Key Takeaways
- Codebeamer manages the whole lifecycle. Requirements, risk, testing, and change management live in one platform instead of separate tools.
- Traceability and compliance are built in. End-to-end links and regulatory templates support standards such as ISO 13485, ISO 26262, and DO-178C.
- It’s built for how teams work today. A web-based interface, configurable workflows, agile support, and AI assistance make Codebeamer easier to adopt and scale.
- Migrations follow four clear phases. Discovery, mapping, migration, and validation move data with history and traceability intact.
- Zero disruption is achievable. With help from SPK and migration tools like OpsHub, the migration process doesn’t have to disrupt day-to-day work
Codebeamer offers engineering teams what IBM DOORS cannot: a single connected platform for requirements, risk, testing, and compliance. DOORS has done a fine job for many organizations, but it was built for a different era of development. In this blog, we look at what Codebeamer does better than DOORS, and give a high-level view of how a migration works.
What is Codebeamer?
Codebeamer is a modern integrated application life cycle management (ALM) and requirements management tool designed to simplify the management of complex software and product development projects. The tool was developed by Intland and acquired by PTC in 2022. It provides a collaborative platform that covers different aspects of project development, such as requirements management, test management, issue tracking, and more. Codebeamer helps teams by providing a single source of truth for them to collaborate, monitor project progress, and ensure that the project is in line with the defined requirements. Its intuitive user interface, customization options, scalability, and robust reporting capabilities are well-known, making it a popular choice for diverse industries looking to improve their development processes and deliver high-quality products.
What Codebeamer Does Better Than IBM DOORS
The biggest advantage of Codebeamer is that it covers the whole lifecycle, not just the requirements. DOORS is used for capturing and tracing requirements, while teams use different tools for testing, risk, and change management. Codebeamer brings together that work in an integrated platform.
Codebeamer is also flexible in deployment. Teams can run it as SaaS, self-host it in their own environment, or use SPK’s secure cloud hosting of Codebeamer.
Assessing Migration Feasibility
Now that you’ve discovered why a Codebeamer migration is beneficial, let’s discuss logistics. A successful migration starts with a clear picture of where you are today. Review your DOORS environment, decide what needs to move, and confirm how Codebeamer will be configured and hosted. Compare Codebeamer’s features, scalability, and customization options against your current requirements and future goals. If the migration is done properly, your requirements, history, and traceability will move into Codebeamer without disrupting the teams that rely on them. Most migrations follow four phases: assessment, mapping and planning, migration, and validation and cutover. The sections below walk through each one.
Data Preparation and Cleanup
Assessment is the time to get rid of old data you no longer need. Archive obsolete modules, unused attributes, and outdated projects so old clutter doesn’t follow you into Codebeamer. Then build a step-by-step plan that covers preparation, training, testing, and the migration itself, with clear owners and timelines for each phase. For regulated teams, history is just as important as the current data. Plan from the start to keep original usernames, timestamps, and revisions so your audit trail is intact for certification reviews.
Mapping and Structuring Requirements
The blueprint for the whole migration is the mapping. It defines the look and feel of your DOORS data once it is in Codebeamer. In general, DOORS modules are mapped to Codebeamer trackers, objects to tracker items, attributes to fields, and links to traceability relationships. Mapping is also an opportunity to improve your structure, rather than to copy it. Teams frequently standardize tracker types, drop unused attributes, and add Codebeamer workflows and reviews that DOORS never supported. These decisions are captured in a mapping document to keep everyone on the same page and provide a clear reference for the validation team.
Data Migration Process
The best migrations are small, and then they grow. Most teams begin with a pilot, moving one representative project to test the mapping, then moving everything else in planned phases. Teams can continue to work in DOORS with phased migrations until their data is ready in Codebeamer. How you do this will depend on the size and complexity of your environment. Dedicated migration tools such as OpsHub Migration Manager are typically a better fit for larger or more regulated environments, as they automatically migrate the entire revision history, links, and audit trails.
Validating the Migration
After migrating, validation shows that everything was complete and correct before you retire DOORS. Teams usually compare the item and link counts between the two systems, spot-check the content of requirements, confirm that history and baselines are intact, and run traceability reports in Codebeamer. Requirement owners then review their own data and sign off before cutover. From there, move users to Codebeamer with role-based training and post-migration support.
In regulated industries, validation must be a documented process. By recording the plan and results, auditors have clear evidence that no data was lost along the way. SPK’s Computer System Validation services allow teams to meet these expectations without weighing the project down.
Best Practices and Tips for Successful Migration
The smoothest migrations see the move as a business change, not just a data transfer. Remember these tips:
- Get stakeholders involved early. Involve engineering, quality, and IT leaders early on.
- Clean up before you move. Archive old data so old clutter doesn’t follow you into Codebeamer.
- Don’t recreate DOORS. Say goodbye to re-implementing old workarounds. Leverage Codebeamer’s workflows and traceability.
- Begin with a pilot. One well-chosen project can uncover problems before they become widespread.
- Invest in training. Role-based training assists users in trusting and adopting the new system faster.
- Work with an experienced partner. Having an experienced team will help you avoid common pitfalls and shorten the timeline.
If you would like to check out how we provided these steps for a client, check out this case study.
Conducting a DOORS to Codebeamer Migration
The move from IBM DOORS to Codebeamer is more than just replacing a requirements tool. It provides teams with an integrated ALM platform with end-to-end traceability, built-in compliance support, and AI-assisted engineering. The migration itself can happen without disruption to the work, with the right partner and a proven approach that preserves history. SPK and Associates is a PTC and OpsHub partner with extensive experience migrating regulated engineering organizations to Codebeamer. If you want to explore your options, reach out to our experts for an obligation-free assessment.
