Propel Reviews & Product Details

Propel is most important to me since it enhances coherence and order in product operations. All tasks and updates are connected with the responsible team member, and the high feature base provides efficient progress monitoring and recording the decisions. The regular usage has made it the core of keeping all teams in the right track and regular usage makes sure that tasks, approval and updates are done in time. This has enhanced coordination and errors in our product lifecycle have been minimized. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

As far as I am concerned, not all high tech workflow environments may be easy to install. A high number of features is flexible but when inconsistency occurs in the application by team members gaps or mistakes are realized. Due to the daily use of the platform, even minor misunderstandings can have an impact on several product improvements. Different departments also require customization of dashboards or views, which is an added time hence slight slow operations of teams. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

The most important feature I think, is the workflow visibility; I can clearly see who is next in line, who has already completed approval of a certain item, etc. and who is dragging their feet. Before we were using a system of files everywhere, and we never knew which version of anything was current, and it was always a huge headache. Being cloud-based allows me to access it via my phone while I am on the floor, or when I’m away from my desk, which I thought I would never end up doing, but I do. At the end of a long day, I’m simply happy that we are no longer wasting time finding duplicate files, and figuring out which version of something we should be using. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Setting it up takes longer than you’d ever think. Also, a minor pet peeve, but a real pet peeve – you can’t really attach additional links or supporting documentation to each step of a workflow, as I would like to. It’s a small thing, but I continue to run into it. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I find Propel to be very useful once you're trained and know the ins and outs of it. It's very easy to use and provides good alerts. We use it for tracking expirations of equipment and calibrations, which helps us stay in compliance and make sure tools are ready at the right time. It also alerts us when deviations expire. This email alert system is more efficient than a calendar system because it lets us know when a calibration is about to expire so we can schedule accordingly and keep records up to date. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

The attachment system for attaching documents is a little hokey in my opinion. For our users to view items, they often have to go through several different portals or links in a sense. There are some limitations with using the mobile device, or we use iPad or tablet-like devices here for viewing things. And so there are some limitations using those. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

The element that I appreciate the most is that Propel has made responsibility and ownership of tasks transparent. I often use it in my position as a coordinator of product launches to keep track of the different people responsible to do every bit of the work such as certification approval and launch progress. It is simple to view the status of each item due to its wide capabilities surrounding task reminders and version logs. As it is something that we use on a regular basis, the platform simplifies the confusion, stays the projects on the timeline and makes everyone in various departments responsible. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

A weakness I have observed is that task dependencies are not always easy to visualise where the product line is large. Although the workflow and approval tracking features are rather powerful, it takes additional effort to see how different items are related to each other. Due to the frequency of use, this can make planning periods slow where coordinating different teams is required which would need clarifications and follow-ups. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

The most notable aspect of Propel to me is that it enhances collaboration better than any other thing. I do use it on a regular basis since updates on the products can be seen by all the parties concerned. The Salesforce integration makes the sales trust the data they are working with. Although it contains many features, the concentration on interdependent workflows actually helps my business to be on track and minimize delays in the implementation of products. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

One aspect that I would like to dislike about Propel is the fact that some processes are too fixed. As our business requirements vary, modifying workflows in implementation may be time consuming. I also find the system slow when handling huge updates, as this influences my decision to use it on a particular day when I am busy. They do not stop our process, but do slow down the momentum and in some cases cause little delays in deliveries. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

It provides a well-organized database for documentation, review and approval, training, and change order workflows. It can take some getting use to, but overall not difficult to navigate for frequent use. Implementation went fairly smooth transitioning from one PLM to Propel. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

The sign off features are a little cumbersome, typically creating a pop up window in order to complete the sign off. Linking of the training module and ensuring recurrence was a little confusing with the use of training plans versus training assignments. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

The fact that Propel has a centralization of our product documentation and feedback loops has been game changer in our small fast moving startup. The fact that it enables us to directly relate customer feature requests to development work is something that I like very much. It also makes boarding new people to our product roadmap much easier. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Field engineers could have a stronger mobile interface of quick updates. Also, as the main functionality is good, I should like more easy integrations with ourselves niche CAD software. The first installation of the custom workflow was a little more engaged than expected. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

My favourite part about Propel is that it is able to monitor the progress and team activity of the project in the same location. I refer to it on the daily basis to update on the tasks, check milestones, and ensure that nothing slips through. Notifications allow me to remain informed on the changes without having to be actively informed back and forth. The features concern things that are actually important and by consistently using it, it has made team work easier and I would plan my day more easily. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

The first one is that Propel could become a little claustrophobic when dealing with several projects with overlapping schedules. I usually have to manage to do the tasks manually by adapting them to changes, which makes the work slow down in the hectic weeks. These limitations appear regularly since I use it on a daily basis. Though it has been developed to manage standard project tracking quite well, times of heavy updates or change of focus are at times cumbersome than it should be. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

The aspect of Propel that I like the most is that it will keep us focused whenever we have to change product details or release them. I work on it within Salesforce, and nothing can be considered out of place with our usual work. It maintains a regular flow of updates and prevents things going down the cracks. That foundation has enabled hectic days to be a lot more manageable. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What annoys me sometimes about Propel is that some minor tasks may become more lengthy due to the additional navigating that is required. Those minor distractions disrupt our flow when the team is running fast. It has not been causing great problems but the extra effort is reflected on the peak working hours and release tightness. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I think the advantage of not having to haul a heavy laptop is that it works via cloud if the wifi isn't down; it also stores all our BOMs in the same spot and instead of me searching through ten different folders to locate a single part number. Additionally it integrates well with our cad tools as it allows us to lock files so that no one can overwrite someone else's work which is reassuring. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Once a user accidentally uploaded their desktop wallpaper and icons into the system and we were unable to reverse the action, therefore we were forced to totally wipe the system and begin again, it was a terrible experience. The user interface is rigid as it has a "made by engineers for robots" feel to it and rather than an interface built for humans with eyes. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.