Innovation in product development doesn’t wait. And neither do the technologies that support it. From AI-powered engineering tools to cloud-native collaboration and product lifecycle management (PLM) enhancements, manufacturers today are navigating a rapidly evolving technology landscape. Staying informed about the latest capabilities is critical for maintaining a competitive edge.

PTC NEXT On Demand brings PTC’s latest innovations to whenever and wherever you need them, giving engineers, product developers, IT leaders, and executives the flexibility to explore product updates, AI innovations, and strategic insights. Missed the live event or want to revisit a session? Here’s an easy way to stay current with the technologies shaping the future of product development.

What Is PTC NEXT?

PTC NEXT is PTC’s flagship innovation event, bringing together customers, partners, and industry experts to showcase the latest advancements across its portfolio of engineering and product lifecycle management solutions.

Rather than announcing new capabilities throughout the year, PTC NEXT delivers a consolidated look at the newest releases, emerging technologies, and product roadmaps across solutions including Creo, Windchill, Codebeamer, Onshape, and more. It also offers valuable insights into broader industry trends, with a particular focus on artificial intelligence and the connected digital product lifecycle.

The event is designed to help organizations understand not only what’s new, but also how these innovations work together to improve collaboration, accelerate product development, and drive smarter business decisions.

Fortunately, you don’t have to attend the live event to take advantage of everything PTC NEXT has to offer.

The On-Demand Experience

Engineering teams rarely have the luxury of blocking off multiple days to attend an event. PTC NEXT On Demand removes scheduling challenges by providing access to the event’s most valuable content whenever it’s convenient for you.

Instead of trying to fit your schedule around an event, you can:

Whether you’re interested in high-level strategy or deep technical product updates, the content is organized to help you quickly find the sessions most relevant to your responsibilities.

Explore PTC NEXT On Demand

Whether you’re looking for executive insights, technical product demonstrations, or the latest AI innovations, PTC NEXT On Demand makes it easy to access the content that’s most relevant to you.

Discover What’s New Across the PTC Portfolio

One of the biggest advantages of PTC NEXT On Demand is the breadth of product content available.

Creo: Smarter Product Design

Creo users can explore the latest enhancements designed to improve engineering productivity, including updates to model-based definition (MBD), simulation capabilities, composite design, electrification workflows, and manufacturing support.

Sessions also highlight how AI is becoming a practical design assistant, helping engineers automate repetitive tasks and make more informed design decisions without disrupting existing workflows.

Windchill: Advancing the Digital Thread

Windchill sessions showcase enhancements that improve collaboration, usability, and lifecycle management across the enterprise.

Learn how new capabilities strengthen the digital thread, simplify access to product data, and help engineering teams collaborate more effectively throughout the product lifecycle. You’ll also see how AI is beginning to streamline PLM workflows and surface insights from complex product data.

Codebeamer: Modernizing Application Lifecycle Management

As software becomes increasingly central to today’s products, application lifecycle management (ALM) plays a larger role than ever before.

PTC NEXT sessions covering Codebeamer explore improvements in requirements management, traceability, product line engineering, and AI-assisted development. This all designed to help organizations build increasingly complex software-enabled products with greater confidence.

Onshape: Cloud-Native Innovation

Onshape users can discover the latest advancements in cloud-native CAD, including new collaboration tools, AI-powered design assistance, robotics simulation, ECAD/MCAD integration, and enhanced compliance capabilities.

These sessions demonstrate how cloud-first engineering continues to reshape product development by making collaboration easier across distributed teams.

AI Becoming a Core Focus

Artificial intelligence was one of the defining themes of this year’s PTC NEXT, and the On Demand experience provides multiple opportunities to explore how AI is transforming engineering and manufacturing.

The dedicated AI in Focus sessions go beyond theoretical discussions, offering practical insights into how AI is being integrated across the PTC portfolio today.

Highlights include:

Rather than asking whether AI will impact product development, these sessions focus on how organizations can begin leveraging AI responsibly and effectively using the engineering data they already manage.

Dive Deeper into PTC’s AI Vision

Curious how AI is being applied across engineering, PLM, and ALM? The AI in Focus sessions provide practical demonstrations and strategic guidance to help organizations understand where AI delivers real business value.

Who Should Explore PTC NEXT On Demand?

PTC NEXT On Demand isn’t designed for just one audience. Whether you’re responsible for designing products, managing product data, overseeing IT infrastructure, or leading digital transformation initiatives, there’s content tailored to your role.

The platform is especially valuable for:

Even if you primarily work with a single PTC solution, exploring sessions across the broader portfolio can provide valuable context for how emerging technologies like AI, cloud collaboration, and the digital thread are reshaping product development.

Learn at Your Own Pace

Technology evolves quickly, but staying informed doesn’t have to be overwhelming.

PTC NEXT On Demand gives you the flexibility to learn on your own schedule while providing direct access to the product experts, strategic insights, and technical demonstrations that can help your organization get more value from its PTC investment.

Whether you’re interested in the latest Creo enhancements, exploring AI within Windchill, evaluating Codebeamer capabilities, or learning how cloud-native engineering continues to evolve with Onshape, you’ll find the resources you need in one convenient location.

Ready to Explore? Don’t miss the opportunity to see what’s new across the PTC portfolio.

Visit PTC NEXT On Demand to watch keynote presentations, explore product highlights, and discover how AI and modern engineering technologies are shaping the future of product development.

Product development is becoming more complex, fast-paced, and globally distributed than ever before. As a result, businesses can no longer afford to rely on outdated tools or fragmented systems to manage the product lifecycle. That’s where Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) comes in.

PLM is a strategic solution that helps organizations manage everything from initial concept to retirement. But when a PLM system is missing, poorly maintained, or improperly implemented, the consequences can be costly, chaotic, and even catastrophic. This blog explores the top risks companies face without a robust PLM system and why investing in the right tools, processes, and support is essential.

Here is a list of the common problems you could face if you choose to manage your engineering data management and PLM systems in-house.

The Growing Demand for Centralized Product Data Management

In the absence of PLM, teams often resort to spreadsheets, local files, and email chains to manage critical product data. These disconnected tools may work temporarily, but they quickly become unmanageable as product complexity increases.

Without centralized data management, teams lose time hunting for information, risk using outdated files, and duplicate work. PLM offers a single source of truth that connects engineering, manufacturing, quality, and procurement teams with real-time access to product information.

Consequence #1: Product Delays & Missed Market Opportunities

One of the most immediate consequences of no PLM system is slower product development. Without structured workflows, version control, and digital collaboration tools, approvals take longer and communication breaks down. This delay not only increases development costs but also results in lost revenue from missed market opportunities.

Implementing PLM accelerates time-to-market by streamlining design iterations, automating change approvals, and enabling cross-functional collaboration from day one.

Consequence #2: Quality and Compliance Risks

Companies without PLM often struggle to maintain audit trails, proper documentation, and consistent processes across teams. This is especially risky in regulated industries like medical devices, aerospace, and automotive, where compliance is non-negotiable.

Manual systems leave room for error and increase the chance of delivering products that fail to meet safety or quality standards. PLM ensures that traceability, validation records, and required documents are captured and managed systematically.

Consequence #3: High Costs from Inefficiencies and Errors

Without PLM, inefficiencies build up across the product development lifecycle. Design teams may use incorrect versions, resulting in rework or scrapped parts. Change requests can be lost or ignored, causing costly delays or customer dissatisfaction.

A well-maintained PLM system mitigates these risks by automating data updates, linking CAD models with BOMs, and ensuring that teams are always working with accurate, up-to-date information.

Consequence #4: Poor Collaboration Across Departments and Suppliers

In companies without PLM, departments often operate in silos. Engineering, manufacturing, and procurement teams each rely on their own systems or documents, making it difficult to stay aligned.

This fragmentation leads to poor communication, misunderstandings, and decision-making based on outdated or incomplete data. PLM bridges these gaps by providing a collaborative platform where internal and external stakeholders can access and contribute to a unified product record.

Consequence #5: Lack of Long-Term Scalability

As products become more complex and markets more competitive, scalability is essential. Manual processes and disconnected systems simply don’t scale with growing demands.

Without PLM, organizations struggle to support product line expansion, manage global operations, or respond to evolving regulatory standards. PLM systems are designed to grow with the business, supporting new products, processes, and geographies over time.

Overlooked Risk: Not Hiring PLM Admin Support

Even companies that implement PLM systems may face challenges if they don’t hire dedicated admin support. As outlined in this article, the absence of skilled PLM administrators can lead to poor system performance, low user adoption, and reduced ROI.

PLM admin services ensure your system stays optimized, configurations remain aligned with your processes, and users are properly supported. Regular PLM maintenance prevents system failure and ensures your investment continues to deliver value.

Training the Workforce for Successful PLM Adoption

Technology alone isn’t enough. Even the most powerful PLM solution will fall short if your workforce isn’t trained to use it effectively. Without proper onboarding and continuous learning opportunities, employees will fall back on old, inefficient methods.

Ongoing training and change management initiatives help teams embrace new workflows and get the most out of your PLM implementation. It’s the difference between a tool that collects dust and one that transforms your business.

The Flip Side: What You Gain with a Strong PLM System

While the consequences of no PLM system are serious, the rewards of successful PLM implementation are equally powerful. A strong PLM foundation enables organizations to operate more efficiently, respond faster to change, and innovate with confidence. When done right, PLM implementation delivers measurable business benefits:

By integrating PLM into your core operations, you position your organization for future success. You gain not only operational efficiency but also strategic agility that lets you outpace competitors and exceed customer expectations.

Don’t Wait for the Pain Points to Pile Up

Many companies don’t recognize the consequences of no PLM system until they’re already struggling. Delays, quality issues, compliance failures, and high operational costs creep in quietly but compound quickly. Know whether your company is in need of better administration, and what next steps look like.

We are so excited about being featured in a premier manufacturing publication! This article focuses on the multitude of ways that EAC helps companies take advantage of manufacturing and engineering data and turn it into growth for the company. We cover all things Digital Thread – from data management and Additive Manufacturing to Augmented Reality and AI in manufacturing.