A Review of IFS Unleashed 2026

Although trust in AI is growing, business leaders are still hesitant to trust AI’s ability to accurately generate answers while safeguarding their data. In industries like manufacturing, energy, aerospace, and field service, one wrong action can mean a safety incident, a missed delivery, or unmet compliance.

As a trusted provider of industry solutions, IFS has risen to address customer concerns with two major product announcements and a narrowed focus on AI delivery. As a result, IFS continues to move upmarket, catering to more mature clients with mature business processes.

IFS Unleashed 2026 was the platform for innovative announcements, and we will be watching IFS closely to examine how new functionality comes to fruition within real-life use cases.

IFS's Evolving AI Strategy

At the core of IFS’s strategy is the newly released IFS Intelligence and Industrial AI Harness. One is aimed at AI-empowered action, while the other governs solutions for safe AI usage.

IFS Intelligence lets workers ask questions about their operations in plain language and get answers drawn from live business data. It is more than just a place to house data; it acts as an advisor with real insights and actionable next steps.

The product works in three ways:

• Cowork answers questions and prepares actions, but nothing happens until a human intervenes to approve it.
• Loops creates automated workflows to guide AI agents running in the background of business operations. It also configures the system to ask for human intervention as it is programmed. Teams can also create their own agents in Studio for greater time to value.
• Runway leverages AI to streamline product implementation, usage, and customization.

Underneath sits the Industrial AI Harness. Think of it as the rulebook and supervisor for the AI, building on IFS’s existing security and controls. It checks who is allowed to see and do what, makes sure risky actions get approved, verifies the AI's work, and logs every step so it can be audited later. Industrial AI Harness also enables customers to work across AI models and services. This prevents customers from being pigeonholed into using a single AI provider.

Where IFS Has the Edge

IFS has a deep focus on asset-intensive industries, with years of experience helping leaders in these industries achieve real value. As the AI race rages forward, the winners will be those who can provide industry-driven AI. IFS is developing industrial use cases that customers can apply quickly to daily operations. They are moving away from traditional ERP offerings to advance AI, and customers can expect solutions created in accordance with customer demands and needs.

Questions worth asking IFS

If you're evaluating IFS Intelligence, these questions will quickly separate substance from sales pitch:

• Which AI models are used, where do they run, and what data can they access?
• Whose permissions do background digital workers abide by?
• Who approves the digital workers that business teams build themselves?
• How big is the AI usage allowance, and what happens if you go over it?
• Can IFS share named customers with measurable results?

Conclusion

IFS has effectively positioned itself to deliver real value within the industries it serves every day. It understands that industrial companies won't hand real work to AI until they can control it, and its product design and licensing reflect that. It is important for businesses considering IFS to watch closely as use cases are developed and IFS customers begin to deploy more advanced AI strategies.

Considering IFS for your software upgrade? Schedule a free consultation with one of our experts!