An AREnA with no conflict
Updated November 14, 2020
An AREnA with no conflict
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Overall Satisfaction with Arena
It is being used across the whole organization (Marketing, Regulatory Affairs, Quality Assurance, Manufacturing, Sales, Finance, and Quality Control) as a document management system. It addresses the use of using outdated standard operating procedures and labels.
- T process of creating items and change orders, it is easy to use and very clear.
- Training Videos are very helpful, the help tab is very useful.
- The interface is very clean and easy on the eyes.
- Advanced search is very helpful.
- Drag-and-drop files directly into items.
- When I try to upload a file into an item and press cancel, then try again to add a different file in that same box and press done, the upload is not successful...I would need to delete that box in order for a the upload to work.
- It has definitely impacted our quality positively. The correct part numbers are used and the most current procedures followed.
- Price
- Product Features
- Product Usability
- Product Reputation
- Prior Experience with the Product
- Analyst Reports
- Third-party Reviews
Product Features is definitely one of the most important factors. If the product can't do what is needed, there is no reason to purchase the product no matter how good or well-reputed it is.
I was not involved in the implementation of Arena in the beginning, but I do perform Arena Validation reviews. The process is so much easier on our side because Arena provides proper and detailed validation paperwork. Thank you!
Do you think Arena PLM and QMS delivers good value for the price?
Yes
Are you happy with Arena PLM and QMS's feature set?
Yes
Did Arena PLM and QMS live up to sales and marketing promises?
I wasn't involved with the selection/purchase process
Did implementation of Arena PLM and QMS go as expected?
I wasn't involved with the implementation phase
Would you buy Arena PLM and QMS again?
Yes
Arena is definitely better than Agile. I have used Agile for over two years and was always frustrated with the user interface, capabilities, and look.
Lessons for Success
I've used Arena to successfully route change orders to back up personnel for different departments when the primary approver is out of office or unavailable at the moment. This option helps in tight situations to meet deadlines and provides less of a hassle to depend on only one approver for each change. Auditors are also very accepting of Arena's thorough validation documentation that captures system updates and changes throughout the year.
Most important lessons include taking the time to set up the correct categories and types of changes in Arena so that it is easy to understand and use for all change initiators and Arena users. Set up a numbering system that you can be consistent with. Attend the webinars that Arena hosts to go over system updates--you can also ask questions about updates, they are very informative.
Most important lessons include taking the time to set up the correct categories and types of changes in Arena so that it is easy to understand and use for all change initiators and Arena users. Set up a numbering system that you can be consistent with. Attend the webinars that Arena hosts to go over system updates--you can also ask questions about updates, they are very informative.
When someone is out of office and unable to access Arena, we like to attach documentation of email/written approval for the affected change. If the change is already released, we can't undo the change to add supporting documentation. Fortunately there is an additional tab as part of the change order that can be used to upload memos or proofs of approval, etc.
Some tips would be to attend their webinar updates that thoroughly goes over what the update consists of and Q&A available. Use the Training workspace to try everything and anything just to test things out before conducting in Production, it is super helpful because things can go differently than what you had planned. If you aren't asking for the validation paperwork that comes with each update throughout the year, you should--Arena is very thorough with their validations and IOQ that it just makes documentation for users more convenient.