I think the most import thing to look at Simon is, What are you going to do with the software that you buy. Make your decisions based upon functionality in the areas that you intend to use it for. What is important to one company may be entirely useless to another.
Take a test drive of Solidworks, and one on invetor. have the Sales Reps do a benchmark of their product with you.
Questions you should ask yourself:
Are you design responsible?
Do you deal with imported data, if how much, and what types.
What do you do with that imported data?
what is you company's niche?
what would the ideal software be able to do for you r company?
I have my favorite, but i'll not try and push my opionions on you, I feel that if you do a side by side comparision, I know you'll find one that stands out.
Call a VAR and arrange some demos.
Regards,
Jon Benavides
Fisher Unitech
Troy MI