The final instalment of our Intelligent Product Lifecycle web series examines PTC’s AI strategy, from existing AI capabilities within PTC’s software suite to upcoming functionality planned for future releases and the overarching principles that guide PTC’s AI roadmap.
Allan Thompson, PTC Technical Manager at LEAP begins the session with a quick overview of the Intelligent Product Lifecycle with a particular focus on AI. In today’s complex landscape, businesses face multifaceted challenges in product development, characterised by rapid advancements in software, dynamic supply chains, sustainability demands, and shifting geopolitical pressures. The Intelligent Product Lifecycle encompasses critical phases of product engineering, including product definition, requirements management, design, and test systems engineering, as well as manufacturing and service considerations. AI can be integrated into the Intelligent Product Lifecycle to facilitate automation of processes and to enhance operational efficiency, positioning businesses to navigate and succeed in an ever-evolving environment.
PTC’s AI strategy defines a framework for AI maturity consisting of three distinct stages. The first stage, “Advise” involves basic AI functions such as answering questions, summarising content, and retrieving information. Commonly recognised instances of this are features like AI-driven summaries in search engines and tools like Microsoft Office’s co-pilot.
The second stage, “Assist” takes this a step further by allowing AI to execute tasks automatically while keeping human users informed.
Finally, the third stage represents “Full Automation” where workflows are automated with minimal or no human input, a vision that various companies are increasingly adopting as AI technology progresses.
PTC’s approach highlights the application of AI across the Intelligent Product Lifecycle, touching on several key areas. Within the development phases, tools like Codebeamer enhance requirement generation and streamline document processing, potentially reducing task completion times by up to 50%. On the design front, AI facilitates rapid generation of design alternatives and helps refine processes to expedite product delivery and improve quality. In the planning phase, using Windchill for product lifecycle management enables better decision-making through data insights, aiming for up to a 70% reduction in product development cycle times. Lastly, in the service domain, leveraging AI through PTC’s ServiceMax enhances scheduling and boosts service team efficiency by over 30%.
Watch the clip below for an overview of PTC’s AI strategy and the framework for AI maturity.
In the realm of requirements management and test case generation, Codebeamer introduces innovative AI capabilities aimed at enhancing efficiency and accuracy. Codebeamer’s Requirements Assistant is a powerful tool that aids users in defining clear and compliant requirements. This AI agent analyses written requirements, offering feedback to eliminate vagueness and ensure alignment with industry standards. By facilitating refinements and revisions, organisations can produce high-quality requirements that serve as a solid foundation for subsequent design and development phases, effectively mitigating compliance and audit risks.
Furthermore, Codebeamer enhances the test case authoring process through its AI Test Case Assistant. This feature reviews established requirements and suggests relevant test cases based on predefined templates and standard testing protocols applicable to various fields, such as software and medical devices. By automatically generating these test case recommendations, the platform accelerates the testing process, ensuring that all requirements are effectively validated. With the Requirements Assistant already available for Codebeamer customers and upcoming features such as language support and a knowledge assistant, PTC is committed to continually refining its soliutions to align with security standards and enhance user experience in accordance with ISO guidelines.
Watch the clip below to learn more about Codebeamer’s AI capabilities.
In Creo, the integration of AI aims to alleviate time-consuming manual tasks associated with modelling and design exploration. Recognising that time constraints often lead designers to forego the examination of multiple design alternatives, Creo’s capabilities focus on expediting this process through AI-assisted techniques. With features such as topology optimisation, users can input design requirements, constraints, and load conditions, enabling the AI to generate optimal model configurations efficiently. Moreover, cloud-based solutions are available for executing multiple design solves simultaneously, enhancing the potential for discovering superior design iterations that address specific performance criteria.
As part of its roadmap, Creo is set to introduce several innovative AI functionalities in the upcoming release of Creo 13. The Creo AI Assistant, which aggregates extensive tech support and knowledge resources, will serve as a chat agent to assist users with queries about design tasks. This will enable users to receive real-time guidance without having to sift through help documents. Furthermore, the new beta features will allow users to leverage AI for semi-automated tasks, such as summarising model parameters and executing design changes, always maintaining human oversight to ensure quality control. As development progresses, the full automation features are anticipated to be production-ready by the end of the year, promising a significant transformation in how designers approach their workflows within Creo.
To learn more about Creo’s current AI capabilities and feature roadmap, watch the clip below.
The integration of AI in Windchill is poised to significantly enhance product lifecycle management (PLM) by addressing common challenges such as duplicate parts, document management, and process automation. PTC’s AI initiatives focus on part rationalisation, where the system identifies and eliminates duplicate parts to reduce overhead costs associated with maintaining unnecessary inventory. By utilising advanced algorithms, Windchill enables users to search for duplicate parts and initiate change processes directly based on the analysis of part geometries. This proactive approach not only helps in streamlining part management but also ensures greater efficiency in BOM management and overall product development.
Additionally, Windchill’s upcoming features will include an AI Assistant designed to optimise document usage and information retrieval. This tool will allow users to input queries in natural language and receive contextual summaries, thereby speeding up the search process for critical information stored within documents. Also in development is an array of AI agents aimed at automating tasks within workflows, enabling dynamic change impact assessments and linking parts with requirements more effectively. As these AI capabilities roll out, they promise to transform how users interact with Windchill, making it easier to manage complex information and improving collaboration across teams.
Watch the clip below to learn more about Windchill AI.
To close, Allan discusses PTC’s established guiding principles for the integration of AI across its tools which emphasise the necessity for AI to deliver tangible value in practical applications. This means that any AI solution implemented must effectively solve specific problems rather than simply exist as a novelty. Additionally, scalability is a crucial factor; PTC aims to develop AI solutions that can be utilised across varied organisation sizes and tailored to fit into their unique product lifecycle configurations. This ensures that AI tools can grow and adapt alongside the needs of an organisation, regardless of its scale.
Furthermore, the ethical application of AI is a primary concern for PTC. The company is focused on maintaining transparency and responsibility in AI deployments, addressing important issues related to security, privacy, and intellectual property protection. As organizations adopt AI technologies, considerations regarding data usage and model handling become increasingly critical, and PTC is committed to fostering a secure and responsible AI environment. Their ongoing dialogue about AI practices aims to reassure customers that their interests and data remain safeguarded while leveraging innovative tools to enhance operational efficiency.
Learn more about PTC’s guiding principles for AI in the clip below.
Click below to revisit previous topics on-demand from our 2026 Intelligent Product Lifecycle series:
This is a rapidly evolving area which is changing every few months, so we encourage you tor reach out to LEAP’s PTC team to arrange a discussion about how you can get started on your Intelligent Product Lifecycle journey today.