Rockwell Automation Integrates Plex QMS with FactoryTalk Analytics VisionAI to Advance AI-Driven Quality, Continues AI Expansion

Integration brings AI-powered visual inspection into QMS workflows to help improve quality, traceability and defect detection

MILWAUKEE, Aug. 31, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE:ROK), the world's largest company dedicated to industrial automation and digital transformation, on Aug. 11, 2026 announced an API-enabled integration between Plex Quality Management System (QMS) and FactoryTalk^® Analytics™ VisionAI™. The integration, available from Aug. 11, expands AI-driven quality management and reflects Rockwell's continued investment in artificial intelligence and elastic MES solutions.  

Rockwell continues to advance AI/ML across its offerings, including cloud-based MES platforms, edge AI and digital twins. According to Rockwell's "Scaling MES Across the Enterprise" report, 42% of manufacturing processes are expected to become AI-supported within the next year. The Plex QMS and FactoryTalk Analytics VisionAI integration offers manufacturers opportunities for strategic, automated quality intelligence. 

"AI plays a critical role in Rockwell's industrial autonomy strategy," states Devin Burke, group product manager, Rockwell Automation. "With predictive intelligence, manufacturers can shift from scripted automation to adaptable autonomy as systems learn, adjust and collaborate across software, hardware and workers." 

The integration builds on the API-first architecture of Plex QMS, enabling interoperability. When connected to FactoryTalk Analytics VisionAI, Plex QMS delivers AI-driven workflows to new and existing camera systems. These workflows help detect anomalies and reduce defects. Traditional visual inspection is only 80% effective and often fails to store inspection history. The Plex QMS and FactoryTalk Analytics VisionAI integration delivers exceptional visual inspection, as results recorded in the Plex system provide traceability, product serialization and an accurate record of inspection history. 

In addition to the new integration, Plex Connected Worker recently introduced AI-powered authoring agent within the Digital Work Instructions suite, which transforms CAD files and technical assets into structured, step-by-step instructions for frontline employees. Similarly, Plex includes an AI agent embedded within its Reporting and Analytics capabilities, delivering out‑of‑the‑box dashboards that turn operational data into real-time, actionable insights. Users can engage these agents in natural language to proactively surface risks, predict issues, and drive faster, smarter decisions—moving from operational foresight to action with a single click.  

"At Rockwell Automation, we've built a context-rich industrial data foundation shaped by years of manufacturing expertise," shares Manu Ravichandran, senior product manager, Rockwell Automation. "This foundation gives manufacturers the structure, context, and scalability needed to operationalize advanced analytics and AI across complex operations." 

You can learn more about Plex QMS here and FactoryTalk Analytics VisionAI here

About Rockwell Automation

Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE: ROK), is a global leader in industrial automation and digital transformation. We connect the imaginations of people with the potential of technology to expand what is humanly possible, making the world more productive and more sustainable. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Rockwell Automation employs approximately 26,000 problem solvers dedicated to our customers in more than 100 countries as of fiscal year end 2025. To learn more about how we are bringing Connected Enterprise to life across industrial enterprises, visit www.rockwellautomation.com

SOURCE Rockwell Automation