Ashok Kadsur, Co-Founder, Melento (formerly SignDesk), in conversation with Efficient Manufacturing Magazine
Q. Why do fragmented workflows and manual approvals remain a major bottleneck in manufacturing, despite years of digital transformation?
Most digital transformation digitises forms, not decisions. Manufacturing still runs on siloed systems, email chains, and human checkpoints that don’t talk to each other. The workflow is digital, but the intelligence isn’t. Fragmentation persists because systems automate steps, not outcomes. Until decisions become contextual, connected, and accountable across plants and partners, manual approvals will continue to throttle operational speed.
Q. How does Melento’s collaborative intelligence model balance AI-driven speed with human oversight in compliance-heavy manufacturing environments?
We don’t replace human judgment; we augment it. Melento’s collaborative intelligence allows AI agents to prepare decisions, flag risks, and recommend actions – while humans retain control over approvals and exceptions. Compliance-heavy industries need speed with traceability. Our model ensures every AI action is auditable, explainable, and override-ready. It’s not automation without control; it’s acceleration with accountability.
Q. How does agentic AI help manufacturers simplify vendor onboarding, contracts, and plant-level compliance?
Agentic AI moves from static workflows to proactive execution. It can gather vendor documents, validate compliance clauses, cross-check regulatory requirements, and escalate anomalies automatically. Instead of chasing paperwork, teams manage exceptions. At the plant level, AI continuously monitors adherence rather than relying on periodic reviews. The result is faster onboarding, fewer compliance gaps, and significantly lower administrative overhead.
Q. Why are low-code, adaptive workflows critical for agility in multi-plant manufacturing operations?
Manufacturing realities change weekly- new vendors, new regulations, new production lines. If workflow changes require months of IT backlog, agility dies. Low-code adaptive systems empower operations teams to evolve processes in real time without breaking governance. Multi-plant environments demand local flexibility within global standards. That balance is only possible when workflows are configurable, not hard-coded.
Q. As Melento expands into the US and Middle East, how do you ensure jurisdiction-aware compliance for global manufacturers?
Compliance is not universal- it’s contextual. Our architecture embeds jurisdiction-aware rule engines that adapt workflows to regional regulations, whether OSHA in the US or regional standards in the Middle East. We combine local regulatory intelligence with centralised governance dashboards. Manufacturers operate globally, but compliance must be executed locally. Our platform respects that duality by design.
Q. How will intelligence-driven platforms reshape manufacturing operations over the next five years, and what role will Melento play?
The next five years will shift manufacturing from process automation to autonomous coordination. Platforms will move from tracking activity to orchestrating outcomes across supply chains, plants, and partners. Intelligence will sit at the workflow layer, not just analytics dashboards. Melento’s role is to become the execution fabric – where AI agents and humans collaborate to run operations in real time, not retrospectively.
