These on-site tests are just one of several ways we collect feedback* during our development process. For example, we devote many resources to quality testing to ensure Creo does what it’s supposed to do. But April’s on-site beta test focused more on the practicality of the software.
Leo Vogelien
GH: Who’s part of the Creo Beta Testing?
Vogelien: Most participants are seasoned Creo Elements/Parametric, Creo Elements/Direct, or Creo Elements/View users. They work in product development at manufacturers that use PTC solutions. They work in concept design or engineering, detail design, simulation, 2D drawing production, etc.
Like many of PTC’s customer-centric meetings, we invite participation from industries like consumer products, industrial equipment, aerospace and defense, automotive, medical devices, electronics and high tech. And they come from various sized companies, anywhere from 500 to 300,000 employees. There’s been an overwhelming interest in Creo 1.0, and we unfortunately had to turn away some of the requests to participate due to resource limitations.
GH: How do the meetings run?
Vogelien: Throughout the week of testing, we scheduled a number of different sessions where the users would work with the Beta version of the software, which is an internal development build. Different functional teams, led by the Product Management group, come in and provide a brief overview and demo of the key areas, and then we have a hands-on testing session where the customers try out various tasks and provide their feedback to us on anything from ease of use to functional content.
We run these sessions ahead of final quality assurance testing for the major release. These face-to-face meetings are the opportunity for users to provide feedback on pre-released software. They can use the test cases and activities we supply them, or as is typically the case, they work through their own examples. We’ve arranged Creo 1.0 Beta testing to run 5 days, so that there’s plenty of time to discuss and review all the major apps, extensions, and key features in Creo 1.0.
GH: Does the Beta test always take place in Boston, at PTC’s HQ?
Vogelien: The Beta testing involves using the latest development software, so to maximize the experience for the customers and to ensure we can provide guidance with all the technical resources, it works best to have these events in Needham. But we are supporting a small number of sessions remotely with oversight from local PTC account teams.
Later we’ll conduct broader testing when quality levels reach a specific release criteria. That testing is a bit different and occurs out at various customer sites and is more focused on gathering feedback on quality and reporting any software issues that should be fixed.
GH: What’s an example of what you might want feedback on?
Vogelien: For the April events, we’re interested in general acceptance of the new Creo apps, the user interface and interaction. We want to know if the many new features and capabilities meet their needs and are user friendly, with a good workflow. Here’s a specific example: Many of the users come from a parametric modeling background. So we want to know if the Flexible Modeling extension for Creo Parametric meets their needs, in terms of functional content and ease of use. [Ed - read our previous article on the Flexible Modeling Extension]
GH: How do you capture the users’ feedback during the week long Beta testing?
Vogelien: We use web-based tools that include feedback forms which make it very easy for customers to report issues. Being web-based, we can centralize all feedback from various testing cycles and locations easily, and once recorded, we can export the data and distribute to the other teams within PTC.
GH: What’s the early feedback?
Vogelien: I can’t disclose everything we’ve discussed, but I can tell you we’ve been extremely pleased with the feedback. We’ve had some very positive feedback so far on the Creo 1.0. And as you can imagine, users always have suggestions for more features and for ways to improve existing functionality. But that’s great, it helps us verify our plans for Creo 2.0.
GH: How can users join the Beta testing program for future releases of Creo?
Vogelien: Beta testing is by invitation only, sampling companies of different sizes, industries, and geographies. As the Beta testing requires a considerable time commitment to work with the release, it may not be for everyone. We are always looking to expand the testing and work with additional customers. The best route is for the customers to contact their local account teams to see when the next beta testing event is. They would, in turn contact me with any people who are interested.
GH: Keep reading the ptc.creo.com blog for interviews with some of the key participants in this week’s Creo Beta testing.
*Other feedback collection methods have been discussed in previous articles here. Including: Usability studies, meetings with technical committees, and sessions with the Board of Customer Advisors.
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