Aras PLM vs. OpenBOM

Aras PLM works for our company, yet I don't have experience with any other software system. The system does not refresh and update quickly. Often times users need to force a refresh or logout and logon to verify changes and updates. The Lock and Unlock feature needs getting used to.

Incentivized

OpenBOM is well suited for users who require the ability to have a "structured sandbox" when it comes to part, BOM, and vendor management. By having this structure, it allows for consistent capturing of key information, in a structured way, while also being dynamic where approved users can modify the information without too much overhead. We're using it for a medical device.

Incentivized

• Aras PLM definitely controls documents and provides the approval levels needed to be compliant.
• Aras PLM makes organizing and structuring libraries logical and intuitive.
• The search tools in Aras PLM provides quick and efficient access to documents

Incentivized

• E-BOM management with an intuitive interface.
• Import/export from/to popular systems.

Incentivized

• Aras PLM uses terms and labels that can be confusing like Subsystem / Subsystem Version, Project Record Number (PRN). Companies need to understand these terms and develop business processes to set user standards.
• I personally use Aras PLM to manage information technology project documents. In my opinion, Aras PLM is more geared to product and engineering. I would like to see a general project management Aras PLM version with terms and labels that I am familiar with.
• The description field should be made required. Many of our engineers have created records and left that blank because it was not required. This would help with the context or background of each record.

Incentivized

• Consistent log-off/ log-ins required (despite saying stay logged in)
• Default "custom use" of fields (vs. requiring the user to check this each time a new parameter is selected).

Incentivized

Our company is moving from repositories like IBM Notes, MS Sharepoint, and plain network file share directories to a more controlled system of recordd like Aras PLM.

Incentivized

Our company developed numerous IBM Lotus Notes databases to perform document control. Aras PLM is the better choice to IBM Notes databases and home grown databases.

Incentivized

OpenBOM is mainly BOM-centric, whilst PLM solutions have much wider functionality, suitable for cross-department activities. We are in constant search and evaluation of a one-fits-all solution and, I must say, after a price spike, OpenBOM doesn't look as attractive as it used to.

Incentivized

• Aras PLM has kept our company compliant and on the right side of audits with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
• Aras PLM keeps our project document history readily available and works well without stage gate review and approval processes.

Incentivized

• My company has avoided (literally) hundreds of misconfigurations, saving us months of development cycle time.
• We have been able to streamline vendor management/ approval (or disqualification), reducing the overall time from ~8 hours to <2 hours per vendor. And our maintenance of the vendors (e.g. requalification) has similar savings.

Incentivized