The Leo AI Team
The collaboration between Leo and OpenBOM sparks a vision of engineers working with an intelligent partner that understands the full engineering, business, and technical context.
The Future Starts with a Question - What If Every Product Had a Product Memory?
Imagine a future where every product comes with its own Product Memory - a living, connected record that preserves all relevant information throughout its lifecycle: from initial CAD design, through manufacturing and supply chain, all the way to field performance and maintenance.
In this vision, engineers no longer spend hours searching through folders, spreadsheets, or disconnected systems. Instead, they can simply ask Leo AI - and get precise, contextual answers in seconds.
Leo AI was created to help engineers work smarter, make faster decisions, and preserve organizational engineering knowledge in an accessible, actionable way.
In this mission, Leo works in collaboration with OpenBOM - a platform for managing Connected BOMs (Bill of Materials) and building a dynamic, lifecycle-aware Product Memory that links engineering insight with connected product data.
The Collaboration Today - Connected Intelligence Between Leo and OpenBOM
Already today, Leo and OpenBOM are forming the foundation of Connected Intelligence by:
Accessing live BOM data from OpenBOM directly within engineering workflows.
Combining Leo’s engineering search and reasoning capabilities with OpenBOM’s complete technical and business data.
Operating in an open data environment where systems exchange information seamlessly without format lock-ins.
This collaboration is still in its early stages, but it demonstrates the potential of combining AI with connected product knowledge.
What Leo Does - Current Capabilities
Leo is a purpose-built AI engineering assistant designed specifically for mechanical engineers, delivering a rare combination of deep technical understanding and instant availability:
Knows Engineering - Provides accurate answers to technical questions from trusted sources, with no misinformation and no broken links.
Problem Solving - Handles everything from simple unit conversions to more complicated calculations and analysis with precision and efficiency.
Find Components - Search and filter standard parts using natural language and intent, matching technical and functional requirements.
Brainstorm Ideas - Collaborate and visualize new concepts instantly. Reduce weeks of back-and-forth into minutes, with on-demand ideas and visualizations that help explore more options, faster.
Vision - AI + BOM + Product Memory
The future we envision is one where AI works hand-in-hand with a Connected BOM and a Product Memory:
In this future:
Every component, change, and decision is documented in a connected product knowledge graph.
AI understands the history, the context, and the implications of engineering decisions.
Engineers can ask: “Which part have we used before that meets these load requirements and is available for delivery within a week?” - and receive a fully contextual answer, including dimensions, materials, costs, availability, and usage history.
This is not a fixed development roadmap, but an open vision of what becomes possible when engineering, data, and AI converge.
What Could This Look Like in Practice?
Component Recommendation and Instant BOM Information access
Leo identifies the optimal component, validates its engineering fit, and adds it directly to the BOM in OpenBOM - complete with supplier, cost, availability, and part number metadata.Smart Search Powered by Product Memory
Searches span not only external catalogs but also the organization’s entire BOM history, enabling part reuse for proven designs.Real-Time BOM CAD Updates
In Onshape or SolidWorks, Leo’s suggested part is added to the BOM automatically, without leaving the design environment.Full Decision Context
Every choice is documented with the “why” - including calculations, design constraints, and past usage - ensuring transparency and continuity.
Potential Applications of This Vision
Intelligent, Automated Procurement - Detects part needs, identifies alternative manufacturers, suppliers, compares costs and lead times.
Real-Time Quality Checks - Cross-reference with quality history and flag potential risks instantly.
Part Reuse Optimization - Identify in-stock components suitable for new projects, reducing costs and lead times.
A Day in the Life of an Engineer with Leo
Designing a New Product
A mechanical engineer starts modeling in SolidWorks.
Leo suggests a connector that meets vibration and corrosion requirements, based on a previously successful project.
With a single click, the part is added to the OpenBOM project BOM, complete with supplier and cost details.
Procurement is instantly notified, and quality validation runs automatically - all in real time.
Upgrading an Existing Product
A maintenance engineer searches for a replacement for a failed part.
Leo scans the organization’s BOM history and finds what component used in that product (from the history) and suggests a proven alternative that has performed well under similar field conditions or options to purchase an alternative part .
The part is documented and added to the updated maintenance BOM - ready for immediate order and installation.
The Road Ahead
The current collaboration between Leo and OpenBOM is building the groundwork for truly connected engineering intelligence.
The vision - combining AI, BOM, and Product Memory - paints a picture of a future where design, decision-making, and documentation flow together seamlessly.
It’s a future where engineers spend less time searching and coordinating, and more time innovating - supported by an intelligent partner that understands the full engineering context.
Try Leo AI Today
Try Leo AI for free or book a demo for your team.
Let’s build better products, faster - together.