Brightly Software Study: Manufacturing Leads in AI Adoption, Struggles with Real-Time Data on Asset Health

Industry-specific findings identify future opportunities to modernize asset intelligence and drive proactive decision-making

RALEIGH, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Brightly Software, a Siemens company and the global leader in intelligent asset management solutions, today announced the findings of a new study around asset management in the manufacturing industry. The results showcase an industry ahead of the curve on AI and automation yet, plagued by disparate and outdated data.

The results were part of the 2026 Asset Lifecycle Report, Brightly Software’s annual study on asset performance and lifecycle management. The findings showcase where new strategies are driving down costs, where long-term planning is enhancing stability and how operational sustainability is being embedded into daily operations to support both environmental and workforce resilience and growth.

Across all industries studied, manufacturing was the most optimistic on AI to drive a tangible positive impact. The vertical ranked number one in terms of whether AI will impact future maintenance strategy (77% of all respondents) and whether AI will be required for future success (75% of all respondents). An additional 77% of respondents see the benefit of AI within their asset management strategies.

The positive attitudes around AI’s future impact reflected the pace of current investment as well. Nearly two-thirds (62%) of respondents in manufacturing were already using AI within their asset management programs – the top percentage of respondents across any industry studied. Manufacturing was similarly ahead of the curve when it came to other emerging technologies, including IoT (70%) and digital twins (61%).

However, despite high levels of belief and adoption in emerging technologies, manufacturing was the most common industry to suffer from data-related challenges during implementation and execution. Manufacturing had the most concerns across industries regarding information gathering across their asset ecosystem. They also reported the highest percentage of concerns around regulatory compliance (15%) and budgetary limitations (11%), signaling that positive attitudes and high adoption levels do not alleviate concerns on their own.

In response, Brightly Software is helping manufacturing facilities make the most of their data and resources to adopt emerging technologies effectively.

MSI Express, a single-source contract manufacturing and packaging company, uses Brightly to make informed decisions based on data. For example, its engineering team can use production data from the Brightly platform to determine which assets need to be replaced on a production line and inform purchase recommendations.

Siemens Electrical Products implemented Brightly Asset Essentials and, within eight months, had seven sites up and running with both Asset Essentials and Brightly Origin. During the first year, they saw a 90% adoption rate among their team for capturing labor hours and recording downtime in the system, plus a 70% adoption rate of recording actions taken in the field.

"Modern manufacturing is overwhelmed with productivity expectations, global pressures and the rapid pace of technological advancements,” said Kevin Clark, VP and head of industrial strategy, asset management at Brightly Software, a Siemens company. “While it’s encouraging that the industry is looking ahead to the latest in modern technology to alleviate those pressures, technology is only as effective as the data foundation behind it. We are rapidly advancing our technology to equip customers with the tools they need to maximize resources and positively impact their bottom line, with an urgency that leads the industry.”

About the Report
Data for the 2026 Asset Lifecycle Report was collected through a third-party, anonymous survey with a total of 400 respondents. Respondents were required to pass a knowledge-based screening, had to work in the U.S., be a decision-maker in the selection process of their organization’s asset management software, and work in either education, manufacturing, government or healthcare spaces (acute and senior living).

About Brightly Software
Brightly Software, a Siemens company, enables organizations to manage the entire lifecycle of their assets, facilities and infrastructure. As the global leader in intelligent asset management solutions for more than 25 years, Brightly’s sophisticated cloud-based platform is expertly designed to improve capital planning through smarter, data-driven decision making, empower technicians to predict, prioritize and manage preventative maintenance activities, and support organizations to achieve sustainability, compliance and efficiency goals. Combined with award-winning training, legendary support and managed services, more than 12,000 clients worldwide depend on Brightly to optimize their teams, operations and strategic planning initiatives. For more information, visit brightlysoftware.com