I would rate IBM Engineering Lifecycle Management (ELM) eight out of ten overall, but it is of course difficult to tell compared to what. If it is compared to tools for advanced requirements management, then it is even higher. However, if it is compared to the general industry average needs, then it is probably too much. My overall review rating for this product is eight out of ten.
On a scale of one to ten, I would rate IBM Engineering Lifecycle Management (ELM) between five to seven. It is essential for IBM to focus on integrating its various tools into one cohesive tool to prevent losing customers. I would recommend IBM Engineering Lifecycle Management (ELM) to others because, at the end of the day, the IBM tools were not bad. However, IBM needs to change the perception that customers are only cash cows, as it is detrimental to their relationship. If IBM doesn't address this, it may lose more customers in the future. I am a registered developer and have been working as a managing director for six years.
Product Owner at a manufacturing company with 201-500 employees
Real User
Top 20
Feb 16, 2024
We do not create software. We started two years ago. We have separate disciplines. Our internal support team escalates things to the external support team. I'm not happy with IBM Rational ALM. People who want to use the product must compare functions and prices before they choose it. They must test it properly. Overall, I rate the product a five out of ten.
I recommend the tool to others. Someone with a team of more than 20 members must use the tool. I'm a consultant. Overall, I rate the solution a nine out of ten.
I would recommend this product. I would suggest working on all the major collaborative platforms where the entire project people want to collaborate and work at one location and want to store the data in one place and share it. Overall, I would rate the solution a nine out of ten.
Learn what your peers think about IBM Engineering Lifecycle Management (ELM). Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: December 2025.
Senior Architect at a computer software company with 5,001-10,000 employees
Real User
Jul 24, 2023
We have around 300 developers already working on this product. IBM Rational ALM is the best tool in the market for anyone looking for an end-to-end solution for the ALM platform. Overall, I rate IBM Rational ALM a nine out of ten.
We have approximately 12 specialists that maintain this solution. The application is good, but it requires a team with a clear concept to successfully implement it. It's not easy to just launch it without a clear direction. The tool itself is good, but it's important to have a team that understands the client's needs and has a clear plan for the development process in order to set up the application according to those needs. I rate IBM Rational ALM an eight out of ten.
Associate QA Engineer at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Sep 12, 2022
I would tell potential users that they can implement IBM Rational ALM. It is scalable, usable, and reliable. It is also user-friendly and can be used with any browser. On a scale from one to ten, I would give IBM Rational ALM an eight.
Tool Manager at a computer software company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Feb 10, 2022
My advice for anybody who is considering IBM ALM is that it's a little expensive, but it's good. It's very flexible and powerful for creating workflows. In fact, it's the best solution available for creating workflows. On the downside, the instability requires that you reboot it, once or twice per week. If this were improved then it would be great because this product is very good for implementing processes in your company. I would rate this solution a seven out of ten.
Engineering Quality Analyst at Visteon Corporation
Real User
Sep 28, 2021
If it is used the way it was designed to be used, it could be a higher grade, but it depends a lot on how people are using it. I would recommend this solution to others who are interested in using it. I would rate IBM Rational ALM a seven out of ten.
Applications Developer Specialist at a comms service provider with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Aug 13, 2020
My advice for anybody who is implementing IBM Rational ALM is to have the right balance of trained people. They need to know about the Agile framework, using the tool, and how to customize it. I would rate this solution an eight out of ten.
Technology Architect at a computer software company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Jan 5, 2020
This is one of the tools that helps us to add value to businesses by fine-tuning systems and assessing pain point areas. By identifying exactly what needs to be looked at, it helps people to bring down the load on the system. Basically, this solution gives us an overall picture of what is happening in the system. I would rate this solution an eight out of ten.
It's a good solution. It's comprehensive. The support is good. If you want to develop your own customized use cases there are better solutions than this one, like JIRA. I would rate it between a six and seven out of ten.
Software Product Manager at a computer software company with 11-50 employees
Real User
Sep 19, 2019
When giving a recommendation, I would say that if you are looking for stability, you have to go for this product. If you are concerned with usability and simplicity of the product, I would recommend Microsoft Team Foundation or JIRA instead. The problem is the complexity of the installation and it's not user-friendly regarding the usability. I would rate this tool as six out of ten, with a low rating due to the usability issues.
I implement the solution and I'm an IBM partner as well. For those considering implementing the solution, I'd advise when they're doing their planning, that they begin with the end in mind. Before they even start to consider the software, they should first know what they plan to achieve. They have to have a clear goal that they hope to achieve with the solution. Then they can build the tool. It will make it easier to implement and use. I'd rate the solution seven out of ten.
Consultant at a computer software company with 1-10 employees
Consultant
Sep 8, 2019
I was satisfied using this product because it has done what it was intended to do. It's user-friendly and technical support wasn't too bad. We used IBM Rational ALM as it was created by one of the leaders in the industry. Apparently it was not as difficult to use as some other products. On a scale from one to ten with one being the worst and ten being the best, I would personally rate this product as an eight of ten. If I gave it a ten it would mean that I was so satisfied that I wouldn't need any additional services and so on. It would be perfect. In my opinion, it is better to rate something like an eight or nine so that there is room for improvement Like anything, we had to learn how to set it up to make it useful for what we intended to have it do. Without optimization, it's more difficult and more complicated for inexperienced users to apply in a project. My advice is that if you are considering this as a solution, you should definitely try it because it is a good solution to use for time management and product lifecycle tracking without having to get very involved.
Applications Developer Specialist at a comms service provider with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Jun 12, 2018
The most important criteria when selecting a vendor are technical support, and, of course, the total value of ownership. In terms of advice, ultimately this is a tool. You have to change the process and train your people to utilize this tool. I would rate Rational ALM at eight out of 10. It covers the whole process of application lifecycle management, from requirements definition and management through the development process by planning Agile Scrums, by tracking the work items from their creation to closing, and it's integrated with RQM, the test management software. It covers the lifecycle, implementing Agile Scrum in a very powerful way.
IBM Engineering Lifecycle Management (ELM) offers an integrated platform with customizable workflows, Scrum planning tools, and resource management features, enhancing project execution and collaboration.ELM supports Agile and Scrum project management through its integration with tools like Git and IBM Doors, providing cataloging, traceability, and reporting capabilities. While users benefit from requirement management and dashboard functionalities, the interface and reporting could be...
I would rate IBM Engineering Lifecycle Management (ELM) eight out of ten overall, but it is of course difficult to tell compared to what. If it is compared to tools for advanced requirements management, then it is even higher. However, if it is compared to the general industry average needs, then it is probably too much. My overall review rating for this product is eight out of ten.
On a scale of one to ten, I would rate IBM Engineering Lifecycle Management (ELM) between five to seven. It is essential for IBM to focus on integrating its various tools into one cohesive tool to prevent losing customers. I would recommend IBM Engineering Lifecycle Management (ELM) to others because, at the end of the day, the IBM tools were not bad. However, IBM needs to change the perception that customers are only cash cows, as it is detrimental to their relationship. If IBM doesn't address this, it may lose more customers in the future. I am a registered developer and have been working as a managing director for six years.
I'd rate the solution seven out of ten.
We do not create software. We started two years ago. We have separate disciplines. Our internal support team escalates things to the external support team. I'm not happy with IBM Rational ALM. People who want to use the product must compare functions and prices before they choose it. They must test it properly. Overall, I rate the product a five out of ten.
I recommend the tool to others. Someone with a team of more than 20 members must use the tool. I'm a consultant. Overall, I rate the solution a nine out of ten.
I would recommend this product. I would suggest working on all the major collaborative platforms where the entire project people want to collaborate and work at one location and want to store the data in one place and share it. Overall, I would rate the solution a nine out of ten.
We have around 300 developers already working on this product. IBM Rational ALM is the best tool in the market for anyone looking for an end-to-end solution for the ALM platform. Overall, I rate IBM Rational ALM a nine out of ten.
I give the solution a four out of ten. I do not recommend this solution.
We have approximately 12 specialists that maintain this solution. The application is good, but it requires a team with a clear concept to successfully implement it. It's not easy to just launch it without a clear direction. The tool itself is good, but it's important to have a team that understands the client's needs and has a clear plan for the development process in order to set up the application according to those needs. I rate IBM Rational ALM an eight out of ten.
I would tell potential users that they can implement IBM Rational ALM. It is scalable, usable, and reliable. It is also user-friendly and can be used with any browser. On a scale from one to ten, I would give IBM Rational ALM an eight.
My advice for anybody who is considering IBM ALM is that it's a little expensive, but it's good. It's very flexible and powerful for creating workflows. In fact, it's the best solution available for creating workflows. On the downside, the instability requires that you reboot it, once or twice per week. If this were improved then it would be great because this product is very good for implementing processes in your company. I would rate this solution a seven out of ten.
If it is used the way it was designed to be used, it could be a higher grade, but it depends a lot on how people are using it. I would recommend this solution to others who are interested in using it. I would rate IBM Rational ALM a seven out of ten.
I rate IBM Rational ALM a seven out of ten.
My advice for anybody who is implementing IBM Rational ALM is to have the right balance of trained people. They need to know about the Agile framework, using the tool, and how to customize it. I would rate this solution an eight out of ten.
This is one of the tools that helps us to add value to businesses by fine-tuning systems and assessing pain point areas. By identifying exactly what needs to be looked at, it helps people to bring down the load on the system. Basically, this solution gives us an overall picture of what is happening in the system. I would rate this solution an eight out of ten.
It's a good solution. It's comprehensive. The support is good. If you want to develop your own customized use cases there are better solutions than this one, like JIRA. I would rate it between a six and seven out of ten.
When giving a recommendation, I would say that if you are looking for stability, you have to go for this product. If you are concerned with usability and simplicity of the product, I would recommend Microsoft Team Foundation or JIRA instead. The problem is the complexity of the installation and it's not user-friendly regarding the usability. I would rate this tool as six out of ten, with a low rating due to the usability issues.
I implement the solution and I'm an IBM partner as well. For those considering implementing the solution, I'd advise when they're doing their planning, that they begin with the end in mind. Before they even start to consider the software, they should first know what they plan to achieve. They have to have a clear goal that they hope to achieve with the solution. Then they can build the tool. It will make it easier to implement and use. I'd rate the solution seven out of ten.
I was satisfied using this product because it has done what it was intended to do. It's user-friendly and technical support wasn't too bad. We used IBM Rational ALM as it was created by one of the leaders in the industry. Apparently it was not as difficult to use as some other products. On a scale from one to ten with one being the worst and ten being the best, I would personally rate this product as an eight of ten. If I gave it a ten it would mean that I was so satisfied that I wouldn't need any additional services and so on. It would be perfect. In my opinion, it is better to rate something like an eight or nine so that there is room for improvement Like anything, we had to learn how to set it up to make it useful for what we intended to have it do. Without optimization, it's more difficult and more complicated for inexperienced users to apply in a project. My advice is that if you are considering this as a solution, you should definitely try it because it is a good solution to use for time management and product lifecycle tracking without having to get very involved.
The most important criteria when selecting a vendor are technical support, and, of course, the total value of ownership. In terms of advice, ultimately this is a tool. You have to change the process and train your people to utilize this tool. I would rate Rational ALM at eight out of 10. It covers the whole process of application lifecycle management, from requirements definition and management through the development process by planning Agile Scrums, by tracking the work items from their creation to closing, and it's integrated with RQM, the test management software. It covers the lifecycle, implementing Agile Scrum in a very powerful way.