ifm Introduces AI-Powered Product Search in Its Online Shop

Complex product searches are among the biggest challenges in digital sales for many industrial companies. Customers often know the technical challenge they need to solve but not the specific product name or part number.

Industrial company ifm, headquartered in Essen and Tettnang and a global leader in sensors, communication and control systems, has recently addressed this challenge by introducing AI-powered product search. Its online shop now features a generative search function that helps users find suitable products and accessories based on a description of their application. The solution was developed in collaboration with digital services provider diva-e Conclusion.

Instead of navigating through conventional keyword searches or product categories, users can describe their applications in natural language. The AI analyzes the use case, matches it against ifm's product and application knowledge, and suggests suitable solutions along with additional relevant information. The aim is to reduce research time and help customers find the right solution more quickly, particularly when dealing with complex technical requirements.

“Many B2B companies have highly complex product portfolios whose full potential cannot be unlocked through conventional search mechanisms alone,” says Sirko Schneppe, CEO of diva-e Conclusion, part of the international Conclusion DACH group. “Generative AI opens up new opportunities, but it also requires the right technological and organizational foundations. That is why we developed the Agentic Experience Foundation, or AXF for short. It provides the foundation for agentic customer processes that connect customer intent, corporate knowledge, existing systems and specific business processes. The intelligent product search at ifm demonstrates how this approach can be applied in practice to a demanding use case.”

The go-live follows several phases of development and optimization during which response quality, user guidance and domain-specific logic were continuously refined. The initial rollout of the new search functionality covers the DACH region, as well as France, Italy, Spain and Portugal. Based on the experience gained during this first rollout, a phased expansion into additional markets — Poland, Romania, the Czech Republic and Hungary — is already planned.

“Our goal was not simply to add AI to an existing search function, but to fundamentally rethink product selection from our customers' perspective,” explains Mario Holt, Vice President Digital Sales & Services at ifm. “Users should be able to describe their requirements in the same way they would in their day-to-day work, without needing expert knowledge of product structures or part numbers. This makes our portfolio more accessible while also strengthening digital self-service.”

The new search functionality is part of ifm's ongoing development of its digital sales channels. In the future, the solution is expected to be expanded with additional use cases and features to provide customers with even more targeted support in selecting suitable products and application solutions.

“Developing and scaling AI applications is increasingly presenting companies with new organizational and technological challenges,” Schneppe adds. “With AXF, we help companies move AI beyond initial pilot projects and into productive operation.”

This new modular consulting and transformation approach helps companies identify suitable use cases, establish the necessary technical and organizational foundations, and implement AI applications in a scalable way. AI engineers combine the analysis of processes, data and use cases with technical implementation, laying the groundwork for governance, transparency and control.