ARIS BPA vs IBM Case Foundation comparison

Software AG and IBM are both solutions in the Business Process Management (BPM) category. Software AG is ranked #7 with an average rating of 8.1, while IBM is ranked #32 with an average rating of 8.0. Software AG holds a 4.8% mindshare in BPM, compared to IBM’s 0.4% mindshare. Additionally, 89% of Software AG users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 86% of IBM users who would recommend it.

ARIS BPA

Read 68 ARIS BPA reviews

6,121 Views
3,856 Comparison Views

89% willing to recommend

IBM Case Foundation

Read 14 IBM Case Foundation reviews

333 Views
333 Comparison Views

86% willing to recommend

ARIS BPA

IBM Case Foundation

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 18, 2024

ARIS BPA and IBM Case Foundation are prominent players in the business process management and content management sectors. ARIS BPA seems to have the upper hand with its comprehensive process modeling and enterprise analysis capabilities.

Features: ARIS BPA offers extensive process modeling and enterprise analysis with object-oriented flexibility, supporting notations like BPMN and EPC. It features robust integration across IT and business processes, making it highly adaptable for visual management and process governance. IBM Case Foundation excels in content management, providing document templates and facilitating decision-making with robust integration capabilities, particularly within IBM's enterprise solutions suite.

Room for Improvement: ARIS BPA lacks a workflow engine, restricting business process execution and automation. Users cite integration challenges and high costs, along with a complex interface and steep learning curve. IBM Case Foundation needs better support for updated development platforms and languages, with users desiring a more intuitive interface and improved integration with emerging technologies.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: ARIS BPA offers versatile deployment options including Hybrid, Public, Private Cloud, and On-premises, providing flexibility within IT infrastructures, though support response times can improve. IBM Case Foundation is mainly On-premises, noted for traditional deployment and improved technical support, although further enhancement in response and adaptation is wished for.

Pricing and ROI: ARIS BPA is considered expensive but offers various license models appropriate for enterprises valuing modeling capabilities. Users find robust ROI through process transparency and efficiency. IBM Case Foundation's pricing is perceived mid-range, often viewed as high given functionality, with ROI heavily dependent on implementation and usage scales.

To learn more, read our detailed ARIS BPA vs. IBM Case Foundation Report (Updated: July 2025).

Buyer's Guide

ARIS BPA vs. IBM Case Foundation

July 2025

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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

ARIS BPA

Ranking in Business Process Management (BPM)

7th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Business Process Design (5th)

IBM Case Foundation

Ranking in Business Process Management (BPM)

32nd

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

6.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the Business Process Management (BPM) category, the mindshare of ARIS BPA is 4.8%, down from 5.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IBM Case Foundation is 0.4%, up from 0.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Business Process Management (BPM)

Featured Reviews

Tamer Eldamanhouri

Software Engineering & Manager at Arab Infromation Management Services

Empowers teams with robust business process modeling capabilities

They should examine competitor solutions to identify differentiators. One issue related to ARIS BPA is its integration with AI; it has AI features for cloud solutions, yet many in the government sector in Kuwait do not view the cloud as viable. Software AG should focus on developing AI models for ARIS BPA on-premises, particularly in user interfaces, as well as creating predefined business processes for common areas such as HR and finance. This aspect is crucial for adapting to the market's needs and streamlining custom solutions. While they have been helpful regarding pricing, I cannot compare ARIS BPA to other business process modeling tools because I understand some competitors have significantly lower costs than ARIS BPA. To maintain market share, good discounts should be provided to customers.

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Nouman Nawaz

Deputy Director - IT(Plans) at DHA Lahore

Mature product in terms of security and stable product

The architecture is a bit difficult, but in BAW, they introduced the Business Automation Workflow. It's a bit easier compared to Case Manager. Currently, we use Case Manager, so it's a bit difficult to upgrade and handle, but BAW is comparatively much better and easier to handle. The limitation is only for customization because IBM doesn't support it. In some scenarios, if you want some business processes to be customized, we have already spoken two or three times with IBM representatives that we have to customize some of the features in this business process. They would say that if you want to do this automation at your own end, then okay, fine, go ahead, but we are not supporting all this customization. The only thing is the customization because it's a complete standard application.

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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"The tool defines the processes. It's the documentation of everything."

"Objects can be reused across different BPMNs and processes, so we can design new processes quicker and easier."

"I reviewed ARIS BPA, and I noticed it was recommended by Gartner in 2024."

"The stability of the ARIS BPM platform is quite good. The nice thing about it is the central database, where we can use all of our data. We can even manage users."

"The shared repository allows for cross-functional cooperation instead of doing things in a silo. You can operate cross-functionally and really work end-to-end, instead of dividing everything up on a functional basis."

"It provides the discovery functionality, and you can have a simulation on top of it to get your design corrected to ensure that it is within the right state of parameters. It is a complete package that you can use from strategy to execution because you have the design layer, and within the design, you can also do analytics."

"The most valuable features of ARIS BPA are the centralized repository and the automatic rendering of diagrams."

"In addition to our applications, we have also stored, in ARIS, the footprint of where those applications have been implemented. That means we know in which country a given application has been implemented. With embedded geolocation, we have a very visual world map, where we can see the footprint of each application."

More ARIS BPA pros

"Flexible and the ability to divide search screens, and to search for documents. The ECM feature inside the system is great."

"It's very easy."

"The most valuable features are those involving decision making, analysis, and anything related to event documents because those processes are related to content as well."

"A valuable feature includes seamless integration with the document management system, along with robust capabilities in analytics and reporting."

"The solution is scalable."

"The client and the IBM content navigation are the solution's most valuable features."

"The most valuable feature is the content manager part of the file as it is very stable, robust, and reliable."

"It is easy to set up workflows that notify the user depending on certain events."

More IBM Case Foundation pros

Cons

"One thing that could be improved is regarding the handling of the content itself. Maybe ARIS could provide a set of best practices, or best processes, so that people do not have to start from scratch."

"If you want to create new reports then you have to use JavaScript, or ARIS script as they call it, which is beyond the competencies of most people."

"Displaying role allocation matrix models in ARIS Connect needs improvement."

"I use it strictly for developing the business process model. I don't use it for the actual automation. I do that with Vtenext. I have standardized on Vtenext, and I don't use ARIS BPM anymore. The Vtenext UI is just as good, and it is much more tightly coupled to the underlying object model. I can get more done in one session with Vtenext rather than first going to ARIS BPM, then importing, and having to edit it for tight coupling."

"ARIS has an internal fully customizable workflow system called APG, which is very good, but it’s targeted mostly at creating workflows related to ARIS content, and not general workflows to support other processes inside a company."

"The tool's installation and configuration part needs to improve."

"The solution is difficult and not very exciting to learn."

"Newer versions (9.x) are technically more difficult to maintain."

More ARIS BPA cons

"We are now using microservices but there are some areas where the coordination with FileNet is problematic."

"The service as it currently stands is out-of-date and lacks flexibility."

"The place of improvement is merging or combining all of the workflow functionality into one seamless tool. Now, there are multiple installations that are different. Case Foundation, before you can put Case Manager and you've got IBM BPM, and the roadmap is there to merge them altogether. But that's the struggle at the moment, it's having multiple installations and disparate workflow applications."

"The cloud version could use more stability."

"The limitation is only for customization because IBM doesn't support it."

"The solution can be quite expensive."

"There is a need for more open and flexible integration capabilities, allowing seamless collaboration with a broader spectrum of business process management solutions, beyond the confines of IBM's document management offerings."

"Once a workflow is launched then it stays static forever, which is a problem because if there is a change in the business then you cannot change the workflow."

More IBM Case Foundation cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"I would recommend the product to only enterprise companies because of the pricing."

"It is well worth the investment in the enterprise."

"The product is inexpensive."

"The price could be better."

"Negotiate. Price is high so make sure you’re getting the best deal."

"ARIS has different licensing mechanisms for different modules, but they are perpetual licenses. So you pay once."

"The product is expensive."

"The price of the solution is reasonable."

More ARIS BPA pricing and cost advice

"IBM Case Foundation is a little expensive."

"This is not an expensive solution and we are using the standard license."

"Pricing is in the mid-range, it is not cheap, but it's not expensive."

"The price falls in the middle range—not overly expensive but not extremely affordable either."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

16%

Computer Software Company

12%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Government

15%

Insurance Company

11%

University

Computer Software Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about ARIS BPA?

The most valuable features of ARIS BPA are its flexibility and reporting.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for ARIS BPA?

Pricing for ARIS BPA is average, not cheap or expensive. It's cost-effective and worth the money we pay.

See all answers

What needs improvement with ARIS BPA?

ARIS BPA needs to be more accurate when generating documents. While it covers many blueprints and functions that I need, the document generation feature could be enhanced for better accuracy.

See all answers

What do you like most about IBM Case Foundation?

A valuable feature includes seamless integration with the document management system, along with robust capabilities in analytics and reporting.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for IBM Case Foundation?

It was affordable, but right now, ten years later, the cost of the product is extremely high. That's why we are looking for another product.

See all answers

What needs improvement with IBM Case Foundation?

See all answers

Comparisons

SAP Signavio Process Manager vs ARIS BPA

Compared 24% of the time

ADONIS vs ARIS BPA

Compared 10% of the time

Camunda vs ARIS BPA

Compared 7% of the time

Bizagi vs ARIS BPA

Compared 6% of the time

Visio vs ARIS BPA

Compared 6% of the time

More ARIS BPA Competitors

IBM Business Automation Workflow vs IBM Case Foundation

Compared 45% of the time

iGrafx Process360 Live Platform vs IBM Case Foundation

Compared 27% of the time

OpenText MBPM vs IBM Case Foundation

Compared 27% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

ARIS BPA

July 2025

Download ARIS BPA product report

Buyer's Guide

IBM Case Foundation

July 2025

Download IBM Case Foundation product report

Also Known As

ARIS, ARIS BPM

Case Foundation, FileNet Business Process Manager

Overview

ARIS is the market-leading solution for professional business process management and modeling. Whether you want to document the "as-is" state of your operations for quality or certification reasons or design the "to-be" in terms of continuous improvement in your transformation program, ARIS is the best choice for establishing a single source of truth regarding all process excellence topics in your organization. It is for any organization looking to digitally transform their business, increase operational excellence and customer experience and ensure compliance in execution. ARIS helps you to make the most out of your processes with Process Mining, Risk & Compliance Management, RPA and much more.

What makes the difference?

The most comprehensive platform for process excellence in the market
Easy to use
Covers business & IT architecture from all angles
Full flexibility and >100 diagram types
Customer-driven development based on best practices
Strong partner ecosystem

ARIS is the market-leading solution for any organization and ideally suited to digitally transform the organization, increase operational excellence and customer experience and ensure compliance in execution.

Software AG

IBM Case Foundation is for organizations that need to harness unstructured information and integrate it with business processes to drive critical business decisions. It enables organizations to create, manage and optimize case-based processes and is designed to decrease development costs while significantly improving process performance. Case Foundation links specific pieces of content with a structured workflow. It's an on ramp for organizations that choose to move from document-centric workflow solutions to the advanced capabilities of IBM Case Manager.

IBM

Sample Customers

Tesco, Weifu, Airbus, Siemens, Proximus, Alicorp, Sekerbank, Bancor, Philips,Sky, Emirates NBD, Dubai Municipality, Suva, U.S. Army, Australia Post, Westfalen Weser Energie - ARIS serves customers across all industries and of every size worldwide. Companies trust ARIS as the market leader for process excellence with more than 30 years of experience in the market, 10 million users worldwide, from 1 user companies to the Fortune 500.

Suncorp Group Limited

Buyer's Guide

ARIS BPA vs. IBM Case Foundation

July 2025

Free Report: ARIS BPA vs. IBM Case Foundation

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