Windchill vs Propel PLM

Last Updated:

Our analysts compared Windchill 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.

Product Basics

Windchill is a product lifecycle management and supply chain system that utilizes the latest developments in technology to optimize operations. Automation and AR capabilities are some of the modern technologies that can be included in the system. The program increases the visibility of product concepts as they move throughout the lifecycle by collecting real-time CAD data.

Its automation capabilities also allow for changes made downstream to be reflected in other areas, such as in technical documents and promotional materials. These changes can also be reflected in graphical representations of a product to ensure accuracy. Windchill works to reduce duplicate work and communication errors as a product moves throughout the lifecycle.
read more...
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.
read more...
$1,000/User, Monthly
Get a free price quote
Tailored to your specific needs
$35 Monthly
Get a free price quote
Tailored to your specific needs
Small 
i
Medium 
i
Large 
i
Small 
i
Medium 
i
Large 
i
Windows
Mac
Linux
Android
Chromebook
Windows
Mac
Linux
Android
Chromebook
Cloud
On-Premise
Mobile
Cloud
On-Premise
Mobile

Product Assistance

Documentation
In Person
Live Online
Videos
Webinars
Documentation
In Person
Live Online
Videos
Webinars
Email
Phone
Chat
FAQ
Forum
Knowledge Base
24/7 Live Support
Email
Phone
Chat
FAQ
Forum
Knowledge Base
24/7 Live Support

Product Insights

  • Increased Visibility: Look at products as they move from one aspect of the lifecycle to another. Components of this include the ability to look at quality aspects and feature changes. 
  • Boost in Productivity: Boosts productivity among workers. Centralization and a single view of data can reduce the amount of time that employees spend looking for information. 
  • Use the Latest Tech: Can integrate with Vuforia, an AR tool. This allows users to look at their designs in a real-world setting and to use that information to inform aspects of a product. As technology advances and more features become available, it can be helpful to stay up-to-date on the latest and greatest tools. 
  • Reduced Costs: Cost is an essential factor to consider when looking at different software solutions. Reduces costs through the efficient creation of product variants, which is typically time-consuming and costly. 
  • Automation: Leverages automation to help update content and users as features and definitions are altered. This ensures consistency and reliability of information. 
read more...
  • 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.
read more...
  • Product Design and Visualization With AR:  Offers integration with Vuforia, an augmented reality (AR) platform. Design 2D and 3D objects not only on a screen, but also in a real-world setting. Collaborate with others across the world on these designs. 
  • Change Management: The change management can make alterations during the product life cycle in a centralized location so that other users can access the most up-to-date information. This tool also provides visibility of how change impacts an organization throughout the product life cycle. 
  • Product Quality Monitoring: Integrates quality measures into product development. This allows employees to see what type of quality issues occur and to work to solve them for future and ongoing iterations of a product. 
  • BOM Management: Digital Bill of Materials (BOM) is provided through this system. A parts-centric approach to BOM is available with a single source of truth for all organizational product data. This program is closed-loop throughout the entire lifecycle from conceptualization to product release. 
  • Product Variation: Developing a product variation can be time-consuming and expensive. This system works to assist in the complete production process of product variants to ensure customer satisfaction and cost-effectiveness. 
  • Unified Data: Windchill centralizes data from multiple aspects of a business into a single view to make access easier and less time-consuming. Real-time CAD and product data are some of the sources included in this feature. 
  • Automatic Content Updates: When changes are made to a product during the development phase, Windchill allows for the automatic update of content in accordance with these changes. This tool can also manage content that is gathered from multiple sources. 
read more...
  • 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.  
read more...

Product Ranking

#2

among all
PLM Software

#16

among all
PLM Software

Find out who the leaders are

Analyst Rating Summary

83
83
100
100
100
100
100
100
Show More Show More
Bill of Materials Management
Change Management
Compliance Management
Design Management
Document Management
Bill of Materials Management
Change Management
Compliance Management
Document Management
Part Management

Analyst Ratings for Functional Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

Windchill
Propel PLM
+ Add Product + Add Product
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 100 100 100 100 100 8 100 100 100 100 57 100 92 99 100 100 100 93 100 18 100 100 100 93 57 100 100 100 0 25 50 75 100
100%
0%
0%
100%
0%
0%
100%
0%
0%
100%
0%
0%
100%
0%
0%
100%
0%
0%
100%
0%
0%
92%
0%
8%
100%
0%
0%
100%
0%
0%
9%
0%
91%
18%
0%
82%
100%
0%
0%
100%
0%
0%
100%
0%
0%
100%
0%
0%
100%
0%
0%
100%
0%
0%
100%
0%
0%
90%
0%
10%
57%
0%
43%
57%
0%
43%
100%
0%
0%
100%
0%
0%
92%
0%
8%
100%
0%
0%
100%
0%
0%
100%
0%
0%

Analyst Ratings for Technical Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

33%
0%
67%
33%
0%
67%
83%
0%
17%
67%
0%
33%
100%
0%
0%
100%
0%
0%

User Sentiment Summary

Good User Sentiment 112 reviews
Great User Sentiment 73 reviews
78%
of users recommend this product

Windchill has a 'good' User Satisfaction Rating of 78% when considering 112 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.

4.8 (8)
n/a
3.8 (61)
4.2 (72)
n/a
5.0 (1)
4.0 (30)
n/a
3.4 (13)
n/a

Awards

SelectHub research analysts have evaluated Windchill and concluded it earns best-in-class honors for Bill of Materials Management, Design Management and Quality Management.

Bill of Materials Management Award
Design Management Award
Quality Management Award

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

Integrations: All reviewers who mentioned integrations said that the system has robust integration options with a helpful set of integrated tools.
Functionality: Approximately 90% of users who talked about the system’s overall functionality noted that its suite of features and automation tools were stable and capable of handling critical daily processes.
Searching Tools: About 66% of reviewers who referred to search features noted that they were intuitive and helped find specific documents quickly.
Show more
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.
Show more
Ease of Use: Nearly 60% of reviewers who mentioned the system’s usability noted that the system required a steep learning curve with training requirements to master.
Support: Complicated issues took long periods of time to solve, with the overall support process being hit or miss, according to all reviewers who mentioned support.
Customization: All users that talked about customization said that customizing the system wasn’t easy and there wasn’t much room for customization in the first place.
Show more
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.
Show more

Windchill’s PLM and supply chain management features are robust and help optimize and streamline daily operations. Powerful integrations with popular applications like CAD boost efficiency and add value to the product as a whole. Its automation features help users overcome manual tasks and streamline their tasks. While its features are impressive, it required significant time and training investments to familiarize users with the system. Customization options are available, but customizations were hard to implement without help. Support was often described as slow, especially when more complex problems occurred. Some reviewers also mentioned that the monthly maintenance costs were on the high side.

Show more

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.

Show more

Screenshots

Top Alternatives in PLM Software


Aptean PLM Lascom Edition

Aras

Arena PLM

Centric PLM

Duro PLM

Enovia

Epicor PLM

Infor PLM For Process (Optiva)

OpenBOM

Oracle PLM

Propel PLM

Selerant Devex

Specright

Teamcenter

Upchain

Vault PLM

Related Categories

Head-to-Head Comparison

WE DISTILL IT INTO REAL REQUIREMENTS, COMPARISON REPORTS, PRICE GUIDES and more...

Compare products
Comparison Report
Just drag this link to the bookmark bar.
?
Table settings