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Pros & Cons summary

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Prominent pros & cons

PROS

IBM DOORS offers robust traceability, allowing users to track requirements across different levels and project stages.
It is highly customizable and scalable, enabling users to tailor it to their specific needs and projects.
IBM DOORS enhances project management through its unique ability to manage and verify complex requirement linkages across modules.
The platform provides excellent data logging capabilities, effectively tracking changes and supporting comprehensive compliance reporting.
With its refined ASPICE template, IBM DOORS significantly aids certification processes and requirement management efficiency, leading to a notable ROI.

CONS

Improvement is needed in agile management, specifically the Scrum/Kanban Board for better collaboration with overseas team members.
Communication issues exist between IBM DOORS and Microsoft Office, making import and export processes unnecessarily difficult.
Complexity in managing the software, particularly with the integration of external data, leads to unexpected crashes and unclear logs.
The search functionality is inadequate for databases exceeding 25,000 records, complicating global product analysis.
Enhancements are needed in security measures, especially when handling multiple projects simultaneously to prevent data loss.
 

IBM DOORS Pros review quotes

it_user268722 - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Specialist/Analyst at a aerospace/defense firm with 501-1,000 employees
Jul 8, 2015
Over time, I have tried every other ARM tool out there for various customers and kept going back to Rational DOORS.
it_user263511 - PeerSpot reviewer
Requirements Manager at a aerospace/defense firm with 51-200 employees
Jul 13, 2015
I am able to create a traceability and impact analysis report of a set of 20+ documents in minutes, and then use the tool to help verify that the data is accurate.
it_user270897 - PeerSpot reviewer
CTO at a computer software company with 51-200 employees
Jul 13, 2015
There are a few other requirements management tools, but none are at this level of solving complex situations.
Learn what your peers think about IBM DOORS. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2026.
884,933 professionals have used our research since 2012.
it_user268761 - PeerSpot reviewer
Requirements Engineer at Visteon Corporation
Feb 14, 2018
Rational DOORS can be an excellent requirements management tool, but only if all users are on-site with the server, all users are trained in how to use the basic features of the tool, and there is an experienced Rational DOORS admin and DXL developer that can support users and create customizations and extensions.
it_user278004 - PeerSpot reviewer
Engineering Consultant, System Engineer at GE Aviation, UK
May 23, 2016
DOORS can help you to standardise, minimise mistakes and effort needed to achieve your goal, which can lead in reducing the cost of your development, validation and verification of your product.
it_user276396 - PeerSpot reviewer
Principal Consultant/Director at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Jul 23, 2015
IBM Rational DOORS allows requirements to be efficiently and effectively tracked, traced, and managed throughout the project lifecycle.
NK
Quality Assurance at Varroc Lighting System
Jul 28, 2015
It helps us to standardize the way our globally distributed teams are now collaborating and managing the different artifacts.
it_user286830 - PeerSpot reviewer
Engineering Systems Administrator at a individual & family service with 501-1,000 employees
Aug 6, 2015
Customer Service: Excellent! IBM Rational DOORS team have always been quick to respond and knowledgeable about any issues I may have presented them.
it_user292626 - PeerSpot reviewer
System Engineer with 1,001-5,000 employees
Aug 16, 2015
It enables us to manage our customers' requirements effectively and efficiently.
it_user300501 - PeerSpot reviewer
Sr Tools and Processes Developer at a pharma/biotech company with 10,001+ employees
Aug 28, 2015
The products developed in our company that started with DOORS requirements in the late 90s are now a one billion dollar annual revenue product line.
 

IBM DOORS Cons review quotes

it_user268722 - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Specialist/Analyst at a aerospace/defense firm with 501-1,000 employees
Jul 8, 2015
Customer service suffered everytime Rational DOORS changed its organizational structure (i.e. from QSS to Telelogic to IBM).
it_user263511 - PeerSpot reviewer
Requirements Manager at a aerospace/defense firm with 51-200 employees
Jul 13, 2015
It is not friendly to new users, and has a steep learning curve.
it_user270897 - PeerSpot reviewer
CTO at a computer software company with 51-200 employees
Jul 13, 2015
Replacing a word document is always hard.
Learn what your peers think about IBM DOORS. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2026.
884,933 professionals have used our research since 2012.
it_user268761 - PeerSpot reviewer
Requirements Engineer at Visteon Corporation
Feb 14, 2018
The Rational DOORS client is terribly slow if you are not on-site with the server.
it_user278004 - PeerSpot reviewer
Engineering Consultant, System Engineer at GE Aviation, UK
May 23, 2016
One issue with the 9.6 version is the new feature of resizing and positioning the main DOORS explorer window and opening the last opened modules during start.
it_user276396 - PeerSpot reviewer
Principal Consultant/Director at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Jul 23, 2015
Some users complain of a clunky interface, but DOORS NG which is planned to succeed DOORS over the next 5-10 years addresses these issues and is a good up and coming alternative to DOORS.
NK
Quality Assurance at Varroc Lighting System
Jul 28, 2015
Pricing is on the higher side because of multiple users who want to make use of the great functionality of tools.
it_user286830 - PeerSpot reviewer
Engineering Systems Administrator at a individual & family service with 501-1,000 employees
Aug 6, 2015
The most difficult feature of DOORS is how it creates "DOORS tables" from tables that are imported from a Word document.
it_user292626 - PeerSpot reviewer
System Engineer with 1,001-5,000 employees
Aug 16, 2015
It can crash, but it doesn't happen too often.
it_user300501 - PeerSpot reviewer
Sr Tools and Processes Developer at a pharma/biotech company with 10,001+ employees
Aug 28, 2015
Clean specification generation has become more difficult under IBM’s direction, than it was under QSS or Telelogic.