Digital Workshop

How AI and Platform Solutions Are Transforming the Skilled Trades

Stuttgart, August 2026. In recent years, many trades businesses have digitalized their processes – but usually with a range of separate applications for creating quotes, tracking time, managing inventory, or documenting job sites. The result is often disconnected systems, extra coordination effort, and delays in day-to-day work. At the same time, the need to have information available anytime and anywhere is growing. “The core problem isn’t a lack of software, but the lack of integration between existing systems,” says Benno Quade, CEO of OneQrew GmbH. “Whenever information isn’t seamlessly available between the office and the field, friction arises that directly affects productivity and response speed.” As a result, integrated platform solutions are becoming increasingly important: they connect processes, bring data together, and create seamless workflows – from the office to the vehicle to the job site.

Platforms Bring Processes Together

The market is increasingly moving toward integrated platform solutions. The goal is to bring information, communication, and business processes together within a shared environment. Instead of isolated applications, connected systems are emerging that make data centrally available and support processes from end to end. One example is the MyOneQrew platform. It integrates a range of functions, including product and manufacturer data, mobile communication, e-learning, tool and vehicle tracking, and AI-powered chatbots such as ChatGPT. For trades businesses, this means one thing above all: relevant information is available directly within the work context – for example, technical data on the job site, documentation during a customer appointment, or material information in the vehicle. The platform also supports core business processes such as job scheduling, vehicle management, and the coordination of material flows. This makes data usable and efficiently organized across different areas of a business – a factor that is increasingly shaping companies’ competitiveness as well. “What matters is that information no longer needs to be searched for or requested, but is available exactly when it’s needed,” explains Quade. “Especially in mobile work, the availability of data determines how efficiently a job can be carried out.”

AI as Everyday Support

Building on integrated platform solutions, the use of artificial intelligence in the skilled trades is also gaining importance. That’s because only consistently connected data makes it possible to integrate AI applications into everyday work in a meaningful way. The current focus is on supportive functions that simplify routine tasks and speed up processes – for example, quick access to technical information, documentation, or standardized text. “AI delivers the greatest benefit where it takes work off employees’ hands in day-to-day business,” says Quade. “It speeds up processes and reduces time spent searching, but it doesn’t replace professional judgment or decision-making.” Platform solutions thus create the foundation for using AI applications in a practical and efficient way.

For more information, visit www.oneqrew.com

Company Profile

OneQrew GmbH, headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany, is one of the leading digital partners for the skilled trades and mid-sized businesses. More than 45,000 companies with over 300,000 employees rely on OneQrew software solutions to manage their processes efficiently and digitally – from order processing to time tracking. With more than 800 employees and a network of specialized software companies, OneQrew combines many years of industry expertise with modern technology – from ERP systems and mobile applications to AI-supported solutions. Through its MyOneQrew platform, the company bundles digital tools, many of them AI-supported, along with information for different areas of work in the skilled trades. The goal is to help businesses make their workflows simpler and more cost-effective.