy technology to be as efficient as possible. In September 2023, we held a workshop with the team to define use cases for AI. Epicor Prism evolved out of those meetings, and was refined collaboratively over several months of testing. Visa Cash App RB is an early adopter of Epicor Prism and today, the team is applying it to three use cases that create empowered team members and create efficiency for the production and purchasing departments: conversational ERP, code assistant and automated supplier communications.
How do you hope the partnership will continue to grow?
Our vision is to continue innovating together, integrating advanced technologies to optimise production and empower the team to achieve its goals on track. Our collaboration with Visa Cash App RB exemplifies our shared belief in the power of innovation for a competitive edge.
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