Aras vs. SAP PLM - How do they compare

We're often asked for guidance on how to compare Aras Innovator to SAP PLM.  It's not exactly an Apples-2-Apples comparison,   but here are some bullets we have been using:

• Engineers do not like the SAP user interface, and will not use it.   IT might think they are implementing a corporate PLM,  but the engineers will build off-line solutions using MS-Access and Excel to actually run the engineering operations. Any customer should talk with references very carefully.  Not the IT department or the executives,  but the low level engineers who have to use the system for data entry.   If these guys are not happy with SAP,  the correct data will not be loaded in real-time,  and the PLM is useless.
• SAP PLM is much more difficult to customize than Aras Innovator.  The customer may already own the licenses for SAP PLM, but we hear the implementation costs are very high,  and the customer has to compromise --  i.e.  change his processes to fit SAP’s idea of good practices.
• What happens after simple CAD integration and BOM?  SAP PLM is limited to simple PDMfunctions.  Aras Innovator includes the Phase-Gate,  general workflow for all engineering and quality and manufacturing functions.      
• Ask the SAP sales person about upgrades. Ask the reference accounts about upgrades. SAP can need 6-8 Months for a major upgrade.  Not only is this a very long time,  but it is very expensive with lots of consultants.   Engineering is more dynamic,  and will want support for latest Microsoft and CAD products much faster.    Aras Innovator can be upgraded in less than  2 weeks,  often in only 3 days,  even for major upgrades with lots of customization,  and there are no costs for major upgrades.  All the labor is included in the fixed price Aras Subscription.
• Both solutions offer "free licenses" , so the comparison should be on flexibility, ease of use, long term cost of ownership,  and functionality.
• Engineering processes require collaboration features, web functionality and flexibility SAP can’t support by design. Engineers who work with SAP-PLM will confirm.
• Example (may sound trivial but really documents the flexibility issue): in early stages of a product development process, engineers may want to create functional product structures (Conceptual BOM’s) long before they even now the part numbers. This is possible in Aras but not in SAP. In order to create a BOM, all parts must be entered in the part management system in SAP. This is not simple and requires a full set of attributes like part number, name, material, etc, etc. Engineers just don’t work that way, for them, that’s a pain in the ass and creates a lot data nobody really needs.
• As earlier you start to use PLM functionality in the lifecycle, as more problematic it gets with SAP. SAP is not able to deal with the "fuzzy" information.
• SAP may be ok with simple products (not many BOM levels, not many Documents relations, not many other related information) and high volume. It is certainly not ideal for low volume, engineering to order products with high complexity coming from mecatronics, deep product structures.
• The design of engineering processes is hard in SAP. If we show how easy it is in Aras to design a lifecycle or a workflow map, that answers a lot of questions (if you have the right audience).
• And it’s the reality: engineering processes change all the time (new R&D center, new manufacturing partners, etc).
• SAP PLM is not really a "feature" in the SAP solution suite. SAP-PLM is nothing else then a parallel installation from parts of  SAP system (BOM’s, Materials, Documents) integrated with the SAP-ERP system.