Successful digital transformation is not a static initiative. Simply implementing a system or systems, no matter how perfectly they meet your current business needs, cannot anticipate the needs of your business in the future. Business needs are constantly changing, and Aras Innovator is constantly adapting to meet and anticipate customer and market needs. Unlike many other PLM companies, Aras introduces new functionality with every release. New Aras functionality is typically released every 6-8 weeks, which is a major market differentiator. Functionality is not held back and rolled out in large chunks years later, but it’s dropped in each release. This enables customers to choose when they want to take advantage of it. As a result, our customers upgrade more often.
Aras customers are more aware than most PLM users that continual improvement is not optional, and digital transformation is a journey, not a destination. The Aras agile deployment methodology translates into the agile, rapid upgrades that Aras customers are accustomed to taking advantage of as part of the subscription cost.
Aras Upgrades are faster and cheaper
A recent report by CIMdata demonstrated that Aras Innovator upgrades are faster, cheaper, and generally less painful than upgrades with other PLM systems. More information on the report can be found in a blog by Mark Reisig, titled, Which PLM Vendor Keeps You Most Current? The CIMdata report details the value of staying current, but this blog we will answer the questions: how Aras achieves this for our customers, and why our customers succeed in this rapid turnaround into the latest version. If your upgrade is cheaper and faster, why not take advantage of the latest technology and features more often?
Business process
Aras is different. Fast and easy upgrades are in our DNA. We are committed to performing upgrades as a part of your Aras subscription. Naturally, this means we have some skin in the game, and our software is fundamentally developed with easy upgrades in mind.
Another important differentiator is the Aras upgrade team. Other companies treat upgrades a lot like a professional services engagement and charge accordingly. Our Professional Services team is focused on the implementation and continuous improvement for our customer base. Our dedicated upgrades team is solely focused on upgrades with the pure mission of getting in, executing the upgrade, and getting out as quickly and elegantly as possible.
Platform
So, what does it mean to have a platform that is built for upgrades? As a platform, with applications sitting on top of it, Aras Innovator is designed to upgrade the platform without disturbance to the applications.
Apple and Android are two examples of platforms with applications. Most cellular consumers have had the experience of upgrading their phone. Moving from one Apple device to a later model is fairly easy. There's no need to re download or configure existing applications, and all of your customizations are carried over. Now imagine if the underlying architecture of the phone was different each time. Upgrading your phone would look a little more like moving from an Apple to an Android phone each and every time you perform an upgrade. You would have to reinstall and reconfigure all of your applications in a different environment each and every time. There would be a learning curve, and while, at most, applications would look similar, the subtle differences would take a while to get used to.
Personally, we are an Apple family (no judgement). As the mother of two teenagers, I simply don't have time to manage and troubleshoot phones and tablets on a different platform. Like the Aras upgrade team, I am experienced in Apple nuances. If my kid drops their phone in the lake, which has happened, I can have another one up and running in less than 24 hours. It’s just a matter of moving the database over and implementing some minor customizations. Sure, the kids will have to tweak some settings and application preferences, but generally they are seamlessly up and running in about a week.
Customer success
If free upgrades sound too good to be true, check out what our customer Insitu has to say about keeping current in this video case study, Insitu’s Upgrade Success Story. They discuss how it is very costly to upgrade with other vendors, and how the company benefits from emerging features. 
Upgrades and continual improvement
Aras customers generally have a culture of continuous improvement – from embracing agile implementation, to a commitment of a DevOps culture. Rapid and frequent upgrades are just another piece of the Aras customer philosophy. If your PLM system is more than five years old, maybe it’s time to start questioning why, and whether your vendor is committed to your continual improvement and uniquely evolving business needs.