2013 EDITION

TOP 10 PRODUCT
LIFECYCLE
MANAGEMENT (PLM)
SOFTWARE REPORT
Comparison of the Leading Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) Software Vendors

Product Lifecycle Management Solutions (PLM) Give

Products a Strong Start and an Even Stronger Finish

The product lifecycle management (PLM) software market is evolving and growing rapidly, for
several important reasons. PLM lies at the heart of a companys efforts to move a product to market
and beyond. At its essence, PLM describes the engineering aspect of a product, from managing
descriptions and properties of a product through its development and useful life. Its the process and
practices associated with managing the entire lifecycle of a product--from its conception, through
design and manufacture, to service and decommission. As a methodology, PLM integrates people,
data processes, and business systems, while provides a product information backbone for companies
and their extended enterprise.
At first, PLM might appear to be like a maze of seemingly unrelated system functionality. All too often,
organizations go down the PLM road without a roadmap. The results are typically characterized by
confusion, conflicting viewpoints, needless cost, and ultimately, failure. But when it is implemented
and leveraged effectively, PLM software can help your organization build and maintain an overall
framework for product optimization. With the right PLM solution in place, a company is in the best
position to create and manage product design ideas, oversee the production pipeline, maximize
collaboration efforts across the physical and global borders of the enterprise, and significantly reduce
the cost associated with regulatory compliance. With a properly executed game plan, companies can
reap signficant rewards from PLM software.

About Business-Software.com
Business software solutions may seem like theyre a dime a dozen. Researching the
differences can be a mind-boggling and time-consuming process. As a result, the
marketplace is rife with stories of under-budgeted software projects, poor implementations,
below-par business performance, and frustrated customers.
Business-Software.com helps you avoid these issues by connecting you with the right
software for your business. Whether youre in a home office or a multinational enterprise, we
help you achieve a successful software project by providing expert advice, in-depth feature
articles, user reviews taken directly from the marketplace, best practice recommendations,
and more.
Business-Software.com is the most comprehensive and trusted online resource for buyers
and vendors of business technology. Join the 300,000 member Business-Software.
com Community and share your experience/expertise with CRM, ERP, BI, Help Desk,
Manufacturing, and more.

2013, Business-Software.com. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction Prohibited.

Top 10 Product Lifecycle Management Software Comparison

SAP PLM

www.sap.com

Siemens Teamcenter

Infor Optiva

www.infor.com

www.plm.automation.siemens.com

$$$$ $$$$

Arena Cloud PLM

www.arenasolutions.com

$$$

Sopheon Accoladen

www.sopheon.com

$$$

Select Customers

Select Customers

Select Customers

Select Customers

Select Customers

Porsche, GreenBlue,

Firewire Surfboards,

Henkel, RPM International,

GoPro, Beats by Dre,

PepsiCo, Heinz, ConAgra,

Anadarko Petroleum

Proter & Gamble, Astrium,

Inalfa Roof Systems,

Fitbit, Lytro, SiriusXM,

Burger King, SABMiller

Corp., ResearchPoint

BAE Systems

Promethean, Sypris

SunLink

Technology Model

Technology Model

Technology Model

Technology Model

Technology Model

On-premise solution

On-premise solution

On-premise solution

Cloud-based solution

On-premise solution

Key Features
Product management
enables planning &
decision making to align
high-level product plans
and objectives
Product development &
collaboration
Product data
management
Product compliance,
product intelligence,
product costing, tool &

Key Features
Bill of materials mgmt
Community
collaboration
Compliance mgmt
Content & document
management
Engineering process
management
Enterprise knowledge
foundation
Formula, package, &
brand management

Key Features
Consumer-grade user
interface
Workspace adoption for
collaborative product
development
Product and packaging
management
New product
development
introduction
Label development
Partner Connect for

Key Features
Idea development
Strategic roadmapping
for wider adoption of
planning and product
roadmapping processes
Portfolio management
with graphically rich
product portfolio
dashboards
Resource planning
dynamically adjusts
allocations to keep

workgroup integration,
project and resource
management, &
document management
Quality management
integrated across entire
product lifecycle
Streamline and
automate activities for
implementing business
processes safely and
effectively in compliance
with environmental and
safety laws
CAD integration

Lifecycle visualization
Maintenance, repair &
overhaul
Manufacturing process
management
Mechatronics process
management
Platform extensibility
services
Portfolio, program &
project mgmt
Reporting & analytics
Simulation process
management
Supplier relationship
management
Systems engineering &
requirements mgmt

Key Features
Central repository for
item master, bill of
materials (BOMs), AML,
AVL, documents, design
files, & ECOs
Patented cloud
connected content
captures component
contextual design
information from source
sites like Arrow, DigiKey, etc.
Track prototype &
production costs
Monitor user-defined
compliance requirements
Project management for
NPIs
Simple & secure supply
chain NPI collaboration
& quality processes like
CAPA & ECOs
Indented, flat, sourcing,
redline, customizable
BOMs & attributes
Automatic or manual
routings
MCAD, ECAD, and ERP
integrations
Scales up and down to
your needs
Up in days, not months

collaboration with
suppliers and partners
Process testing and
analysis
Industry-specific
functionality across food
and beverage, specialty,
chemicals, personal
care and cosmetics, and
pharmaceuticals
Integrated, unified social
networking platform
Intuitive ION integrations
Multi-language support

resources focused on
high-priority projects
Document routing
streamlines complex
approval processes and
simplifies reporting
Compliance with critical
regulations including
SOX, ISO, and 21 CFR
Part 11
Integration to Microsoft
for easy user adoption,
improved investment on
Microsoft technologies

2013, Business-Software.com. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction Prohibited.

Top 10 Product Lifecycle Management Software Comparison

Kalypso PLM Vivo

SofTech ProductCenter

Aras Corp Innovator

Integware Enovia

PTC Windchill, PTC

PLM

Advanced PLM

Collaborative PLM

Creo, & PTC Arbortext

www.kalypso.com

www.softech.com

$$

$$$

www.aras.com

$$$

www.integware.com

$$$

www.ptc.com

$$

Select Customers

Select Customers

Select Customers

Select Customers

Select Customers

Diversey, Ahold, JK

Hayward Tyler Motors,

CarestreamHealth,

Cummins, Steelcase,

Axeon, Medco Equipment,

Gourmet, Reducol,

Monarch Hydraulics Inc.,

Xerox, Lear Corporation,

Caterpillar, Sauer

Xerox Corp, InterComm

UTZ Certified

Eclan Optical Technologies

Motorola, Freudenberg

Sundstrand, Honeywell

Technology Model

Technology Model

Technology Model

Technology Model

Technology Model

On-premise solution

SaaS-based solution

On-premise solution

On-premise solution

SaaS-based solution

Key Features
PLM Vivo for Food and
Beverage Process:
Pre-populated security
model
Pre-defined orgs, roles
and privileges for users
Excel-based templates
simplify identifying data
requirements
Workflows based on
best-in-class processes
Specification templates

Key Features
Document managment
for data access across
the web, automated
legacy data capture
In-depth application
integration, native CAD
interface
Comprehensive release
management, advanced
bills of material mgmt
Process automation
including document

Key Features
Project and program
management,
engineering and design
quality assurance,
procurement, and more
CMII- and CMPICcertified best practices
for configuration and
change mgmt
Check-in and check-out
engineering change
management

Key Features
Offers a new level
of product lifecycle
collaboration, from the
most simple to complex
products, and is poised
to address a broad
range of industry needs
The ENOVIA portfolio
consists of three product
lines: ENOVIA VPLM,
ENOVIA MatrixOne and
ENOVIA SmarTeam

Key Features
Windchill:
Product definition and
collaboration capabilities
Repeatable, end-to-end
process support and
automation
Product deliverable
management including
MCAD, ECAD, service
and documentation
Multiple cost estimation
techniques

FDA/USDA nutrition
profiles prepopulated for
ingredients and formulas
Online training modules
PLM Vivo for Retail:
Managed, automated
product data exchange
with suppliers
Collaboration across
functional and company
boundaries
Enables reuse of
existing knowledge,
recipes, & formulations
Helps improving product
quality through end-toend process linkages
Brand protection

approvals and release

Email notification
Engineering change
management
Regulatory compliance
Online collaboration
sessions
View/markup of over
450 file formates
Advanced 3D
visualization
Consolidated enterprise
product data
XML-based data
exchange
Web-based information
portals

Version control & release

Bill of materials mgmt
Automated graphical
workflows and file
visualization and
management for design
collaboration with 3D
CAD, 2D CAD & EDA.
Aras program mgmt,
Product engineering,
Manufacturing process
planning, NPDI,
quality planning,
risk mgmt, FMEA,
PDM, Configuration
Management, APQP,
PPAP, LEAN, RoHS

Conference room pilots

(CRPs)
Process guides,
templates & supporting
tools process analysis,
solution architecture,
data migration, business
readiness, technical
architecture, training
and support
Governance models
to ensure that the
organizations PLM
solution is delivered on
target

Reporting and analytics

Manage cost targets,
multiple cost estimates,
estimate confidence
level per part
Creo:
Lightweight 3D CAD
driven design process
User-friendly,
collaboration-friendly
Scalable design
software environment
Direct geometry creation
and editing
Ownership, revision and
state control
3D to 2D associativity,
part comparisons,&more

2013, Business-Software.com. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction Prohibited.