According to Verdantix research, 51% of manufacturing leaders cite improving asset uptime as a high priority for the next twelve months, with a further 35% placing production and yield optimisation near the top of their agenda. Despite significant investment in AI to address these challenges, most initiatives are not scaling beyond the pilot stage. The barrier is rarely the technology itself.

The underlying problem is the operational data environment. Fragmented systems, siloed execution platforms and disconnected IT and OT data mean AI tools are working without the production-aware context they need to make reliable decisions. Without the right foundation underneath, AI remains a proof-of-concept exercise rather than a production-ready capability.

Verdantix has benchmarked 39 MOM software vendors across 11 capabilities to show what good looks like – and what separates the platforms built for industrial AI from those that aren't. Not all vendors are equal, and in a crowded market where most sound similar, understanding where the real capability gaps lie is half the challenge.