Agile PLM Sunset: What Compliance Teams Need to Know

Oracle Agile PLM reaches end-of-life in December 2027. For compliance teams managing product governance through Agile's PG&C module, this deadline represents more than a software migration - it changes how compliance operates.

The clock is ticking, and the window for action is narrower than it appears.

The End-of-Life Reality

Oracle's announcement was definitive: Premier Support for Agile PLM ends December 2027. No new releases, no patches, no updates. The planned 9.3.7 release was cancelled, making 9.3.6 the final version.

While the software won't stop functioning in 2028, running unsupported PLM creates cascading risks. Security vulnerabilities go unpatched. Regulatory updates aren't reflected in the system. Integration points with other enterprise software gradually break. What starts as "sustaining support only" quickly becomes a compliance liability.

For organizations in regulated industries, running unsupported software isn't just an IT concern - it's a compliance violation waiting to happen.

What Compliance Teams Stand to Lose

Agile's Product Governance & Compliance (PG&C) module has been the backbone of compliance operations for thousands of manufacturers. When support ends, these critical capabilities disappear:

Material Substance Disclosure & Tracking

The ability to collect detailed substance data down to the sub-component level, automatically audited against regulated substance lists. Without this integrated tracking, compliance teams face manual verification of every material against RoHS, REACH, and other regulations.

Centralized Certificate Management

PG&C serves as the single repository for all compliance documentation - material declarations, certificates of compliance, test reports. Losing this means scattered documentation across SharePoint folders, email archives, and local drives.

Supplier Collaboration Workflows

Direct supplier participation through dedicated portals, where vendors submit and update material declarations. Post-Agile, this reverts to email requests and spreadsheet consolidation.

Automated Compliance Roll-ups

The capability to automatically calculate product compliance by aggregating component data across complex BOMs. Manual roll-ups for products with thousands of components become a practical impossibility.

These aren't minor inconveniences. They're fundamental compliance capabilities that took years to implement and optimize.

The Migration Timeline Reality Check

Industry experience shows that full PLM migrations typically require 6-12 months for completion. This timeline assumes everything goes smoothly, a dangerous assumption for projects of this complexity.

Consider what's actually involved:

• Data preparation and cleansing (2-3 months): Decades of product data, BOMs, and compliance records need evaluation, cleaning, and mapping
• System configuration (2-3 months): Rebuilding workflows, configuring new compliance processes, establishing integration points
• Testing and validation (2-3 months): Particularly critical for regulated industries where system validation is mandatory
• Training and deployment (1-2 months): Getting teams productive on new systems while maintaining ongoing operations

For organizations that haven't started planning, the mathematics are sobering. A 12-month migration starting in 2026 leaves zero buffer for delays, discoveries, or course corrections.

Industry-Specific Compliance Implications

Electronics Manufacturing The stakes couldn't be higher. Agile PG&C has been essential for managing RoHS thresholds, REACH SVHC updates, and emerging regulations like PFAS restrictions. These manufacturers track substance content across thousands of components, where a single non-compliant part can halt entire product lines.

Without automated substance tracking and supplier collaboration, electronics companies face:

• Manual verification of every component against multiple regulations
• Delayed response to bi-annual REACH updates
• Increased risk of non-compliant products reaching the market
• Potential customs holds and market access restrictions

Medical Device Manufacturing

For medical device companies, Agile PLM is woven into FDA-mandated design control processes. The PG&C module maintains critical links between compliance documentation and design history files, supporting both environmental compliance and quality system requirements.

The migration challenge is compounded by validation requirements. Any new system must be fully validated for FDA compliance before go-live, a process that can add months to standard migration timelines. Design history files, change control records, and traceability matrices must transfer with perfect fidelity.

The False Comfort of "Sustaining Support"

Some organizations take comfort in Oracle's "sustaining support" - the system will keep running, after all. This perspective dangerously underestimates the risks.

Regulations evolve continuously. REACH updates its SVHC list twice yearly. RoHS exemptions expire on fixed schedules. New regulations emerge constantly. An unsupported compliance system becomes progressively more disconnected from regulatory reality.

Moreover, as other enterprise systems update, integration points fail. When your ERP upgrades but your PLM can't, data flows break. When security protocols advance but Agile remains static, vulnerabilities multiply.

For compliance teams, "sustaining support" translates to "increasing risk."

Strategic Options and Decisions

Organizations face three paths forward, each with distinct implications:

Option 1: Migrate to Oracle Cloud PLM

Oracle's preferred path, but one that doesn't automatically solve compliance needs. Cloud PLM lacks native compliance functionality equivalent to Agile PG&C. Organizations must plan for supplementary compliance solutions.

Option 2: Alternative PLM Platforms

Third-party PLM solutions may offer different approaches to compliance, but require complete re-platforming. This path typically involves longer timelines and higher transformation costs.

Option 3: Dedicated Compliance Platform

Implementing specialized compliance software like GoCompliance that integrates with any PLM choice. This approach separates compliance from PLM migration timelines and provides flexibility for phased transitions.

The critical factor isn't which path to choose - it's choosing quickly enough to execute properly.

The Compliance Continuity Imperative

Product compliance can't pause for system migrations. While IT plans the technical transition, compliance teams must maintain uninterrupted operations. This dual requirement, transforming while operating, makes early action essential.

Organizations are already moving. They recognize that the 2027 deadline isn't when work must complete; it's when risk becomes unacceptable. With migration timelines measured in years, not months, the window for deliberate action is closing.

For compliance teams, the message is clear: the best time for migration planning was yesterday. The second-best time is now.

Navigate Agile's End-of-Life with GoCompliance

The Agile PLM sunset doesn't have to disrupt your compliance operations. GoCompliance provides the modern compliance platform that picks up where Agile PG&C leaves off, and goes significantly further.

Designed for Agile PG&C Users:

• Familiar workflows, modern execution - Your team's Agile expertise transfers directly
• Complete data migration - All substances, declarations, and certificates move seamlessly
• Immediate compliance continuity - No gaps in regulatory coverage during transition

Beyond Agile's Capabilities:

• Unlimited specifications at one price - RoHS, REACH, PFAS, and whatever comes next
• AI-powered supplier collaboration - Replace manual follow-ups with intelligent automation
• Real-time regulatory updates - Stay current with bi-annual REACH changes automatically
• Native Oracle Cloud integration - If you're moving to Cloud PLM, we're already there

Flexible Transition Options:

• Run parallel to Agile during migration
• Integrate with Oracle Cloud PLM when you're ready
• Maintain compliance operations regardless of PLM decisions

The clock on Agile support is ticking, but your compliance operations don't have to suffer. Companies using GoCompliance complete their transitions in weeks, not months, and achieve better compliance outcomes than they had with Agile.

Don't wait for the 2027 scramble. Schedule a migration consultation to see how GoCompliance ensures your compliance continuity through and beyond the Agile sunset.