Whatfix partners with PTC on PLM software adoption

Whatfix has partnered with PTC to support software adoption in Product Lifecycle Management environments used by manufacturers. Under the agreement, Whatfix becomes PTC's only digital adoption platform partner in the PLM segment.

The partnership focuses on manufacturers using PTC Windchill. Whatfix will provide in-app guidance, workflow support and adoption analytics within enterprise application workflows. The effort targets engineering and operations teams in automotive, industrial equipment and medical device businesses.

PLM software sits at the core of product design, engineering change management and compliance processes in many manufacturing groups. These systems are often broad in scope and used by teams in different roles, making training, process consistency and feature adoption harder to manage.

Whatfix argues that these adoption issues carry a direct financial cost. It cited a commissioned Forrester study that found mid-sized enterprises lose an average of USD $10.9 million a year through lost productivity, process inefficiencies and underused technology investments linked to poor digital adoption.

Its work with PTC is intended to address that gap by embedding user guidance directly into day-to-day workflows rather than relying on separate training materials or support channels. In practice, that means helping users complete tasks inside the PLM system while giving managers data on where employees encounter friction.

Manufacturing focus

The announcement reflects a wider push by software suppliers to make industrial systems easier to use as manufacturers digitise engineering and factory operations. Companies in regulated sectors face pressure to maintain compliance and product quality while shortening development cycles and improving workforce productivity.

PLM platforms have become more important as businesses manage larger product portfolios, dispersed engineering teams and growing documentation requirements. Yet returns on those investments can be uneven if staff do not adopt new workflows or struggle to use features introduced in updates.

Whatfix said organisations using its software in PLM environments can see measurable improvements in speed and support costs. The figures it provided included up to 45% faster engineering task completion, 40% faster onboarding and adoption, a 30% reduction in data errors and rework, 35% fewer support queries across workflows, a 70% reduction in test environment maintenance effort and USD $300K in annual training infrastructure cost avoidance.

Those figures were presented as potential outcomes rather than guaranteed results, but they show the commercial case Whatfix is making to manufacturers and software buyers. The pitch is that better user adoption can improve returns on complex software programmes without replacing the underlying PLM system.

Khadim Batti, Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder of Whatfix, said: "Manufacturers are focused on modernizing engineering operations while reducing complexity across global product ecosystems. PLM systems are continuously evolving and have become mission-critical to this transformation, but realizing business value depends on how effectively users adopt and operationalize these platforms. Our partnership with PTC reinforces Whatfix's strategic commitment to the PLM strategy and our vision for the userization of enterprise technology through AI-native experiences that drive operational excellence at scale."

Adoption challenge

The broader market for digital adoption tools has grown as companies try to get more value from large software estates. These products are designed to reduce dependence on classroom training, help desks and static documentation by guiding users through tasks on screen and collecting information on recurring problem areas.

In manufacturing, that challenge can be especially acute because engineering and operations processes often span multiple systems and teams. Errors in data entry, missed process steps or inconsistent use of workflows can have wider effects on compliance, quality control and product launch schedules.

The problem is not limited to one software vendor or industrial subsector. It affects businesses investing heavily in digitised product development and needing those systems to be used consistently across sites and functions.

Sharath Hari N of Everest Group described software adoption as a continuing obstacle for companies trying to get value from industrial platforms. "Manufacturers are under growing pressure to improve productivity, compliance, and speed-to-market across increasingly complex PLM environments. One of the most persistent barriers to enterprise software ROI is adoption at the point of work. As digital adoption platforms evolve, their role is expanding from user guidance to workflow enablement, analytics, and measurable business impact across mission-critical applications. Organisations that address this barrier will be well placed to accelerate PLM value realization, improve workforce productivity, and drive more consistent execution across engineering and manufacturing workflows," Hari said.

Whatfix says it works with more than 600 enterprise customers globally, including more than 80 Fortune 500 companies. The agreement with PTC gives it a defined position in the PLM market, where manufacturers are under pressure to make expensive software investments deliver more consistent results across engineering and manufacturing workflows.