Four years ago, Gaser Group, a historic company founded in 1945 and specialized in metal surface treatments and coatings, began a digital transformation journey that would reshape the company. With over 500 employees across nine sites in Northern Italy, the challenge was ambitious: to collect, unify, and leverage data from a complex organization that had previously been managed in a fragmented, largely manual way.
Leading this digital revolution was Antonio Rendina, Head of Digitalization and Automation, who explains how it all began:
“Four years ago, I joined Gaser as IT Manager. Until then, there was no internal IT role within the group, and data intelligence activities were delegated to external suppliers. We had nine sites and more than one hundred machines running at full capacity, but there was no system to aggregate and share data, nor any reports that could be properly monitored and controlled.”
The need for digitalization and the idea that sparked it
It was clear that, to innovate, full control over company data was essential, and therefore an internal system for data collection and centralization was needed. This led to the creation of Gaser Core, the company’s ERP system developed entirely in-house, capable of capturing all business data—from quotations to goods acceptance, and even reporting integrated with the machinery.
“All the process owners began to see the value in Gaser Core and started making requests to improve workflow. I built an internal team, and gradually we digitized all processes, both large and small, standardizing data that had previously been scattered across Excel sheets and paper documents,” Antonio explains.
The digital transformation was not limited to data collection and aggregation; it also extended to data accessibility. From this, Business Intelligence emerged, with dashboards for plant managers, followed by integration with artificial intelligence, capable of turning raw data into actionable decision-making tools.
From Need to AI Solution: The Evolution of Agents
At Gaser, innovations never come from a single stroke of genius—they arise from observation, listening, and real needs. It is precisely in the daily life of the plants, amid phone calls, urgent requests, and overflowing emails, that the most effective solutions take shape.
“With a team of 500 employees, IT requests were constant. The ticketing module was not being used, and there was a nonstop flow of emails, calls, and WhatsApp messages. So we created the first Gaserino, an AI agent acting as a virtual assistant, capable of determining—depending on the request—whether it was better to open an internal ticket or forward the request to an external supplier,” Antonio explains. “It seemed like a small step, but for us it was a paradigm shift.”
From that initial idea, the project evolved naturally. Each department had specific needs, and so, from the first prototype, a stack of chatbots was born, each with specialized skills: from IT support to decision-making assistance for management, and even document and commercial management. Today, these AI agents provide tangible support in managing company data and information, making employees’ digital experience smoother and more efficient.
“We are working to make the agents proactive, meaning they will not only respond to questions but also proactively suggest actions to take. Employees won’t need to ask how the production line is performing—the AI agent will alert them to any anomalies by cross-referencing multiple data points and predicting potential outcomes,” Antonio reveals.
Digitalization That Makes a Difference in the Company
The digitalization journey has brought tangible benefits. Previously, retrieving a single piece of data meant involving dozens of people and external suppliers; today, thanks to data centralization and structuring, every piece of information is immediate, reliable, and accessible to those who need it.
“Now I can see revenue in real time, track nonconformities on parts, and monitor every stage of production. Thanks to IoT sensors, we have digitized all the data and integrated it into Gaser Core, where we have created a control room that allows us to oversee orders and plants, improving efficiency for the customer,” Antonio explains.
Not just efficiency: digitalization has also established a solid data governance, crucial for feeding the AI agents’ knowledge. Today, the data foundation is unified and consistent, allowing the AI to accurately interpret what is happening on the shop floor, cross-reference different parameters, and provide analyses that reflect reality.
In this digitalized ecosystem, every decision—from managing a production line to planning operations—becomes faster, more informed, and, above all, based on verifiable information rather than impressions or estimates. It is this combination of speed, control, and transparency that represents one of the most significant outcomes of Gaser Group’s digital transformation.
Antonio’s Journey: From Programming to Industrial Digitalization
Antonio’s professional journey began in 2007, while he was still studying:
“I started as a programmer, gaining small formative experiences. Before joining Gaser, I was Head of Development at a consulting firm, more focused on e-commerce and business applications.”
Joining Gaser marked a turning point: beyond traditional IT, Antonio was able to focus on digitalizing the manufacturing world, developing internal tools and driving innovation across all company processes. His approach has always been to bring knowledge in-house, training the team and reducing dependence on external suppliers.
Future Prospects and Collaboration with AzzurroDigitale
The collaboration with AzzurroDigitale opens up new opportunities, particularly in the integration of vision systems and AI for monitoring galvanic plants.
“For 2026, we definitely want to continue developing our AI agents, but also test intelligent vision systems to collect real-time data from our galvanic plants. The goal is to create increasingly autonomous tools, capable of anticipating problems and suggesting operational strategies,” Antonio explains.
Beyond the plants, Gaser Core and the AI agents will continue to evolve, with new features for document management, employee training (Gaser Academy), and payroll digitalization.
A Transformation That Puts People at the Center
Digitalization, however, is not just about technology—the real change is cultural. Antonio emphasizes that employee adaptation was the biggest challenge:
“At first, there was fear of being monitored or making mistakes. Gradually, though, they realized that the data exists to improve work, not to judge, and today awareness grows day by day.”
“Technology only works if it improves people’s work.” That’s why every implementation—from Gaser Core to the AI agents—has been built by listening to the departments, observing real workflows, and translating employees’ needs into concrete features.”
The introduction of intuitive dashboards, standardized processes, intelligent automations, and specialized chatbots has not only digitalized the company but also empowered and engaged those who live the day-to-day operations in production, logistics, quality, and sales.
Digitalization has thus become a human enabler, a bridge between the group’s traditional expertise and the new possibilities offered by data and AI. It is precisely this focus on people that has allowed the project to be accepted, understood, and fully embraced by every department.
Gaser Group’s journey demonstrates how technology, data, and artificial intelligence can transform a complex industrial organization—provided there are solid foundations, clear governance, and a human-centered, inclusive approach. Today, Gaser’s AI agents are more than just chatbots: they are strategic tools, allies to employees, and decision-making support, serving as a concrete example of digital innovation in Italy.
This is the lesson Gaser can share today: true innovation arises when you have the courage to face problems without fear, transforming them into ideas, tools, and visions.