After working in manufacturing for more than a decade, Optegrity Solutions owner Hessam Vali noticed a problem in the industry.
Vali, who is originally from Iran and a Wichita State University graduate with a doctorate in industrial engineering, said the speed of operations in the industry was reliant on manually setting up spreadsheets and powerpoints for task instructions, tracking progress and analyzing results. This made manufacturing workflow a time-consuming and "unscalable" process.
To solve that issue and enhance operations in the industry, Vali started Optegrity Solutions in 2020. The software development company specializes in a cloud-based application that primarily helps manufacturing companies automate their operations, streamline production and analyze results. Vali also co-founded software management company Techam Solutions in 2015.
"No matter what kind of problem a company is dealing with, organizations have like, an Excel file somewhere," he said, "I have my own Excel file, you have your own. Our system does that all automatically in one single place where everybody is just managing the issues and projects in one single platform. It's very visual."
Optegrity, which was one of the startups that participated in NXTUS's NXTSTAGE Enterprise Engagement Series in 2023, provides five software programs — Routine, Booster, Gaugebot, Resolve and Gigbot — in its suite of applications. With multiple functions, Vali said the programs can help companies customize their workflow by creating a database and tracking system for instructions on daily manufacturing tasks. He also said companies can use artificial intelligence to visualize and eliminate operational bottlenecks in their work.
Vali said a major component of the suite of solutions is artificial intelligence, which is heavily integrated into the two bot systems, Gaugebot and Gigbot, compared to the other programs. The AI, which utilizes ChatGPT's database in its program code, suggests to companies how to solve and manage issues in daily tasks by using data collected from the company's database of instructions and the internet.
"It generates the work instructions for you based on all the information we have in the system and how all the users are using it and it also allocate time to it," he said. "Now we have a standard time that is saying this is the step that you have to follow and this is how long it's going to take."
The AI also helps map the efficiency of tasks, consolidate and visualize problems faced in supply, maintain inventory records, track results and flag defective parts. Vali said it "visualizes" the manufacturing production line to identify bottlenecks and suggests how to solve them.
Vali said their application's AI is integrated into all modules, which are sold as separate services.
The company has five employees, Vali said, which include two software developers, a business development manager and a product manager. He said they hired a sales manager in July. They are working with 11 companies based in states including California, Texas and Indiana, as well as in Wichita.
"Some companies have bought one (module), some companies have bought multiple. Our target is (to sell) 50 modules by the end of 2025," he said.
Vali wants to add a feature that allows employees to use headsets with augmented reality when executing tasks. He said the finished product will have users scan a QR code on the equipment needing support and the headsets will showcase instructions for the task.
"So hands-free, you go ahead and do it. They already have the work instructions in front of them as they are doing the job. That is our next innovation," he said.
He said the company has started the planning process and hopes to launch the feature by the second quarter of 2025.
Vali said while such applications might be available elsewhere, his product does it uniquely. He said his application's customizable feature of manufacturing task instructions makes it stand out. He also highlighted the company's Booster program, which allows businesses to train employees through existing and new certification programs and maintain a competitive culture by creating games and company points programs that act as incentives for employees.
Vali said he hopes to leave a legacy as he scales his business.
"We are on the growth path and I think that the future is bright," he said.
