Aras Innovator 10 Makes PLM Easier With Customization

Aras has updated its Open Source Innovator software with the release of Innovator 10. It is Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) software with a difference, since it provides to businesses of all shapes and sizes ultimate accessibility. Innovator 10 also takes a unique approach to PLM management with a variety of different apps, which keep track of every step in the product lifecycle so that companies can manage their innovations effectively.

PLM software has been pointed at engineers and manufacturers who must keep track of a wealth of product information in real-time. However, I can see Innovator 10 keeping track of projects of all types, possibly even using it as an artistic collaboration tool. Organization is the key to success.

The Aras Innovator 10 code can be downloaded and altered from Aras's website. Subscriptions can be purchased for continual support and program updates. The first thing that makes Innovator 10 unique, besides being open source, is its quick installation time -- that is if you have the system requirements.

Unfortunately for the open source community, the program is highly Windows-dependent since it requires a Microsoft SQL database (version 2012 or 2008 R2), Microsoft .NET 4.0, and MS Windows Server. The platform is compatible with Windows 7 or 8 and Mac OS Lion and above. It is easily cloud-enabled and can be accessed by using Firefox as a client. You can also use Internet Explorer.

The Firefox client-based accessibility allows for a wealth of drag-and-drop features and buttons, so eliminating the need to code in the way of previous PLM software. Innovator 10 also makes life even easier for code novices by incorporating an Open Office style, which makes creating documents and relaying information easy and codeless.

The newer version is supposed to work faster, with a leaner amount of code and leaner system requirements. The cloud software also makes for instant scalability, since the platform can scale from 100 to over 1 million users who can easily update product information via the Firefox client from anywhere in the world. Innovator 10 also keeps track of a wealth of complex data. Documents can be uploaded and easily managed. Whether it's in the form of engineering data, safety compliance data, or project management specs, Innovator 10 makes it easy to update information and keep track of all projects and users.

The red, green, and yellow stop-light coding also allows project managers to look easily at which projects and users are on-time, on-budget, and on-point. The software is even able to keep track of customer requirements and feedback to ensure that the delivered product is up to spec.

To prove a point, tinkerer Dennis Lindinger coupled Aras Innovator 10 with the Raspberry Pi to demonstrate the real-world capabilities of the platform on the shop floor. He used Raspberry Pi as a client to Innovator 10, so that it could access and display data. The shop floor worker used a bar code scanner, which prompted Raspberry Pi to access the correct data for that product or part. Raspberry Pi would give instructions to the worker on how to complete the product. Then the worker could upload a serial number for the completed product.

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