We were thrilled to join Tom Wilk on the latest episode of Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast recently. We had the chance to share a major milestone for Ultimo - and the broader world of enterprise asset management (EAM). In this episode, we introduced something we've been working toward for some time: our first live agentic AI use case.
It marks a true evolution - not just in the capabilities of our software, but in how we think about the future of work alongside AI. From smarter safety reporting to proactive maintenance support, agentic AI is ushering in a new era for our customers, and we’re excited to be leading the charge.
Why Agentic AI, and Why Now?
If you’re familiar with generative AI tools like ChatGPT, you might think of AI as reactive: it answers your questions, but only after you ask them. Agentic AI is something else entirely.
Instead of responding to prompts, agentic AI takes initiative. It works autonomously toward specific goals, planning, reasoning, and executing multi-step tasks - all without waiting for instructions. Think of it as a digital co-worker: one that learns your processes, monitors situations, and acts independently to deliver results.
At Ultimo, we’ve embedded this capability into our EAM platform not as a gimmick, but as a practical solution to some of the toughest challenges our industry faces: safety compliance, knowledge loss, and the shift from reactive to proactive maintenance.
Key Innovation: Smarter Safety Incident Reporting
One of the most powerful real-world examples of agentic AI in action is our new safety incident detection agent. Traditionally, safety incident reporting has been a manual, often underutilized process. Even in organizations with robust reporting systems, many incidents still go unreported - especially when maintenance work requests are submitted without recognizing that a safety event has occurred.
Our new AI agent solves this. It scans incoming work requests and autonomously flags safety-related incidents, triggering a formal report that appears alongside human-submitted entries for safety manager approval. This ensures nothing slips through the cracks - and more importantly, it enables proactive preventive measures before similar incidents occur again.
We've already seen customers using this in the field, and the early feedback is validating - incidents are being flagged that wouldn’t have been otherwise and mitigating actions/measures have already been taken. Just as importantly, safety professionals are still in the loop, confirming and contextualizing each AI-generated report. It’s man and machine, working together.
Building Trust in AI, One Task at a Time
Introducing AI into safety-critical workflows might seem daunting. Trust is a natural concern. That’s why we like to use a metaphor: agentic AI should be treated like a new apprentice.
You wouldn’t hand an apprentice the keys to your plant on day one. You’d supervise them, correct them, and guide them. But over time, as they learn and prove themselves, you give them more responsibility. The same is true for AI. Initially, it makes suggestions and offers insights. Humans stay in control. But as the system learns and earns your trust, it becomes an increasingly capable partner.
This model - human-in-the-loop, but with growing autonomy - is what we believe will unlock true transformation in EAM.
Real-World Adoption and Early Results
In addition to the safety incident use case, we’ve also explored other practical applications, most notably, our daily maintenance briefing agent. This tool analyzes shift logs and work activity overnight and sends a morning summary to maintenance teams with highlights of what truly matters.
It started as an experiment, but when we paused it during testing, users immediately noticed. They missed the insights. That kind of immediate feedback shows us we’re on the right track: AI that augments the day-to-day, saves time, and helps teams make better decisions, faster.
Future Use Cases: Proactive and Collaborative Maintenance
We see two major categories where agentic AI can deliver immense value:
From Reactive to Proactive
AI agents can help optimize preventive maintenance plans, detect ineffective inspections, and suggest adjustments to stock levels - all based on data analysis and contextual reasoning. This moves maintenance from a reactive cycle into a proactive, strategic approach.
Human-AI Collaboration
Imagine a technician using voice to report a machine failure, while an AI agent assesses urgency, assigns tasks, notifies staff, recommends parts, and even suggests updates to PM plans - all in real time. This is more than automation. It’s augmentation, with digital co-workers taking over repetitive tasks so human teams can focus on what matters.
The Road Ahead: Building Knowledge Equity
The future is about more than features, it’s about impact. As we scale our AI capabilities, our goal is to democratize knowledge across the organization. Too often, critical know-how resides in a few experts’ heads. As those experts retire or move on, their insights risk disappearing.
With agentic AI, we can capture, structure, and share that knowledge, turning it into organizational memory that benefits everyone. From new technicians to seasoned engineers, everyone gets access to the insights they need, when and how they need them - whether it’s through dashboards, mobile apps, or even voice.
This isn’t about replacing people. It’s about empowering them to be smarter, safer, and more effective - working side-by-side with AI that’s not just helpful, but trustworthy.
What’s Next?
Our first use case is just the beginning. The road ahead includes:
Smart inventory management
AI-assisted work planning
Automated asset cataloging
Conversational interaction/reporting
And much more.
But as always, we’re doing this the Ultimo way: grounded in real-world challenges, developed hand-in-hand with our customers, and focused on delivering immediate, tangible value.
If you'd like to hear the full conversation, you can find the episode on Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast. And if you're curious about what agentic AI can do for your organization, get in touch, or read more here.
Because the future of EAM isn’t just smarter. It’s collaborative, connected, and AI-augmented.
