Codebeamer Reviews

We are a solution provider and as a consultant, I have evaluated codeBeamer ALM for some of our clients. One of our clients is using this solution to work on medical products, and we have other clients such as telecoms who provide services.

The features related to metrics are very useful. These are available in other products, but in codeBeamer, they are very simple to use. You can track the metrics in the Agile dashboard very easily.

The connectivity in terms of the lifecycle from inception to end is very good. 

You should be able to combine multiple parameters in a single gadget, and you should be able to retrieve that particular value. For example, if a feature is in support, we want to understand things like how many days it has been there, how many users have searched for it, and so on, for a specific period of time. Being able to track how many days it has been in support is important, but there might be a lot of these different parameters. Having a single value generated would be helpful for tracking.

During the initial setup, I did not see any documentation to assist users with the steps that are required to get started.

I would like to see more, easily trackable reports. Ultimately, I would like to see real-time data, real-time reports, and real-time data analytics.

I have found the technical support to be good, although the length of time you will wait for response depends on the complexity or difficulty of the issue. For simple activities they will do some research and get back to you, and with something of medium difficulty they will take a few extra minutes. However, for complex issues, they will take a lot of time.

I have taken courses on Micro Focus ALM Quality Center, but have not used it for more than two years. I find that codeBeamer ALM is easier to use.

I have also used Jira and I find it to be a very simple tool. If you want functionality then you have to buy other gadgets to do it. Another drawback with Jira is that you have to write SQL queries, which people don't have time for.

I found the initial setup to be easy, but I know these tools very well. I would say that the process is straightforward, although I did not see any documentation. For a new user, they have to follow a lot of steps and it is harder without instructions.

Initially, this product used to be deployed on-premises. For the past four years, it is normally deployed on a public cloud, although for some high-security users, it is deployed on a private cloud. Our customer who works on medical products keeps everything on-premises because they don't want to risk their data being exposed. The telecoms prefer a cloud deployment because with the bulk of their data in the cloud, they have easy access to all of the details from around the globe.

I do not see any problem with the cost. It is reasonably priced and in accordance with the industry standards.

When it came time to evaluate ALM solutions for some of our clients, codeBeamer ALM was the one that we chose. I have implemented small projects for evaluation purposes to ensure that it meets their needs.

Overall, I have about 16 years of experience in Agile processes, and about 10 years of experience with ALM products. I am CSM/CSPO certified and work with Agile a lot, which has put in a good position to evaluate these products.

My advice to anybody who is implementing codeBeamer is to make sure to understand what data is needed from multiple ends. You need to use the concept of data warehousing and BI reports.

I find it very simple and easy to use, but there are several areas in need of improvement.

I would rate this solution a six out of ten.