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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    Microsoft Excel

    Score9 out of 10
    N/AMicrosoft Excel is a spreadsheet application available as part of Microsoft 365 (Office 365), or standalone, in cloud-based and on-premise editions.

    $6.99

    per month

    Polarion ALM

    Score10 out of 10
    N/APolarion ALM is an application requirement management software platform now owned and supported by Siemens since the 2015 acquisition. It is available on the cloud (Polarion X) and on-premise. Polarion connect teams and projects to improve application development processes with a single, unified solution for requirements, coding, testing and release.

    $42

    per month per user

    Pricing
    Microsoft ExcelPolarion ALM
    Editions & Modules
    Excel with Microsoft 365
    $6.99
    per month
    Excel for 1 PC or Mac
    $139.99
    perpetual license
    Polarion X Base
    $42
    per month per user
    Polarion ALM
    Contact Sales
    one or more years per user/concurrent
    Polarion Requirements
    Contact Sales
    one or more years per user/concurrent
    Polarion QA
    Contact Sales
    one or more years per user/concurrent
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    Microsoft ExcelPolarion ALM
    Free Trial
    YesYes
    Free/Freemium Version
    YesNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoYes
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeOptional
    Additional Details——
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    Microsoft ExcelPolarion ALM
    Considered Both Products
    Microsoft
    No answer on this topic
    Siemens AG
    No answer on this topic
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    99%
    Would buy again
    78 Answers
    96%
    Would buy again
    23 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    100%
    Delivers good value for the price
    70 Answers
    96%
    Delivers good value for the price
    22 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    96%
    Happy with the feature set
    76 Answers
    96%
    Happy with the feature set
    23 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    96%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    46 Answers
    100%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    16 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    100%
    Implementation went as expected
    54 Answers
    100%
    Implementation went as expected
    20 Answers
    Best Alternatives
    Microsoft ExcelPolarion ALM
    Small Businesses
    Stackby
    Score8.8 out of 10
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    Medium-sized Companies
    Google Sheets
    Score8.9 out of 10
    PTC Windchill RV&S
    Score2 out of 10
    Enterprises
    Google Sheets
    Score8.9 out of 10
    IBM Engineering Lifecycle Management
    Score5 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    Microsoft ExcelPolarion ALM
    Likelihood to Recommend
    9.0
    (78 ratings)
    9.8
    (24 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    9.9
    (7 ratings)
    9.1
    (2 ratings)
    Usability
    8.5
    (23 ratings)
    7.6
    (2 ratings)
    Availability
    10.0
    (2 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Performance
    10.0
    (2 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Support Rating
    10.0
    (2 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    In-Person Training
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    Online Training
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    8.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Configurability
    10.0
    (2 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Contract Terms and Pricing Model
    -
    (0 ratings)
    1.0
    (1 ratings)
    Ease of integration
    10.0
    (2 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Product Scalability
    10.0
    (2 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Professional Services
    -
    (0 ratings)
    4.0
    (1 ratings)
    Vendor post-sale
    10.0
    (2 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    Vendor pre-sale
    10.0
    (2 ratings)
    7.0
    (1 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    Microsoft ExcelPolarion ALM
    Likelihood to Recommend
    Microsoft
    I don't really know another program as powerful as Excel. I've used Google Doc programs but do not feel they come close. So far, anytime I've needed a table of some sort for data, whether it's budget oriented or information off a survey, the best system has been Excel. We do web audits on occasion and we create an Excel worksheet featuring every URL of the pages we're auditing, notes, data about the content, information about files attached to the page and other information to help us determine what pages need updating, deleting or otherwise. We also use Excel primarily to export our Google Analytics to in order for us to create reports for clients that need to see specific information about their traffic.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Siemens AG
    The question is actually not trivial to answer in 200 words. To summarize, I can say that we have had consistently positive experiences with all customers where we have used Polarion ALM. The sector in which the customer operates only played a subordinate role. We use Polarion ALM in almost all sectors: Medical technology, pharmaceuticals, aerospace, agriculture, automotive and many others. It is also interesting to note that in the beginning we were mostly active in the development of products, systems or software. Over time, this has changed more and more for some customers and risk management or projects for lessons learned have taken up more space. This enabled us to banish a seemingly endless number of Excel lists. Who doesn't know this problem: at first there is only one Excel list on the drive. Day by day there are more. Some with a date in the file name. Others with an employee abbreviation. In the end, nobody can tell which is the current and complete list. The really good thing about Polarion ALM is that it is extremely flexible to use and the configuration determines what the project is used for in Polarion ALM. It is customizable to my situation and not rigid.
    Read full review
    Pros
    Microsoft
    • It is very good at embedded formulas and tying cells to one another
    • It allows me to compare deals terms on a side-by-side basis and talk my clients through it easily.
    • It is very helpful as well in terms of allowing me to filter/sort results in many different ways depending on what specific information I am most interested in prioritizing.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Siemens AG
    • Requirements Management:
    • Polarion ALM provides a centralized repository for capturing and managing requirements. Teams can define, organize, and link requirements to other artifacts like test cases and development tasks.
    • Test Management:
    • Polarion ALM facilitates end-to-end test management. Teams can create detailed test cases, manage test execution, and track test results.
    • Traceability and Impact Analysis:
    • Polarion ALM ensures traceability across all phases of the development lifecycle. Users can establish links between requirements, test cases, development tasks, and other artifacts. This traceability helps in impact analysis, allowing teams to understand how changes in one area may affect other parts of the project.
    • Customization and Adaptability:
    • Polarion ALM is highly customizable to fit the unique needs of different organizations and industries. Users can create custom workflows, define custom fields, and adapt the tool to their specific development processes.
    Read full review
    Cons
    Microsoft
    • Excel offers collaboration features that allow multiple users to work on the same spreadsheet, but managing changes made by different users can be challenging. Excel could improve its features by offering more granular control, better tracking of changes, and more robust conflict resolution tools.
    • Itcan be a barrier to productivity when importing and exporting data from other applications or file formats. To improve its features, it should offer better support for standard file formats and more robust error handling and reporting tools.
    • Excel can be challenging for finance students and working professionals, but it can be improved by offering more robust tutorials, better documentation, and more user communities and support forums.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Siemens AG
    • More robust engine as far as the actual took is concerned. There are navigation components in trace to reporting which we feel can be improved especially when dealing with cross global accessing of the tool. It slows us down a bit so it's backend driven optimization as well as some front end "clunkiness" that can be improved.
    • Improve some filtering capabilities especially in creating custom reports and generally all around the ALM components of the tool.
    • As of the version we have, the ability to enhance replationship types in traceability is limited.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Likelihood to Renew
    Microsoft
    Excel remains the industry standard for spreadsheets and has maintained simple and straight-forward formula writing methods. Although there is a learning curve to do more complex calculations, there are countless help sites and videos on the Internet for almost any need.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Siemens AG
    There is too much at stake to go into a new system. But with everything else being promised as far as newer more innovative products, the justification to not renew is a huge risk so that is not a concern
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Usability
    Microsoft
    I'm giving it a 7 because it is my go to. But the fact other prefer Google Sheets when working with a team does get irritating. I've used the online version of Microsoft Excel that other teams can get into and it still seems behind Google Sheets. It's a little clanky and slow? If that's even a term.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Siemens AG
    Polarion ALM can be used individually and what I do with Polarion ALM is decided by my configuration. Lesson-learned, operational risk management, product, system or software development or customer management .... doesn't matter at all. I decide with my configuration what I will do with Polarion ALM. Of course, you can also use Polarion ALM out-of-the-box for your development because it comes with a large set of project templates.For this reason, I would also recommend not to just get started. A suitable consultant will show you the right templates and customize them according to your needs. Having Polarion ALM is like having a car. You know exactly how to operate the car. You've done it a thousand times before. The details are in the configuration: did I have a navigation system installed or not? Do I have a lane departure warning system or not? Do I have cruise control or not? Unlike when buying a vehicle, almost all functions are already available and can be used, usually at no extra cost. However, if something is missing, it can be obtained via the manufacturer's extension portal. Individual extensions are subject to a charge. Polarion ALM - easy to deploy and easy to use.
    Read full review
    Reliability and Availability
    Microsoft
    I have rarely, if ever, had issues with its availability.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Siemens AG
    update, reindex takes to long
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Performance
    Microsoft
    Excel load and performs calculations immediately. It integrate well with all Microsoft Office applications and does not slow them down.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Siemens AG
    No answers on this topic
    Support Rating
    Microsoft
    I have not had to use it often, but it is good.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Siemens AG
    Support for customers using the full range of Polarion could be better.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    In-Person Training
    Microsoft
    No answers on this topic
    Siemens AG
    competent trainer, good training project
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Online Training
    Microsoft
    No answers on this topic
    Siemens AG
    easy to follow, efficent
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Implementation Rating
    Microsoft
    No answers on this topic
    Siemens AG
    Automated install and backup procedure ist missing
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Alternatives Considered
    Microsoft
    Out of Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Power BI, IBM SPSS, and Google Sheets, Microsoft Excel is by far the most common tool used for anything data-related across organizations. Accordingly, our organization has also implemented Microsoft Excel as a first-step tool. We recently adopted Microsoft Power BI (the free version), and use it occasionally (mostly for creating dashboards), but it is less commonly understood by stakeholders across our organization and by our clients. Accordingly, Microsoft Excel is more user-friendly and because of its popularity, we can easily look up how to do things in the program online. Google Sheets is a comparable alternative to Microsoft Excel, but because it's cloud-based and we have sensitive data that needs to be protected, we chose against using this software. Finally, a few users (including myself) have access to and utilize IBM's SPSS. For my role, it's a helpful tool to do more rigorous analyses. However, because of its cost and limited functionality as a simple spreadsheet, we only use it for more complex analyses.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Siemens AG
    Polarion ALM has the best usability, extensibility and reactiv product management. The support is also very good compared to other companies. Or in other words it is closer to the customer. Codebeamer is for sure also a good ALM tool with a great feature set, but existing customers are often neglected. We will see, what PTC as the new owner of codebeamer will change at this point.
    Read full review
    Contract Terms and Pricing Model
    Microsoft
    N/A I was not involved in this process.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Siemens AG
    should be more flexible
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Scalability
    Microsoft
    Each user can use it to whatever level of expertise they have. It remains the same so users can contribute to another's work regardless of whether they have more or less expertise
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Siemens AG
    No answers on this topic
    Return on Investment
    Microsoft
    • Excel has positively impacted the business as it has increased our efficiency.
    • It also saves us the time that we would have spent on making the calculations that it does for us.
    • Since it works on all devices and is compatible with both Windows and Mac, we do not have to invest in any other alternative.
    Read full review
    Siemens AG
    • Many of our customers have achieved things that they could not have done without Polarion
    • Possibility to make engineering enjoyable and not so documentation oriented (especially in regulated industries)
    • Automatic and all the time up-to-date reporting gives savings in time
    • Information reuse is typically giving benefits in resource use and time-to-market. Up to 40% reduction in time-to-market seen.
    • 10-20% reduction in R&D cost is typically achievable
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    ScreenShots

    Polarion ALM Screenshots

    Screenshot of Requirements Management - This feature is used to gather, author, approve and manage requirements across the full project lifecycles.Screenshot of Test & Quality Management - From this interface, users can manage all testing activities from a central platform.Screenshot of Issue & Risk Management - This interface is used to track all possible and reported failures, or plan and assign tasks to mitigate them.Screenshot of Connectors & Extensibility - Out of the box integrations with popular tools. Free, open APIs can be used to build apps and extensionsScreenshot of Agile / Hybrid Project Management - Modern agile techniques can be adopted at once or incrementally with out of the box project templates that can be adjusted to meet any needs.Screenshot of Core Functionality - Collaboration, Traceability and Workflow - 3 core principles built into the software