AI is a manufacturing revolution waiting to happen. McKinsey estimated that it could add $13 trillion to the global economy and increase global GDP by 16%. In manufacturing alone, the potential is worth up to $2.1 trillion through greater automation in factories. Yet for all the promise, adoption is still limited. Gartner reports that fewer than 10% of companies have generative AI running in production. The challenge is that most manufacturers face a tangled web of systems, data silos and compliance pressures that make implementing AI at scale difficult.
PTC has taken a different path. The company has been embedding AI in its products for over a decade, guided by a simple principle: create value at scale, and do so responsibly. That means putting AI into the hands of engineers, factory operators, and service technicians to solve specific problems. It also means creating structures that ensure AI is trustworthy and compliant. The result is a track record of AI that works in practice, not just in theory. In this article, we’ll tell you more about it.
Building on a decade of AI
Few companies in the manufacturing software space can claim such depth of experience. PTC combines a close understanding of the problems faced by manufacturers with the ability to deliver robust enterprise software. That combination has allowed the company to develop AI features that are both practical and scalable.
ThingWorx, PTC’s industrial IoT platform, includes machine learning models that enable predictive maintenance and help uncover the root causes of inefficiencies in overall equipment effectiveness (OEE). Servigistics applies machine learning to forecast spare parts inventory, improving availability and reducing cost. ServiceMax enhances remote troubleshooting with AI, helping service teams resolve problems faster and more effectively.
PTC has also built its AI strategy to scale. By identifying reusable analytics patterns, the company can apply what works in one product to others across its portfolio. That approach increases the return on AI investment while ensuring consistency for customers.
Value across the product lifecycle
AI’s role inside PTC products extends far beyond maintenance or inventory management. The company has mapped its potential across the entire product lifecycle - engineering, manufacturing and service - and continues to expand the range of applications. Let’s look at each of these in turn.
- Engineering – AI advances include:
- Requirements analysis in Codebeamer, aligned with INCOSE standards
- Higher quality design reviews and better part use in PLM
- Generative design features in Creo to speed up ideation
- Manufacturing – AI powers:
- Integration across PLM, ERP and MES to support benchmarking, content translation and specification creation
- Real-time operator support through AR and IoT systems for tooling, training and execution
- Computer vision development in Windchill for 3D shape search, duplication detection and classification via Vuforia
- Service – AI enables:
- Smoother data flows in the supply chain
- More accurate demand forecasting and cost reduction
- Chatbots to accelerate customer service and assist technicians in the field
Together, these examples demonstrate how AI is being applied throughout the product lifecycle. From the first line of requirements to the last stage of after-sales support, AI is embedded in the workflows that define how manufacturers operate.
Responsible AI by design
The technology itself is only part of the story. Trust and accountability are critical, especially in regulated industries like manufacturing. That is why PTC established a formal AI governance program in 2023. The program covers the internal use of AI by employees and the integration of AI features into products.
This focus on governance has already been recognised, with IDC ranking PTC among the top 17% of companies for AI governance leadership. The benefits are clear:
- Stronger compliance with regulatory requirements
- Clear ethical guidelines for product and employee use
- Greater transparency across AI processes
- Improved collaboration between teams
This ensures that innovation does not come at the expense of responsibility. It also means PTC customers can be confident that their favourite AI features are effective and trustworthy.
Let’s get started
Manufacturers face a world of opportunity with AI, but also significant barriers to putting it into practice.
PTC has been addressing these challenges for over a decade, integrating AI into the software that engineers, operators, and service teams already rely on. From predictive maintenance to part reuse, supply chain optimisation and real-time operator support, PTC’s approach is grounded in solving real problems with measurable impact.
To find out more about PTC’s range of AI-powered solutions, visit www.concurrent-engineering.co.uk.