Aras customers are redefining what PLM can do. The industry is taking notice.
Product complexity continues to increase. Anyone relying on legacy PLM, or the promises being made that it can “handle” today’s complex product environment - will be left behind, as their competitors move forward in a better way. To date, spreadsheets and email have been the duct tape for disconnected data and processes. However, there is no killer spreadsheet that can close the gaps that product complexity is exposing in legacy PLM. What may have worked so far is not sustainable or scalable, much less, a competitive advantage.
A few months ago industry analysts CIMdata provided a detailed definition of a Product Innovation Platform - having the ability to span the enterprise in order to support all users across all functions and disciplines. Their definition of the platform includes a comprehensive set of heterogeneous process-enabling capabilities including platform-native applications which can be packaged and configured to establish and support standardized end-to-end business processes, and related data access. Manufacturers who approach PLM in this manner can benefit from a solution that adapts quickly to change, is flexible in its implementation approach, and is upgradeable.
Aras customers have validated the benefits of the Platform approach, and now the momentum is being further noticed by analysts who cover the PLM space. A PLM platform approach is industry agnostic, and spans segments such as Automotive, Aerospace & Defense, Medical Devices, and Industrial Manufacturing. And today, these segments are being served by the Aras PLM Platform.
Recently, CIMdata assessed the Aras PLM Platform against their Platform definition. The result? CIMdata validated Aras as a top example of Product Innovation Platform. Even more recently, Forrester Research validated our solution and customer implementations. The final outcome? Forrester named Aras a Leader in the first evaluation of PLM solutions in nearly a decade!
Aras a Leader! Forrester PLM Wave Results & Key Takeaways
Forrester validated our key strengths: open, flexible, scalable, and upgradeable. Aras received top scores possible in Product Vision, Implementation and sustainability, configurability and flexibility, and BOM management.
According to Forrester, “companies looking to make a meaningful change to their product organization and knock down the figurative walls between product development and the business should consider Aras as an agile solution that meets requirements and delivers results fast”.
We are proud of all the work the Aras Community has done to get us in this position. Through discussions with the Community, we have identified the three main drivers that make a PLM Platform approach the only way forward:
Digital Transformation Initiatives
As global competition continues to increase and multiple technologies such as social, mobile, analytics, cloud, and IoT rapidly mature, manufacturers are recognizing that they must undertake a digital transformation, replace manual and spreadsheet-enabled processes, and retire legacy systems. Under this initiative, forward-looking companies are taking a fresh look at Product Innovation Platforms. In addition, manufacturers are recognizing the value of the Digital Thread and the Digital Twin.
Increased Product Complexity
The biggest driver is the inclusion of electronics and software and network connections into virtually every product. Smart, connected products, those with embedded software that communicate in real-time with server-based backend applications in the cloud are perhaps the most complex.
Failure of Legacy PLM
Today’s reality is that most PLM implementations have rarely gone beyond the enablement of core product data management (PDM) capabilities. The better implementations become a single source of truth for released data and thereby provide significant value to organizations, but unfortunately still do not achieve their full potential.
Make the shift from Legacy
With the PLM landscape shifting, vendors still attempting to validate a legacy approach in a complex product world are being left behind, ill-prepared to meet the demands of innovative customers. Aras customers are validating and reshaping their vision of PLM through a platform approach. It is our customers who are the winners. They are validating the solution direction and applying it in unique ways to address increased product complexity, the failure of Legacy PLM, and their Digital Transformation Initiatives.
More work is to be done, and we look forward to working with the Aras Customer community to drive innovative solutions across the product lifecycle moving forward. Learn more and get the Forrester Report by visiting us here.