My department is focusing on improving system engineering this year. We have design efforts that span 3 continents, and we’ve reached a point where our reliance on Office documents is becoming unmanageable. I’ve been tasked with finding better solutions. The only tool I’ve used so far is DOORS, but it feels like it’s too complex for our needs. Are there any other tools that are simpler, but still effective?
I’ve worked in system engineering across global teams for several years now, and I’ve found that JIRA + Confluence for Agile Teams often hits the sweet spot between functionality and ease of use. This combo gives you a nice balance for managing requirements with clear traceability while keeping documentation centralized and accessible. JIRA handles workflows and progress tracking without the overwhelming complexity of DOORS, and Confluence complements it by serving as a living repository for your requirements and design discussions. The best part is the flexibility-you can tailor workflows based on your global team’s unique needs and scale effortlessly.
Also, from my experience, integrating tools like LambdaTest for automated cross-browser testing within JIRA can boost confidence that your requirements are validated across all platforms your team supports. And since audit logs and tracking are built-in, it helps keep everyone accountable and aligned no matter where they are in the world.
Building on what Devan said, if your team is leaning towards something simpler and more intuitive, I’d suggest considering Trello for its simplicity and collaboration capabilities. Having worked with global teams myself, I know how valuable a visual and straightforward interface can be—Trello’s boards, lists, and cards let you organize requirements and tasks in a way everyone can jump into quickly. While it’s lighter than DOORS or JIRA, it can still be quite effective for tracking and managing requirements without overwhelming your team.
One advantage I’ve found is how well Trello integrates with tools like Google Drive or Dropbox, making file sharing seamless for dispersed teams. Plus, linking Trello to communication platforms like Slack or Microsoft Teams keeps collaboration flowing naturally across time zones. And don’t forget, you can still plug in LambdaTest to make sure your web-based requirements get tested across browsers. It’s all about balancing ease of use with enough power to keep your global system engineering efforts moving forward.
After using JIRA + Confluence and Trello extensively, I’d add that for teams focusing on system engineering and product design, Aha! for Product and Requirements Management really stands out. From my experience working with distributed teams, Aha! offers a more strategic layer on top of requirements tracking. It’s perfect for aligning product goals, visualizing dependencies, and managing priorities across continents-all while keeping everyone on the same page.
Aha! shines in real-time collaboration, which is essential when your design efforts stretch globally. It lets you customize workflows and generate reports that make progress transparent and easy to communicate. Plus, it integrates with JIRA and LambdaTest, so you can maintain a seamless flow from requirements through development to cross-browser testing. If you want something simpler than DOORS but still powerful and scalable for global system engineering teams, Aha! fits the bill nicely.