1,200+ ERP leaders share what’s next for digital transformation | Read the report 🔽
Karlsruhe, 23 October 2025
European software provider Forterro continues its strategy to create value for industrial midmarket companies through modern, AI-based technologies. In addition to targeted product developments and acquisitions, Forterro is expanding its ecosystem with strategic best-of-class partners. Together with blp, a Swiss-based spin-off of ETH Zurich, it now offers users AI-supported automation of ERP processes for incoming and outgoing documents.
"The partnership with blp gives Forterro customers direct access to state-of-the-art AI technology – a quantum leap in the automation of document-based ERP processes," explains Marcus Pannier, President, Lines of Business at Forterro. "The AI takes over all manual activities, while employees are only involved in more complex decisions. This accelerates business processes and makes it possible to invest the time gained in a targeted manner in the core business."
Many industrial midmarket companies have digitised their document-based processes in recent years – for example through document management systems or workflow solutions. By partnering with blp, Forterro uses AI to not only capture documents digitally and forward them to employees, but also to use AI to understand their content, validate them with the right ERP data, and process them automatically – completely without manual intervention. The AI also recognises process details such as deviating prices or delivery dates at item level, supports master data management and creates intelligent account assignment proposals.
"By partnering with blp, industrial midmarket companies can fully automate their document-based ERP processes up to 85%, without any human interaction. Out of the box, automation levels of between 60 and 70% can also be achieved," explains Pannier. "The remaining manual work relates to decisions that cannot be made by AI or post-processing of master data. Converted to working hours, an average of 70 to 90 hours of working time can be saved per clerk per month.”
Tim Beck, CEO of the ETH spin-off blp, sees the partnership with Forterro as a milestone on the way to the AI-driven future of SMEs:
"From the very beginning, our vision at blp was to make our AI technology accessible not only to large companies, but also to industrial SMEs – the backbone of our economy. Requirements are constantly increasing, especially in industrial midmarket companies: more work, higher customer expectations and growing regulatory requirements are meeting increasingly limited resources. In a few years, computers will talk directly to computers. By partnering with Forterro, we are bringing our AI to over 25,000 industrial companies – helping them to equip their processes today for the AI future, and to remain competitive tomorrow."
In practice, the added value can be seen in central ERP processes, such as:
Purchase-to-pay: In the procurement process, blp's AI ensures significantly shorter throughput times and complete transparency across all sub-processes – from the accelerated creation of supplier orders and the automated verification of order confirmations to the pre-recording of goods receipt based on incoming delivery notes and the automatic posting of incoming invoices and expenses. The AI recognises all document types, compares quantities, prices and delivery dates with the ERP process data and transfers the results to the ERP system. Deviations are automatically submitted to the responsible employee for a decision before the posting is continued independently.
Order-to-Cash: On the sales side, blp's AI accelerates customer response by automatically processing incoming inquiries and orders. It independently creates suitable offers or creates orders in the ERP system – including all relevant item data, master data and customer information.
Media contact
Eva-Maria Hufschmitt
Principal PR & Communications
pr@forterro.com
Founded in 2012, Forterro has grown to become a category leader in industrial software – with strongholds in Europe's top production economies, as well as regional service hubs and development centres around the world. From more than 40 office locations, its 2,500+ employees provide and support software for more than 25,000 industrial businesses. Its products are deeply rooted in the demands of their local geography and each is designed to strengthen and accelerate customers' ability to operate efficiently and compete effectively.
blp is a spin-off from ETH Zurich and has established itself as a leading AI company for ERP process automation. The team of over 100 employees focuses on industrial companies and has acquired more than 350 well-known customers such as Geberit, Freudenberg, GF, VAT and Bobst over the past three years, who are already using the solution in over 40 countries. A unique feature of blp technology is its controllable and auditable AI, which ensures complete transparency of decisions and data flows – making AI-based automation reliable, traceable and audit-proof for the first time. For more information, visit www.blp.digital.
