AI and Software Innovation at WMS 2025

At the 2025 Woodworking Machinery & Supply (WMS) Conference in Toronto, a new undercurrent ran through the software booths: artificial intelligence, not as abstract promise but as practical feature. Across design, production, and business management platforms, vendors demonstrated and spoke on how AI is beginning to automate routine tasks, support decision-making, and expand the capabilities of small and mid-sized shops.

Cienapps: Automating Order Intake with Applied AI

Cienapps is a Canada-based provider of ERP software built specifically for the woodworking sector. The company’s core platform unifies estimating, purchasing, production, and job costing into a single ecosystem. At WMS 2025, Cienapps emphasized its focus on business integration and predictability, helping shops track every dollar and anticipate workflow disruptions before they occur.

A key highlight was the AI-driven functionality embedded in Cienapps’ Cieblink product, a supplier network and order management platform. According to representatives at the show, Cieblink now incorporates optical character recognition (OCR) and AI models to translate unstructured order formats—such as PDF attachments, photos of forms, or text messages—into structured digital orders. This allows shops to bypass retyping and manual entry.

A company representative noted that the intent is not to replace staff but to reduce repetitive tasks and improve the accuracy of procurement data. By automating tedious data intake tasks, the software frees human staff to focus on decisions, communication, and oversight.

Planit Canada: Framing AI as a Conversational Tool

Planit Canada, the Canadian distributor of Cabinet Vision and other design-to-production software, used its WMS presence to launch a structured online training platform. The new program helps kitchen and cabinet designers onboard faster by offering guided learning modules, embedded quizzes, and project-based lessons.

While the training platform itself is not AI-enabled, Planit’s team discussed AI’s broader role in the industry during their interviews. They pointed to three near-term functions: using AI to answer shop-floor questions about topics like feed rates or materials, applying conversational AI to digest long technical documents, and early efforts to automate cabinet layout suggestions based on industry rules.

A spokesperson explained that much of AI’s current value lies in interaction. Conversational tools allow users to refine queries, drill deeper into subjects, and receive targeted responses that streamline research or decision-making.

Planit sees AI not as a replacement for skilled designers but as a tool to accelerate research, simplify problem-solving, and potentially support design logic in the future. For now, their emphasis remains on human-led learning, with AI serving as a parallel track of support.

Innergy: Applying AI Across Design and ERP

Innergy offers a fully cloud-based ERP platform for custom wood manufacturers, with deep links into design, estimating, production, and analytics. At WMS 2025, Innergy stood out for already embedding AI into multiple points across its software.

On the design side, users can use natural language prompts to resize cabinets, shift walls, or reposition components in the company’s 3D modeling environment. Each step is displayed visually to maintain transparency and control.

In the estimating workflow, Innergy uses AI to analyze large architectural plan sets and flag which pages are likely to include millwork—reducing the time spent manually scanning 100-page PDFs. Within ERP modules, AI also supports complex filtering (e.g., surfacing all orders delivered this month) and post-project analysis (comparing estimated vs. actual costs, then recommending adjustments).

One particularly notable function is the ability to assess the probability of winning a given bid. By analyzing historical data and job-specific factors, the system can guide estimator attention toward higher-likelihood opportunities.

Innergy runs its AI in a self-hosted environment, meaning client data remains in-house and is not exposed to third-party services. This architecture prioritizes data confidentiality while supporting advanced functionality.

Mozaik Software: Focused Automation Without AI

Mozaik Software, long known for offering cabinet design and manufacturing software via monthly subscription, currently does not have AI functionality built into its product.

The company’s existing tools already automate much of the production workflow: generating cut lists, handling joinery preferences, and producing CNC output based on user settings. Its online community plays a significant role in guiding development, with customers submitting detailed feature requests and use cases.

Representatives at the show reiterated that Mozaik’s strength lies in rules-based automation. Rather than introducing AI at this stage, the company remains focused on ensuring that user-driven configurations produce predictable, high-quality results.

That said, their team shared a measured view of AI’s potential role in the industry. They emphasized that AI should enhance workflows rather than replace them, serving as an assistant to reduce mundane tasks like parameter entry or file preparation. Any future applications, they noted, would need to align with Mozaik’s existing focus on production clarity and user control.

This approach reflects a broader theme among vendors: using automation to improve workflow efficiency without displacing craft or decision-making.

Ardis: Linking Production Data to Optimized Outcomes

Ardis specializes in post-design manufacturing software, covering optimization, scheduling, and part-level tracking. At WMS 2025, the company demonstrated its flagship platform, which uses algorithms to improve material yield, coordinate shop-floor timing, and manage remakes or exceptions in real time.

While Ardis has not yet released AI-driven features, its software infrastructure is well positioned to support data-driven insights. Because the platform logs detailed lifecycle data for every part—from nesting through machining and assembly—it captures the kind of structured, historical information required for advanced workflow management.

The current emphasis is on visibility and control. Real-time tracking allows users to pinpoint bottlenecks, respond to disruptions, and optimize cut patterns for material efficiency. For small and mid-sized shops, this level of insight can translate into faster turnaround times and reduced waste.

What AI in Woodworking Software Means for Shops

Across the WMS show floor, one pattern was clear: AI is entering the wood industry quietly, functionally, and in narrow but valuable roles. Today, it powers order intake, document triage, bid analysis, and filtering logic. Tomorrow, it may enable broader design automation or dynamic resource planning.

Importantly, none of the companies profiled suggested that AI would displace experienced staff. Instead, they see it as a means to remove bottlenecks, automate repetition, and surface insights from data.

For shop owners and managers, the message is practical. When evaluating software, ask not just whether it has AI, but what tasks that AI performs. Can it save you time reading plans? Reduce rework? Prioritize quotes more effectively?

WMS 2025 suggested that the next generation of software won’t just be faster or prettier. It will be smarter in ways that matter—particularly for small teams trying to do more with less.

Tyler Holt is the Editor of Wood Industry / Le monde du bois magazine. He has a master’s degree in literature and publication, and years of experience in the publishing and digital media industry. His main area of study is the effect of digital technologies on industrial and networked production.