Arena PLM vs Propel PLM

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Our analysts compared Arena PLM vs Propel PLM based on data from our 400+ point analysis of PLM Software, user reviews and our own crowdsourced data from our free software selection platform.

Arena PLM Software Tool

Product Basics

Arena PLM is a cloud-based solution that gives internal and external users access to relevant information throughout the entire design lifecycle. It provides capabilities such as project management, document management and collaboration functionality. It enables users to save money by developing useful bids and improving productivity through the automation of various workflows.

Compliance with ISO and FDA standards is also supported to ensure everything is “up to code.” Simple deployment with no coding needed is a vital feature.
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Propel PLM is a solution designed to facilitate the management of a product's lifecycle from start to finish. Users can initiate the production of top-notch quality and original products that hit the market faster while decreasing costs, raising product throughput and establishing internal collaboration.

Some of the key accessories Propel PLM possesses include computer-aided design (CAD) integration, bill of materials (BOMs) management, regulation compliance and cost supervision.
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$3,000/User, Annually
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$35 Monthly
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Tailored to your specific needs
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Product Assistance

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Product Insights

  • Centralized Information: Store product data in one place so every user can access and review the most relevant information. It reduces redundancies and miscommunication among those with access to the system. 
  • Internal and External Collaboration: Share information and work with supply chain partners through this program. Users may also share notes, documentation and more to ensure that everyone is on the same page and understands the project's scope or task. 
  • Cloud Deployment: Deploy this solution through the cloud so users can easily access it anytime and anywhere with a strong internet connection. 
  • Quality Assurance and Regulatory Compliance: Guarantee businesses meet every regulatory requirement and industry standard such as ISO, FDA and more. 
  • Simple Implementation: Install this platform seamlessly. No coding required. 
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  • Accelerated Innovation: Propel PLM streamlines product development processes, enabling teams to bring new products to market faster by automating tasks, centralizing data, and fostering collaboration.
  • Enhanced Collaboration: The platform provides a central hub for cross-functional teams to share ideas, track progress, and make informed decisions, fostering a collaborative and efficient work environment.
  • Improved Product Quality: Propel PLM's robust change management and traceability features help ensure product quality by providing a comprehensive record of product changes and enabling teams to identify and address potential issues early on.
  • Reduced Costs: The software helps businesses reduce costs by eliminating redundant tasks, optimizing resource allocation, and minimizing errors through its automated workflows and centralized data management.
  • Increased Agility: Propel PLM empowers teams to adapt quickly to changing market demands by providing real-time visibility into product data, enabling them to make informed decisions and adjust product specifications swiftly.
  • Improved Compliance: The platform helps businesses comply with industry regulations and standards by providing comprehensive audit trails, version control, and traceability features.
  • Enhanced Decision-Making: Propel PLM provides powerful analytics and reporting tools that empower teams to make data-driven decisions, optimize product design, and identify areas for improvement.
  • Scalability and Flexibility: The software is designed to scale with growing businesses, accommodating the increasing complexity of product portfolios and the evolving needs of diverse teams.
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  • BOM Management: Control current, past and pending product revisions. Manage complex assemblies that consist of aspects such as electrical and mechanical components, documentation and software. It also sorts the information into a multi-tiered hierarchical assembly structure. 
  • Arena Exchange: Provide stakeholders with access to relevant product information in one centralized location. The chat feature allows internal and external users to discuss any arising issues during the gaps between formal processes. Partners may comment, view or download updated information such as reports, BOMs, AMLs and AVLs. 
  • Document Management: Share, track and store various documents while ensuring compliance with FDA, ISO and other regulatory standards. Users obtain authorization to product specifications, instructions, drawings and changes. This module also includes standard operating procedures, safety specifications and training records. 
  • Change Management: Manage entire product records and any related processes. Route, draft, release and trace engineering changes. Reviewers receive notifications via dashboards and email alerts. Visualization of factors such as backlog, change cycle time performance and progress are also available for all product lines. 
  • Item Management: Develop accurate and complete item records with structured documents and part information, efficiently permitting users to configure their hierarchical bill of materials structures. This feature tracks and manages manufactured assemblies and purchased components. 
  • Project Management: Connect files, changes, items and tasks to product records at all schedule levels and enable team collaboration. This apparatus tracks project progress through customizable phases that contain assignable tasks and milestones. Users may also gather data and use it to perform comprehensive cross-project analysis. 
  • Demand Analysis: Forecast the total components used to better negotiate with external partners. This tool is available for even the smallest component level, giving customers a leg-up over competitors that aggregate demand only for their most expensive parts. Users gain profit from untracked, inexpensive components as well as expensive ones. 
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  • Immediate Collaboration: Propel PLM offers a collaboration accessory that's equipped with whole data transparency, teamwork across the entire company, blended analytics and full access control. When users connect people, systems and procedures with this tool, they can make better business choices and rupture project silos. 
  • Interchange Information: Users can use the collaboration tool to employ relevant upgrades in user adoption rates. These upgrades will enable users to swiftly trade information with the sales, services and product groups to get their merchandise out to the market sooner. 
  • Create Edits and Cancellations: This program offers enhanced adaptability, clarity and efficiency when contrasting and supervising product versions. Users can review and compare revisions without interrupting workflows. This accessory enables users to effectively cancel any product traits such as bill of materials (BOMs), pricing, product catalog attributes and structure rules to specifically pinpoint what changed and where. 
  • Administer All BOMs: Users can use the BOM management tool to safely share their current BOM information and cooperate with several internal teams, suppliers and partners connected to the product's lifecycle. Users can plot and conceive all product options and features to formulate the ideal business decisions.  
  • Manage Changes and Revisions: Propel PLM's change management accessory enables users to adjust the precise approval work procedures and monitors product updates throughout the entire value sequence. Users can seamlessly evaluate and validate workflows from their phone, tablet or laptop thanks to Propel PLM's cloud-based deployability.  
  • Task and Project Accomplishment: Users can supervise and trace project accomplishments with Propel PLM's active collaboration and data transparency. This module can assist users in supervising project schedules and collaborating with suppliers, internal team members and manufacturers. Users speed up production by recognizing and rectifying the precise causes of delays and downtimes. 
  • Integrate Computer-Aided Designs (CADs): Propel PLM can integrate with on-premise or cloud-based CAD solutions to produce parts, BOMs and change orders. This integration permits users to expedite time to market, dwindle errors, reinforce innovation, gain prompt teamwork, automatically formulate parts and receive thorough 3D CAD visualization. 
  • Oversee Costs and Profits: Users can deplete costs and boost profits with effective design, supply chain maximization and precautionary maintenances. Propel PLM traces, supervises and studies material, prototype, labor, maintenance, production and supply chain so users can assess product growth and linked profit margins.  
  • Intricate Analytics: Propel PLM's analytics capability enables users to collect and review cost information received from distributors and manufacturers. Users can input this information into a BOM to examine and compare costs throughout various products and time intervals.  
  • Lawful and Environmental Compliances: Users can comply with stock-keeping units (SKU) and global trade item number (GTIN) regulations by managing adjustments, regulation requirements and allocation principles. This module ensures a product is sold in global markets by cooperating with local market requirements. Users can also verify compliances with environmental specifications such as restriction of hazardous substances (RoHS), waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), registration, evaluation, authorization and restriction of chemicals (REACH), China RoHS, joint electron device engineering council (JEDEC), Japanese Green Initiative and Conflict Minerals standards.  
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Product Ranking

#10

among all
PLM Software

#16

among all
PLM Software

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Analyst Rating Summary

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Change Management
Compliance Management
Platform Capabilities
Project Management
Reporting and Dashboard
Bill of Materials Management
Change Management
Compliance Management
Document Management
Part Management

Analyst Ratings for Functional Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

Arena PLM
Propel PLM
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Bill Of Materials Management Change Management Compliance Management Design Management Document Management Packaging And Label Management Part Management Platform Capabilities Project Management Quality Management Recipe And Formula Management Reporting And Dashboard Requirements Management Supplier Management 84 100 100 90 96 22 89 100 100 98 57 100 92 83 100 100 100 93 100 18 100 100 100 93 57 100 100 100 0 25 50 75 100
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Analyst Ratings for Technical Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

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User Sentiment Summary

Great User Sentiment 526 reviews
Great User Sentiment 73 reviews
82%
of users recommend this product

Arena PLM has a 'great' User Satisfaction Rating of 82% when considering 526 user reviews from 4 recognized software review sites.

84%
of users recommend this product

Propel PLM has a 'great' User Satisfaction Rating of 84% when considering 73 user reviews from 2 recognized software review sites.

4.7 (9)
n/a
4.1 (228)
4.2 (72)
4.0 (27)
5.0 (1)
4.1 (262)
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Awards

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SelectHub research analysts have evaluated Propel PLM and concluded it earns best-in-class honors for Bill of Materials Management and Requirements Management.

Bill of Materials Management Award
Requirements Management Award

Synopsis of User Ratings and Reviews

Implementation: Of the users who commented on this program's installation and interface, 57% said it's easy to install, simple to learn and the interface is clean.
Performability: Approximately 64% of users who addressed this solution's overall performance said it was user friendly, easy to navigate and reliable.
Modules: Of the users who discussed this platform's features, 48% stated that it offers a comprehensive dashboard, shares information with suppliers and tracks product progress.
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Powerful Data Management: Propel PLM provides a centralized platform to manage product data, enabling efficient access, collaboration, and version control.
Seamless Integration: It integrates seamlessly with other business systems such as ERP, CAD, and MES, eliminating data silos and streamlining workflows.
Enhanced Collaboration: The collaborative features facilitate real-time communication, document sharing, and change tracking, fostering efficient teamwork.
Improved Product Quality: Propel PLM's robust quality management capabilities help identify and mitigate product defects, ensuring high-quality deliverables.
Increased Productivity: The automation of repetitive tasks and the elimination of manual processes significantly increase productivity and reduce time-to-market.
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Search Tool: Roughly 51% of users who addressed this application's modules said the search tool isn't on par because it can't search partial names or part numbers and it's a little tricky to find the right documents.
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High Cost of Ownership: Propel PLM can be expensive to purchase and maintain, requiring significant upfront investments and ongoing subscription fees.
Steep Learning Curve: Users often find Propel PLM's interface complex and challenging to navigate, requiring extensive training and support.
Limited Integration Options: Propel PLM may not seamlessly integrate with other enterprise systems, creating data silos and hindering efficient collaboration.
Poor Customer Support: Some users have experienced delays and unsatisfactory responses from Propel PLM's customer support team, affecting their productivity.
Lack of Customization: Propel PLM's out-of-the-box features may not meet the specific requirements of all businesses, limiting customization and tailored solutions.
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Arena PLM is a complex solution that manages every aspect of a product's lifecycle. Users find it easy to implement and learn because it has simple navigation, frequent updates and high-quality document storage. Its modules — ranging from BOM management and demand analysis to item and change management — streamline tasks and permit users to collaborate with suppliers openly. Although some users dislike the search tool, most find this program a robust system worth the time and money.

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Over the past year, Propel PLM has garnered attention for its innovative approach to product lifecycle management, distinguishing itself from competitors like PTC Windchill and Siemens Teamcenter. Users have praised Propel for its user-friendly interface and cloud-based deployment, which significantly reduces the IT overhead for small to medium-sized businesses. A standout feature is its seamless integration with Salesforce, allowing sales and engineering teams to collaborate more effectively than ever before. This integration has been a game-changer for companies looking to streamline their operations and enhance cross-departmental communication. However, some users have noted that while Propel PLM excels in ease of use and integration capabilities, it may lack some of the advanced features found in more established PLM systems. For instance, complex product data management and simulation tools are areas where users feel improvements could be made. Despite these criticisms, the consensus is that Propel's strengths in collaboration, cloud-based flexibility, and user experience significantly outweigh its limitations for a wide range of businesses. Propel PLM is most suited for small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that prioritize ease of use, cloud-based solutions, and strong integration with CRM systems. Its ability to facilitate communication and collaboration across different departments makes it an invaluable tool for companies looking to improve their product development processes without the heavy IT infrastructure typically associated with traditional PLM systems. For businesses at the forefront of innovation and in need of a flexible, user-friendly PLM solution, Propel emerges as a compelling choice.

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