In designing our product review database we have attempted to mirror some of the structural features of the PERA methodology. As a user of this database you will have a profile of proficiencies and a job title and from that reviews appropriate to your industry, plant area, phase, architecture level and industrial classification. If there are few or no reviews of the product in your applicable area, then the database will broaden the search through related classifications until more reviews are found.

If you are looking for a perspective on a product that is not your own specialty, first select an industry (e.g., Chemicals or Manufacturing). Then select the Enterprise Phase (eg., Detail engineering, or Operations Phase). If the product you are looking for is hardware, it is usually best to select the Service Location where this product is to be used (from the Physical Enterprise Architecture Diagram), or for a software product, select the User Group (from the Organization Chart). Finally select the Hardware type or Software Function. You will then see a list of products which are commonly used in that industry, during that enterprise phase, for that service.

Control and Information Systems Products may be common across many industries and enterprise phases, or they may be specific to a single industry and enterprise phase. In some cases, it will be worth the reader's time to review products which have been developed for use in other industries, since they may represent innovations or more cost effective solutions which could be more widely applied.