Choosing the right PLM software for your organization can be a complicated process. There are so many solutions, the solutions are so functionally broad, and their impact is so powerful that it sometimes leaves the search team unable to make a decision. To help with that issue, we are offering a comparison of two industry powerhouse solutions, PTC Windchill vs Agile from Oracle. Both systems are functionally strong, so it makes sense to look at the other factors that contribute to PLM success.
Selecting the right PLM software can make or break product development success.
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Windchill vs Agile: Feature and Benefit Comparison
Product Data Management
As a core function of PLM software, product data management is a critical component. That’s why it’s so surprising that Oracle’s Agile solution doesn’t incorporate PDM tools. Oracle has chosen to use its separate Product Master Data Management Cloud for many of the capabilities traditionally found in a PLM/PDM solution. The Product Master Data Management platform is powerful, and it is designed to enforce governance and compliance across multiple systems and data models – but you need both solutions to get the functionality included in a single Windchill license.
Windchill includes the built-in product data management tools that you expect in your PLM software.
Licensing and Cost
To get the full range of capabilities in Agile, companies must license up to 16 separate modules, ranging from Data governance and Compliance to Product Portfolio Management to Engineering Data Management. Also, you need to select separate modules for any process manufacturing aspects of the business. License fees range from a low of $2,995 per user for Product Quality Management to a whopping $6,995 per user for Engineering Data Management. If you need collaboration, or distributed file management, that starts at $75,000 per processor. None of these prices includes maintenance and support, and all were published on Oracle’s website as of July 26, 2020.
PTC Windchill has three options: base, advanced, and premium starting as low as $263 per license per year with additional module add on options. When it comes to licensing simplicity and cost comparisons, Windchill vs Agile is no contest.
Windchill is easier to license and much more cost-effective for equivalent functionality.
Quality
Windchill includes extensive quality management functionality including CAPA (Corrective Action / Preventive Action) to ensure that quality issues are identified, resolved, and rectified quickly. It provides instant visibility to issues and ensures that the team never loses sight of a problem until it’s been resolved, and the fix has been fully implemented. Quality management is an integral part of Windchill.
Oracle Agile has a separate Product Quality Management module, which you can purchase at an additional cost. Again, if you have process manufacturing in addition to discrete, you need to choose between the two separate quality modules Oracle offers as part of the Agile product line.
Platform
There is no question that Oracle has one of the most successful databases in history, and Agile makes full use of it both in the Oracle Cloud and on-premise. Windchill also runs in the cloud or on-premise. Sounds like they’re equivalent until you realize that Windchill was originally designed as an Internet-based PLM system back in 2001 while Agile was an on-premise application. The first cloud-capable version of Agile was released in 2017. So, if you are looking to push your digital transformation forward and lower reliance on IT, then Windchill is probably the better choice.
Industries Served
Oracle services many industries, including:
- Banking and Insurance
- Communications
- Engineering and Construction
- Food and Beverage
- Healthcare
- Hospitality
- Life Sciences
- Public Sector
- Retail
- Utilities
There is a flavor of either Agile or another of Oracle’s PDM solutions for nearly every one of these industries.
PTC focuses solely on the manufacturing industry, with specific expertise in:
- Aerospace & Defense
- Automotive
- Electronics & High-Tech
- Industrial Machinery
- Life Sciences
- Oil & Gas
- Retail & Consumer Products
Both Agile and Windchill have tools to serve a range of industries.
Which PLM Software is Better in the Windchill vs Agile Comparison?
There is little doubt that both Agile and Windchill are among the top contenders in the PLM category. Both parent companies are financially strong and have long histories of successful product innovations and customer success. Both understand the manufacturing industry well, although Oracle fields products for many other industries while PTC’s has a continued commitment to manufacturing.
However, since one of the primary reasons to invest in PLM is to manage product life cycles to maximize profitability, sustainability, and quality while minimizing costs, finding the most cost-effective PLM solution that still meets the requirements should be a key factor in the search. Windchill is as functionally rich as Agile while being vastly more cost-effective. When it comes to cost, Windchill vs Agile is no contest. Windchill wins.
Want to learn more about how the Windchill platform can improve your product lifecycle management? Interested in a demo? Just want more information on PLM? Contact us today.
