Operationally Functional but Flawed by Design.
Updated September 22, 2019
Operationally Functional but Flawed by Design.
Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Overall Satisfaction with Siemens Solid Edge
Siemens Solid Edge is used across out organisation as the primary Computer Aided Design package with which the company models our products in 3D and produces 2D drawings (drafts) to aid in the manufacture of products. By using a single CAD package across the whole organisation, the company is able to enforce standards and best practice on all designers. The whole organisation makes use of the product and is integrated into the Siemens Team Centre PLM suite.
- Integration with Siemens Team Centre suite, as well as other PLM solutions.
- Parameterisation of CAD models to allow a single design to be used in multiple applications.
- License management which allows multiple users to be allocated a fixed number of licenses, thus saving on operational costs and meaning that costly licences are not going unused.
- The usability of Solid Edge does not compare well to a product like SOLIDWORKS. Being a high-end CAD package, it is assumed by Siemens that training will be undertaken to learn to use the product, and thus the interface is not as user-friendly as it could be.
- Workflows in Solid Edge are not very easy to follow and require previous experience with a specific tool to be able to figure out how to use it. Contrasted to a product like Onshape, which utilises an intuitive workflow process, Solid Edge is a challenge to get to know.
- The cost of a Solid Edge license is not justified by the functionality that it offers. In my opinion, for the cost, there are better packages out there. With Solid Edge, you are paying for the luxury of being able to integrate into a variety of other software offerings, many of which the standard user will never touch.
- Solid Edge has allowed the company to standardize its drawing practice and product consistent quality data packs.
- Solid Edge has integrated perfectly into the Siemens Team Centre PLM solution, which has allowed the company to apply approval workflows to all content generated, thus ensuring that no steps are skipped and clients are happy.
- The choice of Solid Edge as a CAD package has resulted in high license costs each year due to the high number of users that need access to the package.
SOLIDWORKS has a really intuitive interface for a traditional CAD package. It is easy to use, easy to learn and is perfectly suited for any user. Solid Edge lacks this ease of use.
Autodesk Inventor is great for personal use as well as in small businesses. It is easy to learn, produces great models quickly and is very reasonably priced.
My personal favourite, Onshape has redefined what CAD is meant to be, as well as the way in which it is meant to be used. It is highly functional, intuitive, and changes the way in which CAD is perceived by the user. It is much more interactive than traditional CAD packages.
Autodesk Inventor is great for personal use as well as in small businesses. It is easy to learn, produces great models quickly and is very reasonably priced.
My personal favourite, Onshape has redefined what CAD is meant to be, as well as the way in which it is meant to be used. It is highly functional, intuitive, and changes the way in which CAD is perceived by the user. It is much more interactive than traditional CAD packages.