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IBM Engineering Workflow Management vs IBM Rational Synergy [EOL] comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

IBM Engineering Workflow Ma...
Average Rating
6.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.2
Number of Reviews
18
Ranking in other categories
Software Configuration Management (4th), Enterprise Agile Planning Tools (10th)
IBM Rational Synergy [EOL]
Average Rating
3.0
Number of Reviews
1
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Featured Reviews

Manoj Sajjan - PeerSpot reviewer
Technical Lead at Microgenesis Techsoft Private limited
Manages complex workflows effectively and offers valuable features
My name is Sofia from PeerSpot regarding my experience with IBM Engineering Workflow Management. It is a leading review site. The solution is very easy to trace. My company name is MicroGenesis TechSoft Private Limited, and my title is Technical Lead. I am interested in being a reference for this vendor. PeerSpot will create an account and email login credentials. The review will be published in written and/or audio format on peerspot.com and made available to other users. PeerSpot will email a link to the written review for editing at any time. The review may be available to third parties on third-party websites. For anonymous reviews, names will not appear. Email notifications relevant to the review are optional and can be opted out at any time. The use of reviews is subject to PeerSpot's terms of use at peerspot.com/tos. On a scale of 1-10, I rate IBM Engineering Workflow Management a 10.
OA
Software Methodology Engineer at a transportation company with 10,001+ employees
Users must go through a lot of steps to properly manipulate this solution, which can interrupt workflows and cause unnecessary downtime
We are required to use this tool by DO-178 guidance. We have to use a configuration management tool and this is the one we have been using. People see this tool more like a constraint than a benefit. Users really have to know how to use this tool and how to set the baseline functionalities for their case. The user must go through a lot of steps to properly manipulate this solution, which can interrupt workflows and cause unnecessary downtime. Synergy requires user training and development. It's not user-friendly. You have to perform a lot of manipulations; it's a bit archaic. Some people are reluctant to use this tool because they are familiar with and proficient in using Windows Explorer to navigate through directories and use WinZip to archive data. It is not a very good tool for document management. I would rate this solution a three out of ten because it's an old tool. It was a good tool 15 years ago. To get a ten out of ten I would need to see a more integrated user-friendly tool and it should be competitively priced as it is it's too expensive. I don't recommend using it because it's obsolete.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"There is a value in certain things like traceability, from high level requirements to low level requirements, to a test case, to a test plan, to a work item, to a change request, which is very essential to have for any OEM trying to not just create data, but also enable tracing."
"Backlog management is a valuable feature."
"Plans clearly represent the team's availability with load balance, if any."
"It’s not cheap, but it is worth the price."
"The best features of this solution are its task management capabilities and integration options, and IBM Engineering Workflow Management provides excellent flexibility and collaborative tools."
"All of the features work together to provide a powerful holistic solution - from the dashboard all the way through to security."
"Agile templates give us a standard methodology for every Agile project. Also, the ability to create our own object types and linkages to features/epics allows us to enhance the verification of feature readiness."
"The strong links between work-item tickets and change-sets have enabled simple reporting of changes to software, adding business value by reducing time-to-market."
"Managing source code, tracking modifications, and being able to analyze evolutions of source code are the most valuable features."
 

Cons

"Teams need clearer pictures of resource availability in charts and dashboards along with plans."
"Customer service is good but not excellent."
"Upgrades, even minor versions, seem too labour intensive, especially with the enhanced objects, which is why the Jazz platform should be so good."
"Unfortunately, the solution is very heavily vendor dependent."
"Improved graphics in terms of metrics and connectivity to SharePoint from Microsoft products would be beneficial."
"Permission logic is a big issue as it is very difficult to provide permissions at individual level."
"IBM Engineering Workflow Management can be improved by enhancing its pricing structure, specifically the cost and licensing of this solution."
"It's becoming less relevant. For example, Maven has evolved, and in its later versions, there are plugins for integrating with source control systems, such as Git-based systems. Support for these plugins is diminishing."
"I'd like to see more integration with respect to requirement management, though this is not possible with this Synergy solution. I know that PTC enables this feature as well as Polarion. We need to have full trustworthiness and accountability in knowing that the tool will track every modification from specification through to the source code, with Synergy this isn't possible. The solution requires additional tools like rectify, desktop system solutions, to enable trustability between requirements, from one specification to another."
"I don't recommend using it because it's obsolete."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It is not a free tool. We use a token-based licensing model, which is specific to IBM. The cost per token is around $115-$120."
"Licensing: The solution cost is high and should be brought down to increase competition."
"It's an expensive investment to make, so the decision should be driven on individual requirements."
"I've heard IBM Engineering Workflow Management is more expensive than other tools."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
14%
Government
12%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Construction Company
8%
No data available
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business3
Midsize Enterprise5
Large Enterprise9
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with IBM Engineering Workflow Management?
IBM Engineering Workflow Management can be improved by enhancing its pricing structure, specifically the cost and licensing of this solution.
What is your primary use case for IBM Engineering Workflow Management?
The typical use case for IBM Engineering Workflow Management is to streamline project management and ensure efficient workflow.
What advice do you have for others considering IBM Engineering Workflow Management?
My name is Sofia from PeerSpot regarding my experience with IBM Engineering Workflow Management. It is a leading review site. The solution is very easy to trace. My company name is MicroGenesis Tec...
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Also Known As

IBM Rational Team Concert (IBM ALM), IBM RTC
IBM Synergy, Rational Synergy
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Telstra Corporation, Visteon, Atos SE, Panasonic Automotive Systems, IBM Global Technology Services, CareCore National, JTEKT Corp., ItaÒ BBA, Avea, CACEIS, Danske Bank Group, APIS IT
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