Manufacturers Rank PLM as Top Data Source for AI Agents

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. — Product lifecycle management systems could play a central role in manufacturers’ adoption of AI agents, according to new research commissioned by Propel Software.

The survey of 400 senior manufacturing professionals found that 49% ranked PLM as the top business system for AI agents to access through Model Context Protocol (MCP), an open standard that enables AI applications to connect with external data sources and systems.

In addition, 89% of respondents said a connected product data foundation is essential to realizing AI’s potential. Sixty-six percent said AI would be completely or mostly ineffective in their organizations without access to product information such as requirements, bills of materials and change histories.

The survey included professionals in the high-tech and electronics, industrial equipment and medical device industries. More than 90% of respondents said their organizations have implemented MCP or expect to do so within the next 12 months.

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