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Arena is a great and easy to implement PLM system
Updated March 02, 2020

Arena is a great and easy to implement PLM system

Anonymous | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User

Overall Satisfaction with Arena

Arena is used in several of our business units; many with full PLM and integration to Oracle EBS, one business just using Quality. We have three more implementations scheduled for 2020, two in the US integrated with Oracle and one in Germany (med. device) integrated with SAP. Arena solves the issue of data being spread out in several locations, creating one single source of truth. As well as allowing integrated communication with product data and across multiple internal organizations.
  • Links all data together in one central location and software system.
  • Very easy to use and learn system and user interface.
  • Provides great viability to proposed product changes and pending changes.
  • Allows external sources easy and controlled access to needed data.
  • True collaboration with external suppliers.
  • Arena Administrator is not as user-friendly as the Stander user interface.
  • Arena Administrator needs two levels so one level could add users, but not change the configuration.
  • The standard PLM functionality, quality, and projects are great. Many of the additional modules need a lot of work to be worth implementing.
  • Created one single data entry/collection point.
  • Increase in data integrity throughout the product life cycle and business changes/re-organizations.
  • Removed ambiguity in where the true and current data is located: items, BOMs, sourcing, files, etc.
  • Price
  • Product Features
  • Product Usability
  • Prior Experience with the Product
We had two companies that had been using Arena for years prior to Novanta acquiring them. Based on there experience and success with Arena, Arena is cloud-based, and the price, it became the executive team's choice for PLM.
I worked for Arena as an SA 13 years ago, so I had prior experience implementing it. As well as having years of experience implementing agile PLM. I have now implemented Arena for three business units at Novanta, as well as assisting in data cleanup and re-engineering with one other BU. I find Arena very easy to implement, and the implementation team at Arena is extremely knowledgeable and easy to work with.
I have used Agile, Windchill, and Sherpa. For cloud-based we have used Salesforce.
I think Arena is well suited for small to midsize companies. I think for larger companies, and companies like ours that have numerous business units (separate companies), it shows it's deficiencies. The product itself is awesome, it just doesn't scale well or have the flexibility to manage multiple workspaces managed under one account.