This is a good question and one that deserves more than a short blog post answer. So, am glad that Jeff Cope at Extensible CAD Technologies used it as the title to his third article in the 3 part product evaluation series of the Aras PLM software solution suite.

In this segment of his evaluation Jeff did a deep dive on the technical aspects of Aras Innovator to get to the bottom of the question: “What Makes The Aras PLM Solution So Advanced?” To answer the question he writes (in summary, of course):

In the previous report I covered the Feature portion of the Aras PLM product review “Enterprise Open Source PLM, How Can This Be Possible?”. I was impressed by how much out-of-the-box enterprise PLM functionality was included in the initial download.

Everyone knows that having tons of features is useless if the software isn’t put together properly. There are a lot of things that can impact software functionality usefulness: confusing screens, bad business rules, wrong data model, and the list goes on and on. The key to a great PLM system is having a feature set that’s so powerful it’s simple, and that new functionality can be added easily when new requirements arise (and they always do).

So, I started by thinking about what a PLM solution “should be” to frame my analysis review process.

PLM Wish List
What are the things I want in an enterprise PLM software solution? My list included:
Easy to Use - As few clicks as possible to get things done
Web - Internet-based browser accessibility
Secure - Permissions that can be easily configured as strict or open as needed
Robust - Be capable of handling complex processes, but also simple ones as well
Scalable - Ability to handle large data sets and lots of users
Performance - Lightning fast when viewing a screen, getting a file, or doing a search
Flexible - Easy to modify and change over time
Extensible - Possible to expand and extend the system to meet new, unforeseen needs
Modern - No requirements for ancient hardware or outdated software
Implementation - Can get up and running fast without a lot of consulting or cost
Integration - Able to easily connect with other systems we already have in place
Open - Uses common open standards, not some obscure set of protocols impossible to figure out
Features - Has all the PLM functionality, features, and capabilities necessary

Now, I set out to do the deep-dive technical analysis of the Aras capabilities to find out if it stands up to the demands of enterprise users...

Seems like a pretty good PLM Wish List... You can read Jeff’s assessment and conclusions at any one of the CAD community web sites, whichever one you are signed up for (free logon is needed to get to the article). Links to the various sites are included below.

So what’s your take? Have you downloaded Aras done your own evaluation? Or are you stuck with an ancient PLM monster that consumes your time and won’t give you a chance?

 catia artilce link

 inventor article link

 pro/e article link

 solid edge article link

 solidworks article link

 ugs siemens plm software article link