PTC Removing functionality when upgrading?

Question

I have watched several upgrades of PDMLink and ProE/Creo where PTC makes some good enhancements between versions. What I don't understand is why the excitement of those benefits are all too often mitigated by the user finding userful functionality removed. The overall effect is that the user feels that they did not make much progress. In one are something is speed up, but in another it is slowed down.

This thread could just as easily be posted under "Creo" but we are working on an upgrade from PDMLink 9.1 to 10.1 so Windchill is most on the mind.

Don't get me wrong, there have been some good improvements, but on the other, we have found some functionality that adds steps and slows down getting our work done. This just gets frustraiting because it sometime seems like the software update takes us 2 steps forward and then 1 step back. I don't want our updates to ever take us backward.

It is true that the needs of each company are very diverse and this undoubtedly makes software developement challanging. This is why I think that the more diverse the need is, the greater the flexibility that the software must have to serve its need. The more flexibility that the user can control the better.

Can you help me understand why useful functionality must disappear with updates?

Can I/we help PTC understand why it is important to not remove functionality as they add new functionality?

JennDCortez · Answer

Adding wood to the fire...Unfortunately, our recent evaluation of 10.1 revealed the same issue. Functionality was removed in the "import from spreadsheet" function. Softtype attribute/field updates are not supported via the import spreadsheet. The estimated impact is huge considering this example: in 9.0 we can update 3000 objects with a soft type attribute in one import spreadsheet. In 10.1 each object will have to be updated individually with an estimated time of 1 minute per object or 50 hours. Expecting to utilize Windchill for additional engineering and manufacturing efforts increases the scope of work outside the contractual estimated hours rendering the application undesireable. Our Windchill is integrated with our procurement system (you know "distribution targets") which requires the additional attributes. The removal of functionality in this use case is baffeling considering the sweet design offered in Distribution Target functionality.

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