Trace One, which makes PLM and regulatory compliance software, has been named a Leader and "Ace Performer" in the QKS Group SPARK Matrix for PLM for Process Manufacturing, 2026, the company announced on 20 October. Trace One says it scored highest on customer impact of the vendors QKS assessed.
Who was in the running
QKS evaluated seven vendors: Aptean, Aras, Centric Software, SAP, Siemens, SpecPage and Trace One. That mix is a useful map of the market. It puts specialist process PLM vendors alongside enterprise suites from SAP and Siemens.
The matrix scores each vendor on technology excellence and customer impact. Within technology, recipe and formulation management carries the biggest weight at 20%, with compliance and regulatory management and specification data management at 15% each. For anyone selling into formulators, that weighting is a fair summary of where buyers feel the pain.
What Trace One sells
Trace One describes its software as AI-native PLM and compliance for food and beverage, cosmetics and personal care, and specialty chemical manufacturers. The company says it serves more than 9,000 brands, has over 30 years in the industry and offers regulatory intelligence covering more than 170 countries. The release does not spell out specific AI features.
"Trace One turns compliance into a source of speed instead of friction." Anoch Mane, Principal Analyst, QKS Group
Raphaël Bertholet, Trace One's Chief Product and Technology Officer, said customer impact was the score the company cares about most.
The bigger picture
Analyst rankings change hands. In QKS's 2025 edition for PLM in process industries, Centric Software was named a Market Leader and Ace Performer, with the top scores on both customer impact and technology. A different leader a year later suggests a competitive category where vendors are working hard on customer outcomes.
These rankings are commissioned research and should be read with that in mind. Still, the direction is clear. Formulation-heavy manufacturers in CPG and specialty chemicals want one system that joins recipes, specifications and regulatory checks, and AI is now the headline feature every vendor leads with. That puts process PLM vendors on a collision course with the materials informatics platforms selling into the same R&D teams.
What it means for hiring
- When compliance and formulation drive buying decisions, vendors need pre-sales people who understand regulatory work in food, cosmetics or chemicals, not just software demos. We think that domain depth is the scarce skill.
- The overlap between process PLM and materials informatics should create demand for partner and alliance managers who can build integrations and co-selling routes between the two.
- Customer impact is now a headline metric, which strengthens the case for senior customer success and implementation leaders with formulation backgrounds.
Building a team in Materials Science & Cheminformatics?
Anna Rabello specialises in Materials Science & Cheminformatics hiring at QP Group. Talk to Anna about the market, salaries or a search.
Sources
- Trace One PLM for Food and Beverage, Cosmetics and Specialty Chemicals Named a Leader in the QKS Group SPARK Matrix: PLM for Process Manufacturing, 2026 · Trace One via GlobeNewswire · 20 Oct 2026
- Centric Software named 2025 SPARK Leader, PLM for Process Industries · Centric Software · 6 Oct 2025
Written by QP Group from the reporting and announcements above. Figures and quotes belong to the original sources.
anna.rabello@qpexec.com