The industry has become so jaded by tech implementations, speed is a huge differentiator. The number one objection we hear is, 'I don’t have time for a 12-month implementation.'
Every product now claims to be "AI-driven", but few deliver it—and those that do, do it slowly. For companies with real AI under the hood, the hardest part isn’t building the tech. It’s delivering value fast and proving they’re not just another logo riding the hype wave.
"AI is slapped on everything," says Lettie Barrett, Director of Marketing at Verusen. And she’s not new to the game. At a company building AI for MRO supply chains since 2015, she's been navigating that tension long before AI was the buzzword of the hour.
The fast and the functional: "The industry has become so jaded by tech implementations," says Barrett. Skepticism runs high, and Verusen answers with speed: onboarding in under 45 days. "People don’t believe us at trade shows, but speed is a huge differentiator. The number one objection we hear is, 'I don’t have time for a 12-month implementation.'"
Flex your core: "Back in 2015, when Verusen was founded, AI was the core of our mission," says Barrett. The company zeroed in on a specific problem: MRO supply chain complexity, a focus that remains its biggest differentiator. Unlike legacy systems that are "high level" and "only an inch deep," Verusen aims at the real pain points—problems customers "have previously tried to solve within their legacy systems, only to end up doing manual analysis outside of them," says Barrett.
Show us the receipts: Verusen backs its AI claims with serious data muscle. "We have something called the material graph," says Barrett. "We’ve ingested over 41 million inventory spend details and over $12 billion in MRO inventory value." That scale, she says, is what makes them true MRO experts—not just another AI label. Now, they’re taking it further with an "explainability release" designed to show exactly how their AI works—no hand-waving or vague assertions, just tangible proof.
A huge pillar of our strategy is harping on the fact that this takes minimal resources—not a ton of work from IT.
The AI echo chamber: "Even if people aren’t doing AI, they’re saying they are—because they’ve got to stay competitive," says Barrett. The result is a crowded, often misleading marketplace where real players struggle to stand out. "It’s a very tricky time to be in marketing," she admits. The challenge? Showcasing real AI expertise without looking like just another brand jumping on the "AI agent bandwagon."
One platform to rule them all: "Bridging the gap between procurement and operations" is one of Verusen's messaging angles that consistently resonates. It’s a familiar disconnect—misaligned incentives, siloed systems, and conflicting priorities. Verusen tackles it with "a single source of truth platform" that captures the full context of past decisions and enables centralized, informed action around MRO inventory. It’s a way to align teams that have "traditionally operated in different systems and different processes," says Barrett, finally getting them speaking the same language.
Story meets substance: Verusen’s GTM playbook hinges on narrative and direct value. "We definitely try to blend the two," says Barrett—using storytelling to spotlight pain points, while keeping the message focused and fast. With industry veterans on the team, Verusen has no shortage of real-world insight. But in a noisy market, "attention spans are short and people just want to know what you’re going to give them," she says. The key is clarity—making it easy for buyers to grasp the value, fast, and tailoring the message to where they are in the funnel.
Hard mode marketing: For those navigating legacy industries, Barrett has a few words of wisdom. First: "Power through—it’s really easy to feel knocked down in this industry." Second: Tailor the message. What clicks with procurement won’t land with IT or operations. "The message has to change depending on the persona," she says. But above all, focus on making life easier.
For procurement, that might mean escaping Excel. For operations, it’s knowing a critical part is actually on the shelf. "Finding really specific pain points is absolutely critical," she says. And don’t ignore the IT hurdle: "A huge pillar of our strategy is harping on the fact that this takes minimal resources—not a ton of work from IT," explains Barrett.
