Legal inquiries in manufacturing often follow a familiar pattern—but that doesn’t simplify the process. Faced with complex contracts, evolving regulations, and siloed systems, legal teams in manufacturing are under pressure to respond quickly and accurately. Comprehensive answers take time and coordination across departments.

 

Often, manufacturers find themselves relying on expensive legal expertise to work through inquiries. But for some issues, a manufacturer may just need fast access to accurate, contextual legal data to improve decision making.

 

This is where bringing on a GenAI legal assistant can boost efficiency across every stage of the legal inquiry workflow, helping manufacturers to:

• Access and interpret legal data quickly and easily
• Highlight potential compliance gaps before escalating to legal teams
• Have more informed contract negotiation and operational planning
• Respond to inquiries more consistently and effectively
   

Let’s walk through where generative AI fits into each step of the process.
 

Access the right legal information faster

The first hurdle in any legal inquiry process is tracking down the right clause, document, or detail—often buried in disconnected systems or dense language. Without proper context and understanding, teams waste time sorting through materials—or worse—misinterpreting them.
 

A GenAI-powered legal assistant simplifies this process using natural language AI searches to surface relevant content and supporting documentation. It knows where to look and can provide external examples of how the legalese may apply to manufacturers and your specific business for further legal validation.
 

The outcome:

• Quickly locate the clause, agreement, or record that applies to your inquiry
• View legal context alongside operational data, such as purchase orders or maintenance logs
• Pull in external regulatory compliance data—such as industry standards or prior case outcomes—for added clarity or proof points

 
 

Stay ahead of changing requirements

Regulatory compliance in manufacturing (or anywhere, really) is never static. New laws emerge, standards evolve, and what was acceptable last year may now expose the business to risk. And unfortunately, manual audits and policy reviews often occur only after something goes wrong.
 

Generative AI for compliance keeps teams aligned with evolving requirements in labor, contract, environmental law, and more, by comparing internal policies with external frameworks and flagging potential inconsistencies that could require further legal review.
 

The outcome:

• Spot inconsistencies between internal documentation and regulatory updates
• Get notified when contracts or policies may no longer meet current standards
• Maintain audit readiness by highlighting documentation gaps and policy alignment issues
   

Support proactive contract and policy review

Legal risk management can often feel reactive—but GenAI helps flip that script. Vague contract language, outdated terms, and overlooked clauses can lead to costly missteps if they go unnoticed.
 

AI tools can flag areas in contracts that may need further legal review and help teams review documents more effectively—especially before entering new agreements. When red flags do appear, teams are better equipped to escalate to legal professionals with the right context and understanding in hand.
 

The outcome:

• Flag ambiguous or high-risk clauses in contracts for review before signing
• Cross-reference historical agreements to help understand precedent or variations
• Surface trends in contracts and legal exceptions that could help shape future review processes
   

Move from insight to action

Once your compliance I’s and regulatory T’s have been dotted and crossed, and potential gaps have been identified, the final hurdle is knowing what to do next. That’s where your AI legal assistant moves from research to resolution.
 

It can suggest clause revisions for legal review and draft compliant language based on your internal policies and current regulations, helping reduce time spent on manual drafting. And GenAI supports teams through execution by outlining the exact steps required to file updates, notify stakeholders, or move the process forward. All of this can then be clearly summarized for efficient review and validation by your legal team.

 

The outcome:

• Receive next steps and legal documentation for claims, returns, or insurance cases
• Trigger internal actions such as follow-ups, policy reviews, or formal notifications
• Help surface internal procedures that may need legal review based on updated standards for labor contract policies, audit schedules, or compliance checklists for unionized teams

 

A smarter approach to legal workflows

Implementing GenAI in manufacturing doesn’t have to mean starting from scratch. Many manufacturers face internal challenges, including limited in-house AI expertise, competing priorities, or pressure to prove value quickly. That’s why Slalom’s approach starts with what matters most: experience and outcomes.

 

We’ve spent years helping manufacturers tackle real-world challenges with speed and precision. Now, we’ve partnered with AWS and Intel to turn that experience into high-impact GenAI accelerator solutions built for immediate value.

 

Our GenAI Accelerator for Legal Inquiry AI Assistants is specifically tailored for manufacturers. And it’s largely pre-built—requiring minimal fine-tuning to fit into your operations—getting you up and running fast.

 

Start optimizing your legal workflows

If you're ready to streamline legal inquiries and support more consistent documentation and compliance workflows, Slalom’s GenAI Accelerators for legal workflows might be exactly what your team needs.

 

Common questions manufacturers are asking:

• How can generative AI help legal and compliance teams in manufacturing respond faster to regulations?
• Can AI tools reduce legal risk by identifying gaps in contracts or regulatory compliance?
• What does it take to implement a GenAI assistant for legal workflows in manufacturing?

 

We’ve got the answers. Visit our GenAI Accelerator page to learn more. Discover how to customize our accelerators to your unique business and use case—and request a demo to see them in action. Qualifying customers may also be eligible for funding to support a proof of concept.

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