Introduction
IBM Jazz Platform and Polarion are both very powerful tools when it comes to managing the complexities of modern software development and product lifecycle management. They excel in facilitating collaboration among cross-functional teams, ensuring transparency and alignment throughout the development process. They both consist of a set of applications for individual stages of the product lifecycle management and they usually include the applications for requirements management, change and configuration management, quality management and reporting….
This article aims to give you a basic overview and short comparison of their requirements management tools – IBM Requirements Management DOORS Next and Polarion Requirements.
1.) IBM Jazz Platform and Siemens Polarion logos
IBM Engineering Requirements Management DOORS Next Overview
As a part of the IBM Jazz Platform, DOORS Next (often referred to as DOORS Next or DNG) focuses on capturing, managing, and tracing requirements throughout the development lifecycle. It provides the users with functionalities such as configuration management that provides users with possibilities to create branches, change sets and baselines, commenting features to improve collaboration between the users and the teams, and several other very useful functionalities.
IBM Engineering Requirements Management DOORS Next provides a web-based user interface for enabling users to manage and interact with the requirements stored in the module (document) or folder (base artifact). All of the grid views and dashboards are customizable to suit the needs of any type and role of user.
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2.) IBM DOORS Next User Interface – Folder (base artifacts) View
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3.) IBM DOORS Next User Interface – Module (document) View
Please see the overview of some of the key features of IBM DOORS Next:
- Requirements Management - allows users to capture, organize, and prioritize requirements in a centralized repository, supporting various type systems (requirement types, attributes, data types….) configurations.
- OSLC Traceability - OSLC stands for Open Services for Lifecycle Collaboration which is an open community standard for integrating different lifecycle management tools. In terms of DOORS Next, the traceability allows you to establish relationships between requirements, design elements, test cases, and other project artifacts.
- Configuration Management – artifact management (centralized repository), version control (tracking the changes), change management (change requests), baseline management and integration with other tools
- Collaboration - facilitates collaboration among stakeholders by providing tools for commenting and reviewing requirements. It supports concurrent editing, version control and change sets to manage changes efficiently.
- Reporting – reporting is done in other applications provided for free together with DOORS Next and it offers capabilities for analyzing requirements coverage, identifying gaps, and assessing the impact of changes. Users can generate reports and metrics to evaluate project progress and compliance in the Report Builder application.
- Exporting – provides users with possibilities to export requirements and specifications into several formats (csv, xls, xlsx, pdf, docx, doc, reqif, html) enabling also the capabilities of round trip with suppliers and customers.
- Integration – as mentioned above DOORS Next is using OSLC which enables it to integrate seamlessly with other tools commonly used in the engineering lifecycle, such as version control systems, issue trackers, and testing tools. This interoperability promotes consistency and efficiency across the development process.
Polarion Requirements Overview
As part of the Siemens Polarion Portfolio, Polarion Requirements is a comprehensive requirements management tool designed to streamline the process of capturing, managing, and tracing requirements throughout the entire product development lifecycle. Similarly to IBM Requirements Management DOORS Next, it provides the users with several useful features such as rich text editing, reporting, traceability, process configuration timeline… Polarion Requirements provides a modern and very intuitive interface for users to be able to interact with requirements data.
4.) Polarion Requirements User Interface
Below, you can find the summary of some key features that Polarion Requirements provides:
- Centralized Repository - storing all project requirements in one place, making it easy for team members to access and collaborate on them.
- Version Control - with version control capabilities, users can track changes made to requirements over time, maintain a history of revisions, and revert to previous versions if necessary.
- Collaboration Tools - the whole Polarion portfolio facilitates collaboration among team members through features like comments, discussions, and notifications, fostering communication and enhancing teamwork.
- Customizable Workflows - users can define custom workflows tailored to their project requirements, enabling them to automate processes and ensure consistency in requirement management.
- Integration - Polarion Requirements integrates with various development tools and platforms such as issue trackers, test management tools, and version control systems, allowing for seamless data exchange and interoperability.
- Compliance and Audit Support - Polarion Requirements supports compliance with regulatory standards and industry best practices by providing features for documentation, validation and audit trails.
DOORS Next vs. Polarion Differences
DOORS Next and Polarion Requirements are very similar and powerful requirements management tools. However, they still have some differences. This section is focused on the biggest differences between the tools listed in the table below:
+ User Interface and Usability - Polarion Requirements typically offers a more modern and intuitive user interface compared to IBM DOORS Next. Polarion often incorporates features inspired by contemporary web design principles, providing users with a more visually appealing and user-friendly experience. IBM DOORS Next, while functional, may have a more traditional interface that some users might find less intuitive
+ Real-Time Collaboration - Polarion emphasizes collaboration and real-time editing capabilities, allowing multiple users to work on requirements documents simultaneously and see changes instantly, which enhances team productivity. IBM DOORS Next also supports collaboration but may not offer the same level of real-time editing features, which can impact team productivity, especially in highly collaborative environments.
+ Customization and Flexibility - Polarion Requirements often provide more flexibility in terms of customization and workflow configuration compared to IBM DOORS Next. Polarion allows organizations to tailor workflows, states, and fields to match their specific requirements management processes and methodologies. While IBM DOORS Next offers some customization options, it may not be as extensive or user-friendly as Polarion.
+ Scalability and Performance - depending on the size and complexity of the project, organizations may find differences in the scalability and performance of the two tools. While both Polarion Requirements and IBM DOORS Next can handle large-scale projects, organizations with particularly complex or massive requirement sets may find that one tool performs better than the other in terms of scalability, responsiveness, and overall performance.
+ Integration Ecosystem - both tools support integration with other development tools and systems, but the ecosystems surrounding them differ. Polarion Requirements integrates well with various Siemens PLM Software products and other third-party tools commonly used in the software development lifecycle. On the other hand, IBM DOORS Next has a strong integration ecosystem with other IBM tools and products, such as IBM Engineering Lifecycle Management (ELM) suite.
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Sources, Related and Referenced Topics
Polarion Requirements Overview - Polarion Requirements | Siemens Software
IBM DOORS Next Overview - Overview - IBM DOORS Next
Siemens Blog - Polarion Blog
Jazz Community Site - Jazz.net
