LeanDNA Wins Best Use of AI in Manufacturing at The 2026 A.I. Awards
Recognition from The Cloud Awards honors APEX, the AI-powered expert execution platform that turns manufacturing data into optimized decisions and action.
AUSTIN, Texas — Oct. 13, 2026 — LeanDNA, a leading intelligent supply chain execution platform, today announced that it has won Best Use of AI in Manufacturing at The 2026 A.I. Awards, presented by The Cloud Awards. The honor recognizes APEX, LeanDNA’s AI-powered expert execution platform for discrete manufacturers. There were three rounds of judging, with LeanDNA recognized on the shortlist, as a finalist, and now as the winner of its category.
“LeanDNA impressed the judges at The A.I. Awards with a highly practical application of artificial intelligence to the complex realities of modern manufacturing,” said Annabelle Whittall, COO of The Cloud Awards. “APEX helps manufacturers turn vast quantities of supply and inventory data into prioritized, actionable intelligence, enabling teams to address material challenges before they disrupt production. Sophisticated AI, a strong industry focus and tangible operational value made LeanDNA a deserving winner.”
Most discrete manufacturers have more data than ever but less clarity, with information locked in silos that leaves buyers and planners interpreting dashboards instead of executing decisions. APEX connects ERP, MES, supplier, and production data into a single source of truth and applies manufacturing-specific AI to continuously detect risk, prioritize by financial and operational impact, and tell teams what to work on, in what order, and why.
What sets APEX apart is that its AI is built on the constructs that govern factory execution, including bills of material, PFEP optimization, safety stock, supplier constraints, and production readiness, rather than generic forecasting or visualization. That lets it tell a part shortage that will halt a line tomorrow from one that will resolve within the lead time. Every recommendation comes with its supporting evidence, and configurable thresholds and human-in-the-loop oversight keep buyers and planners in control, so they can validate an action before they take it.
Operated by global cloud computing awards body The Cloud Awards, The A.I. Awards celebrate international leaders driving the next generation of artificial intelligence and machine learning. Now in its third year, the 2026 program drew entries from organizations worldwide.
“Manufacturers don’t lack data. They lack a fast, reliable way to turn it into decisions their teams can act on today,” said Andy Ellenthal, CEO of LeanDNA. “This award is a credit to our team and to the customers who have pushed APEX to be practical, trustworthy, and built for the factory floor.”
The full list of 2026 A.I. Awards winners are available at cloud-awards.com/ai-awards/2026-winners.
The win follows LeanDNA’s recent recognition with the Supply Chain Excellence Award for Supply Chain Resilience, Best SaaS for Manufacturing, Engineering & Industrial Applications in The SaaS Awards, an Industrial Innovation Award for APEX, and its fourth consecutive recognition as a Partner in Collaborative Innovation in the Manufacturing Leadership Awards (MLA).
About LeanDNA
LeanDNA powers the world’s discrete manufacturing with a single source of truth for factory-first supply planning, materials management, and inventory optimization. APEX, the AI-powered expert execution platform from LeanDNA, transforms data into optimized decisions and action. LeanDNA empowers manufacturers in aerospace, HVAC, industrials, automotive, and medical to improve on-time delivery and working capital levels. Leading manufacturers including Caterpillar, Daikin Applied, Radius Aerospace, and Siemens use APEX for supply chain orchestration to gain visibility into current and incoming materials, take action based on inventory criticality, collaborate in real time with suppliers, and track progress toward inventory optimization goals. Learn more at LeanDNA.com.
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Classic Bart PR & Communications
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