What do you like best?
The software works.
1. I can rely on the system as setup and configured time and time again because it doesn't auto-update. This makes validation and compliance simple.
2. I can create project after project based on a configuration and validate it by comparing the configuration download. - validation can be done once on a configuration and never need be done again unless I change the configuration.
3. While everything can be configured, that makes me thing "Too Much Work," the help and support system is always up to date by Perforce, so I know I won't run into unsolvable problems.
4. Since the system has been around, every question I can think of has been answered and collated into either video or help file.
5. All compliance considerations are covered. FDA Part 11, ISO, everything is covered. I have yet to run into a feature needed that can't be had. Pretty much as the click of a button.
6. Report generation is straight forward.
7. Import from WS Word is a snap
8. XML import and export is even easier
9. Generating tabular lists are easy
10. Finding anything in a project is easy.
11. I can make Helix ALM perform for document control, system development and software dev pipeline.
12. Are you still reading this?
13. The price is very affordable
14. Sales is very responsive with the right information and documents for me to do my financial requests and projections.
What do you dislike?
If I had to make some improvement I would like:
1. Cross project relationships. I want to have an SOP project, a WI project, development projects and validation projects. If I could relate SOP items from the SOP project to WI items in the WI project then create relationships into development projects to show how our SOPs are followed during development and validation.
What problems are you solving with the product? What benefits have you realized?
I call Helix the sausage maker. We use it for validation of tools, development of product and document update. The system allows evidence of different people doing different parts of a workflow. We can show that nothing gets rubber stamped. So that problem is solved.
We use it for development and the biggest return is the engineers use the system with very little guidance to generate their documentation and evidence. Nothing is wasted or lost and they can be left to solve problems on product rather than learn how to use the tool.
