Title: Moving Agile PLM Users to the Cloud: 5 Ways to Ensure User Adoption

Author: Tom Shoemaker, VP of Product Marketing (Propel Software)

Moving Agile PLM Users to the Cloud: 5 Ways to Ensure User Adoption
With these strategies, businesses can ensure a smooth transition off Agile PLM and achieve widespread user adoption of their new cloud solution.

The PLM landscape is on the cusp of a sea change—and it all depends on how Oracle Agile PLM users decide to steer the ship.

Oracle's recent end-of-life announcement for Agile PLM is a pivotal moment that calls for a decisive shift toward cloud-based solutions.

Modern market demands emphasize the importance of agility, seamless integration, and the pursuit of innovation. The transition from Agile PLM is therefore more than an upgrade—it's a vital step towards embracing a future-proofed, technologically advanced operational framework, ensuring that businesses remain competitive and adaptable in the face of rapidly evolving market demands.

Of course, transitioning away from a beloved 20-year-old system like Oracle Agile PLM requires careful planning to ensure broad user adoption.

Here are the top five ways to maximize adoption and get the most out of your PLM investment.

#5. Embrace the Cloud Transition as an Opportunity

The move to cloud PLM should be viewed not (just) as a necessity but as a strategic opportunity to enhance your business operations. It’s not about if you should go to the cloud but about maximizing the value once you're there.

This mindset shift opens the door to numerous benefits for Agile PLM users. Here's how the move can significantly impact your operations:

• Enhanced Collaboration: Cloud platforms such as Propel PLM enable real-time collaboration organization-wide, breaking down “front office” and “back office” barriers.
• Scalability: Easily scale your operations up or down based on current business needs without significant upfront investments.
• Innovation at Speed: Rapid deployment of new features and functionalities to stay ahead in the market.
• Reduced IT Overhead: Minimize the cost and complexity of on-premise IT maintenance and upgrades.
• Data Security and Compliance: Benefit from advanced security protocols and compliance standards inherent in cloud solutions.

#4. Highlight the Accessibility and Usability of Modern Solutions

One of the key benefits of moving to a cloud-based system like Propel PLM is the democratization of access. Although many people who use Agile love it, the interface has become less and less intuitive for new users coming in. Therefore, the number of people that use Agile versus the number of people that could use Agile has become significantly different.

Propel's intuitive design and seamless integration capabilities mean more employees can use the PLM system, not just a specialized few. This wider adoption translates into more significant benefits across the organization, from engineering to sales, from concept to customer.

#3. Communicate the Immediate and Long-Term Value

Focus on the "time to value" – how quickly users can see benefits from the new system. Propel’s user-friendly interface and comprehensive features ensure that users quickly feel confident and competent, encouraging wider and more enthusiastic adoption.

For instance, when Savant Systems replaced Agile with Propel, they were able to use detailed sales and product data to optimize customized sales programs, leading to a 35% revenue increase in two years—all with minimal resource additions. Not to mention the more than 1,000 hours saved in customer service by extending self-service tools to reduce calls significantly, allowing expansion into new markets and channels without increasing staff.

#2. Leverage a More Stable and Mature Platform

The very reason Propel was founded was to craft the most advanced, extensible cloud PLM solution on the market. That’s nine years of dedicated development, standing in stark contrast to Oracle's cloud offering, which may appear to some more as a reactionary measure to maintain market relevance.

This focused approach has allowed Propel to not only pioneer but also perfect a platform that's inherently designed for the cloud era. Unlike Oracle, which is adapting existing frameworks to a cloud model, Propel's foundation in cloud technology ensures a more stable, mature, and forward-thinking solution, tailor-made to meet the evolving needs of modern businesses.

This distinction underscores Propel's commitment to innovation, reliability, and user satisfaction, making it the preferred choice for companies aiming to stay ahead and stay competitive in a rapidly evolving consumer market.

#1. Consider a Failproof Solution with Propel

Ultimately, to mitigate any concerns from users, your best bet is a solution designed to reduce your risk when leaving Agile and to guarantee user adoption.

The Propel platform is designed for high usability, broader adoption, and seamless integration, making it the superior choice for businesses transitioning from Agile PLM.

Propel not only facilitates an easy adoption process but also offers a system where more users can access and benefit from the tool, maximizing the value of your PLM investment.

1. User-Friendly Interface: Propel's design prioritizes ease of use, significantly reducing the learning curve for new users and ensuring faster adoption across teams. This emphasis on user experience facilitates smoother transitions from traditional systems to Propel's modern interface.
2. Advanced Integration: Propel stands out for its ability to integrate seamlessly with a wide array of other cloud services. This capability enhances operational efficiency by allowing businesses to create a more interconnected and automated ecosystem, streamlining workflows and data exchange.
3. Perpetual Innovation: With Propel, users benefit from regular updates that introduce the latest features and improvements without the need for disruptive system overhauls. This approach ensures that businesses always have access to the most advanced tools and capabilities, keeping them ahead of the curve.
4. Robust Security: Security is a top priority for Propel, which incorporates state-of-the-art security features to safeguard data in the cloud. These measures provide peace of mind for businesses, ensuring that their sensitive information is protected against emerging threats.
5. Continuous Product Thread: Propel isn’t just a PLM solution, it’s a product value management (PVM) solution. This means Propel offers complete integration with QMS and PIM, so companies can achieve the dream of a truly continuous digital thread, foster collaboration from concept to customer, and drive competitive advantage in an increasingly digital world.
   
   

Conclusion

Ensuring user adoption is pivotal, acting as the gateway to the expansive benefits that Propel PLM offers Agile users. But it's not merely about adapting to a new system; it's about embracing a platform that elevates operational capabilities, fosters innovation, and ensures competitiveness in the rapidly evolving market. High user adoption amplifies these benefits, making the transition to Propel not just a strategic move but a necessary evolution to avoid obsolescence.

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About Propel Software
Propel Software transforms the way product companies work. By connecting product and commercial teams with Propel, businesses drive process efficiencies to speed time to market, improve product quality, and increase profit margins. Propel’s partnership with Zero Wait-State ensures smooth implementations, integrations, and data migrations for product companies by offering access to ZWS’ cross-functional business process consultants and PLM experts.