Speaking at the Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles Association’s (SMART) 2026 Montréal Conference, Applied Industrials’ Ardery identified invoice processing, order entry and customer-service communications as processes where AI could help reduce manual workloads.
His presentation, titled ‘SMART AI Adoption: Front- and Back-Office Automation’, considered the use of automated workflows by textile recyclers, processors, exporters and other businesses in the secondary-materials supply chain.
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A central part of the session was a live demonstration of AI carrying out tasks relevant to a SMART member business.
The demonstration was intended to illustrate how automation could be introduced into existing processes, rather than presenting AI as a theoretical technology.
Ardery said businesses could use AI to handle customer enquiries and communications, including across international supply chains. He also outlined applications in matching invoices and reconciling financial documentation, alongside tools that process orders and limit repeated data input.
The aim is to reduce overheads and free staff from time-consuming administrative tasks.
SMART said the session also addressed how companies could decide which processes to prioritise before investing in automation.
The issue is relevant for companies managing used textiles and secondary materials amid higher operating costs, changing regulations and complex international supply chains. The conference programme considered operational resilience and the evolving market for textile reuse and recycling.
Applied Industrials supplies workflow automation services to industrial businesses.
Before joining the company, Ardery held strategy and operations roles at Google, including work involving Google Fiber, Google Cloud and applied AI solutions within Google’s Trust & Safety division.
Founded in 1932, SMART represents firms engaged in collecting, processing, reusing and recycling textiles and other secondary materials.
The association provides its members with education, networking opportunities, advocacy, and industry collaboration, while promoting the environmental, economic and social benefits of textile reuse and recycling.
