Heidelberg has expanded its Heidelberg Portal with a new AI-based feature, Heidelberg AI Performance Chat, designed to help print businesses analyse production data using natural language queries.
The tool is now available worldwide to all Print Shop Analytics customers and enables users to ask questions about production performance in conversational language rather than navigating reports and dashboards.
Print Shop Analytics, which has been available for around four years, aggregates production metrics including overall equipment effectiveness (OEE), productivity, makeready times and waste. Through the Insights App in the Heidelberg Portal, users can access dashboards, filters and real-time machine views to monitor production performance.
According to the company, the new AI Performance Chat can analyse production data on demand and present results as tables, charts and written explanations. The system can be used to review machine performance, compare shifts and examine variations over selected time periods.
Jürgen Grimm, head of software at Heidelberg, said the new feature is intended to simplify access to production data.
“With the Heidelberg AI Performance Chat, we’re making the handling of production data significantly more intuitive. Our customers can ask exactly the questions that concern them in their day-to-day work – and get the answers they need right away,” Grimm said.
“It’s intuitive, saves time, and helps make informed decisions faster.”
Marcel Willnow, authorised signatory at LUC Medienhaus in Selm, said the tool had reduced the time required to prepare reports for business meetings.
“When I’m preparing for quarterly or shareholder meetings, I don’t just need numbers – I also need context. In the past, that often took several hours. With Heidelberg AI Performance Chat, a single prompt is all it takes today, and I get exactly the information I need, including clear interpretation,” Willnow said.
Christoph Affentranger, managing director of Swiss Printex AG, said he was increasingly using Heidelberg’s AI tools for troubleshooting, calibration and day-to-day support.
The Heidelberg AI Performance Chat is available in more than 18 languages and is integrated into the Heidelberg Portal. According to the company, the feature is intended to help users manage production data more efficiently amid increasing operational complexity and workforce challenges.