Rockwell's Plex named major player in six IDC reports

Rockwell Automation said Plex has been named a Major Player in six IDC MarketScape vendor assessments covering AI-enabled finance, accounting and enterprise resource planning software.

The assessments span software for small businesses, midmarket users, midsize businesses, large enterprises and enterprise customers. They include IDC MarketScape reports on AI-enabled finance and accounting applications and AI-enabled ERP applications.

Plex, Rockwell Automation's software business, focuses on manufacturing operations and back-office systems. The six mentions place it in IDC's Major Player category across a broad range of business software segments, rather than a single manufacturing niche.

The reports cited by Rockwell cover worldwide AI-enabled finance and accounting applications for midmarket, enterprise and small business users. They also cover worldwide AI-enabled ERP applications for large enterprises, midsize businesses and small businesses.

Manufacturing focus

The breadth of those categories suggests Rockwell is positioning Plex beyond plant-floor software and into core administrative systems used by manufacturers. ERP and finance software have become a key battleground as suppliers embed AI tools into routine processes such as data entry, workflow management and operational analysis.

Manufacturers have been under pressure to connect production data with financial and supply chain information. That has increased demand for systems that bring together shop-floor activity, accounting records and planning data in a single environment.

Mike Hart, head of industry strategy and growth at Rockwell Automation, said the company expects that trend to continue.

"As manufacturers increasingly embrace AI technology, the ability to act on it quickly and confidently will define the next generation of industry leaders," Hart said. "Plex is purpose-built for exactly that. We believe being recognized as a Major Player across six IDC MarketScape reports is a testament to the AI innovation we've built into Plex from the ground up."

Rockwell's announcement also cited IDC commentary on how Plex is used in day-to-day operations. In the IDC MarketScape for Worldwide AI-Enabled Midsize Business Enterprise Resource Planning Applications, IDC wrote: "Plex, by Rockwell Automation, continuously works to unlock value for its clients by simplifying daily operations (e.g., by automating repetitive tasks, surfacing insights from data, and moving clients toward autonomous automation)."

IDC also highlighted Plex's role in more complex factory settings. In the IDC MarketScape for Worldwide AI-Enabled Large Enterprise ERP Applications, it wrote: "Consider Plex if you are in a complex manufacturing environment and need to bring together all aspects of manufacturing (both operationally and financially) into one complete view, leveraging AI, particularly in discrete manufacturing."

AI spending

The recognition comes as software suppliers seek to show that AI functions are becoming standard parts of business systems rather than optional add-ons. Finance and ERP vendors have been adding tools designed to reduce manual work, identify anomalies, summarise data and support decision-making.

IDC said demand for such software remains strong as buyers seek productivity gains and lower administrative effort. Lorenzo Veronesi, associate research director at IDC Manufacturing Insights, described a shift in buyer expectations across the ERP market.

"The market continues to show demand for ERP systems that include AI-enabled capabilities," Veronesi said. "Organisations are increasing spend on AI-enabled applications and believe such an investment will help eliminate manual and semi-manual processes. AI is quickly moving from a differentiator in ERP systems to an essential capability within the ERP software market," Veronesi added.

For Rockwell, the six IDC MarketScape mentions add external recognition to a software portfolio that has become increasingly important to its broader automation strategy. The company is best known for industrial automation equipment and control systems, but software products such as Plex are central to its effort to connect operational technology with the business management systems used across manufacturing groups.

That link is becoming more important as manufacturers seek a clearer line of sight from production performance to costs, margins and inventory. Vendors that can present operations and financial data together are aiming to appeal to customers that want fewer disconnected systems.

The IDC comments cited by Rockwell reinforce that point, especially for manufacturers in discrete production environments. In those settings, the ability to view operational and financial data together has become a key requirement in ERP buying decisions.