What is our primary use case?
I am using the solution for data modeling. We also use erwin Data Intelligence Suite for data governance.
What is most valuable?
We like that we can go straight from Data Modeler to Data Intelligence Suite. We can go from the business glossary to the data catalog. It gives us a holistic view. The product lets us import different types of models from various databases. It also allows us to export or implement them within the same databases based on new changes.
What needs improvement?
The modeling capability is cumbersome. It doesn't allow us to put different types of objects in there. We can only put data objects. It doesn’t allow us to put any class structures and enterprise architecture objects. We can only do data monitoring. We can't do a holistic view. It's quite cumbersome to enter data. We cannot type things into a sheet. We always have to open the object and enter it.
The layout is a very old-style diagram. The product must allow users to put different types of objects and link them to data objects. The tool must provide large data objects under which there can be other data objects. For example, if a customer is a large data object, it must then contain the customer’s name, address, and type. The interface must be improved.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for more than ten years. I am using the latest version of the solution.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I rate the tool’s stability a seven out of ten. It doesn’t stay up all the time. The stability must be improved.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I rate the tool’s scalability a seven out of ten. We have some issues with performance, but I'm not sure if it's us or the tool. We have 50 to 150 users.
How are customer service and support?
The technical support team is quite helpful. The team members don't always know their stuff. Sometimes, we end up teaching them things, but they do try to be helpful.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have used Rational Rose, Visual Paradigm, and Oracle’s old product. I use Visual Paradigm for my personal use cases. I prefer Visual Paradigm. It has a lot of features that erwin doesn’t. The only problem with Visual Paradigm is that it has many license levels. I only have a cheap license. However, its capabilities are much stronger. It is a lot easier to use than erwin, and it produces much nicer diagrams.
How was the initial setup?
The solution is cloud-based. We use both AWS and Azure as our cloud providers. Maintenance is done automatically by the vendor.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The tool is expensive. It is not worth the price. I rate the pricing a three out of ten.
What other advice do I have?
We are looking for other tools to replace the solution. We're going to do an RFP for data modeling, data catalog, data quality, and marketplace. The vendor is trying to charge for Data Intelligence Suite like it is an enterprise tool, but it's still getting patched together. I have a hard time giving erwin a strong recommendation, but it's a tool that works and does what it says on the box. It could be made a little better. Overall, I rate the product a seven out of ten.
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.