Quality control is one of the most consequential aspects of manufacturing. We’ve seen all too many times what kind of brand damage a product recall or negative reviews can inflict on a company’s public image. This is why Quality Management System (QMS) software is a must-have in the modern manufacturing plant. A QMS solution can accommodate all your quality assurance requirements, ranging from risk mitigation to safety compliance. The market for QMS software is expected to nearly triple between 2024 and 2034—reaching a US$13.11 billion valuation.
ABI Research recently conducted a competitive assessment for 19 QMS vendors to provide an unbiased list of the leading solutions in 2024. This blog post compares the 5 best QMS software from the assessment.
Table of Contents
Table 1: Analysis of the Top Five QMS Software Products
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QMS Software |
Key Features |
Strengths |
Unique Aspects |
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ETQ Reliance |
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Dassault Systèmes |
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Siemens |
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PTC Arena QMS |
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Plex Smart Manufacturing |
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1. ETQ Reliance
ETQ was ranked the top QMS software company in ABI Research’s competitive assessment. The Hexagon-acquired vendor offers a cloud-based Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution called Reliance. One of the biggest strengths of the QMS solution is its no-code, drag-and-drop functionality, which enables manufacturers of all software experience levels to get up and running in no time.
Quality assurance professionals can expect robust data analytics capabilities with ETQ’s QMS software. Users can use a variety of dashboards and data analytics overlays that source information across the value chain—from manufacturing to supplier quality compliance. While Artificial Intelligence (AI) capabilities are currently limited to data classification/categorization, ETQ’s QMS portfolio is expected to add new AI functionalities in late 2024 and 2025.
The Burlington, Massachusetts-based vendor makes it easy for quality managers to implement the QMS solution. Besides the no-code functionality, Reliance is scalable due to its cloud design. It can also be easily integrated alongside other enterprise software, such as Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platforms.
While the overall leader in the competitive assessment, ETQ has a lower innovation ranking than Intellect and Dassault Systèmes. This was driven by a lack of notable AI capabilities and a marginally weaker demonstration of new innovative functionality when compared with the other two market leaders.
Further Reading: Artificial Intelligence in Quality Assurance: A Manufacturer’s Perspective
2. Dassault Systèmes
Dassault Systèmes is the next best QMS software supplier based on our competitive ranking. The French company offers a robust portfolio under its 3DEXPERIENCE platform, integrating QMS software with Computer-Aided Design (CAD) (e.g., CATIA/SOLIDWORKS), PLM (e.g., ENOVIA), and other tools like SIMULIA and DELMIA. Its QMS solutions are tailored for specific industries, such as License to Cure for life sciences, providing a comprehensive approach to quality assurance and management. The software's structured content authoring and Machine Learning (ML) capabilities streamline document creation and ensure consistency.
Dassault's QMS solution supports both cloud-based and on-premises deployments, offering strong out-of-the-box functionalities and seamless integrations with third-party systems. This flexibility and extensive support ecosystem make it suitable for both Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and large enterprises. Quality control inspectors will appreciate utilizing pre-packaged dashboards designed for specific manufacturing processes and verticals.
3. Siemens Teamcenter
Third in the competitive assessment is German tech juggernaut Siemens, which offers Teamcenter Quality and Opcenter Quality as its QMS solutions. The Mendix low-code application development platform makes it easy for manufacturers to match a QMS application with any business need. Users can either use Siemens’ out-of-the-box application offerings and templates or build applications from the ground up. Our analysts state that Siemens offers a superior partnership ecosystem compared to many top QMS vendors
Teamcenter Quality allows manufacturers to configure quality assurance strategies via features like Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) authoring, control and inspection plans, and audit and assessment management. Siemens’ QMS capabilities are enhanced by its Opcenter Quality modules, which are aimed at the quality control side of quality management, data collection, inspection documenting, and process control. Using Teamcenter Quality and Opcenter Quality together provides end-to-end quality control throughout the production process and supply chain.
Siemens offers strong AI/Machine Learning (ML) support for its QMS software, with Insights Hub Quality Prediction being a standout example. Insights Hub Quality Prediction leverages ML models to identify correlations between production processes and product quality. That way, manufacturers can be more proactive with asset maintenance and process modification.
It’s also worth noting that the Supplier Quality Hub in Opcenter notifies users when a supplier is experiencing part defects. As a result, quality issues can be identified and resolved quickly on the shared cloud QMS platform.
4. PTC Arena
Boston-based PTC was the fourth-ranked QMS software company in ABI Research’s competitive assessment. Arena QMS, a cloud-native SaaS product, accounts for various manufacturing verticals. However, it mainly targets electronic high-tech markets such as medical devices, consumer electronics, and aerospace & defense.
Users of PTC’s QMS offering are provided with a closed-loop quality management process because product design is tied directly to quality records. Quality control of the entire product lifecycle is achieved, providing maximum traceability throughout production and the supply chain.
Arena QMS currently lacks native AI embedment, although the company plans to introduce this capability at some point. While native AI is lacking, PTC has close partnerships with leading AI vendors to enable manufacturers to integrate any third-party AI functionality they seek. Furthermore, PTC offers customers competitive deployment times compared to other vendors, supported by the company’s comprehensive customer success organization, 24/7 global support, training programs, and robust partnership network.
Like some of the other QMS offerings evaluated, Arena QMS can be integrated with many third-party enterprise software. In addition to pre-configured dashboards/templates, PTC offers customers competitive deployment times compared to other vendors, supported by the company’s comprehensive customer success organization, 24/7 global support, training programs, and robust partnership network. This ensures a smooth QMS software implementation process.
5. Plex
Plex rounds out the list of the top five best QMS software providers. The company offers a low-code platform that allows manufacturers to customize screens, dashboards, and application functionality on a cloud-native SaaS platform. Plex QMS can address a wide range of quality control challenges because it was acquired by Rockwell Automation in 2021 and has access to the extensive manufacturing software solutions from Rockwell Automation. Traceability can be pinned down to the component level across discrete and process industries, ensuring compliance with various regulatory bodies (e.g., the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Failure Mode Engineering Analysis (FMEA), and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO)).
Depending on your company’s quality assurance requirements, Plex QMS is segmented into four different tiers: Core QMS, Advanced QMS, Supplier QMS, and Total QMS. Plex uses an enterprise framework model that generates tailored templates with common processes. This enables manufacturers to painlessly scale up the QMS solution to other locations when needed.
A Closer Look at the Best QMS Software
As manufacturers’ quality control needs continue to expand, ABI Research stands at the forefront of the QMS market. Our Industrial & Manufacturing Technologies research analysts cover the top QMS software offerings, investment expectations for QMS solutions, and the latest technology advancements in quality management. For a deeper look at the top QMS solutions, read Selecting the Right Quality Management System Software Provider for Your Company.
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