IBM Blueworks Live vs erwin Data Modeler by Quest comparison

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erwin by Quest  Logo
3,371 views|1,769 comparisons
94% willing to recommend
IBM Logo
3,145 views|1,978 comparisons
90% willing to recommend
Comparison Buyer's Guide
Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between erwin Data Modeler by Quest and IBM Blueworks Live based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out in this report how the two Business Process Design solutions compare in terms of features, pricing, service and support, easy of deployment, and ROI.
To learn more, read our detailed IBM Blueworks Live vs. erwin Data Modeler by Quest Report (Updated: March 2024).
767,847 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Featured Review
Quotes From Members
We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use.
Here are some excerpts of what they said:
Pros
"It is a scalable solution...The technical support team is fine.""When you're getting down to the database level, where you're building a design and you're creating DDL out of it, or you're going in the other direction where you're reaching into system catalogs and bringing things back, that starts to really require specialization. Visio isn't going to reverse-engineer that for you. Those features in erwin are valuable.""It's important to create standard templates — Erwin is good at that — and you can customize them. You can create a standard template so that your models have the same look and feel. And then, anyone using the tool is using the same font and the same general layout. erwin's very good at helping enforce that.""The product lets us import different types of models from various databases.""The solution is excellent in providing a visual representation of a database and can generate DDL for implementing changes. We use DDL for logical purposes to review with business people, ensuring they have the required fields for processing. We also use it as a data dictionary for the physical data model to understand all the purposes of the terms. This helps us map the logical and physical terms with the business definition to understand our data.""The solution is good for organizing the data and the scripting part is very powerful. It's easy to create technical scripts for models.""We find that its ability to generate database code from a model for a wide array of data sources cuts development time. The ability to create one model in your design phase and then have it generate DDL code for Oracle or Teradata, or whichever environment you need is really nice. It's not only nice but it also saves man-hours of time. You would have to take your design and just type in manually. It has to take days off out of the work.""erwin has versioning so you can keep versions, over time, of those models and you can compare any version to any version. If you're looking at a specific database and you want to see what changed over time, that's really useful. You can go back to a different version or connect that to your change-control processes so you can see what was released when."

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"The solution is easy to operate. Also, there is an automatic mode to make the business flow. You don't have to put any lines or arrows in a decision point in IBM Blueworks Live; it's very automatic.""In terms of the collaboration features, from the point of discovery, it was useful to go to load up the policies and the rule sets that the client had. And in terms of exploring options and being able to model a variety of different processes, that was incredibly useful as well.""We are you using the product as a process mapping tool and as part of a larger process improvement project. We use it with IBM BPM and IBM ODM. We get an automated workflow solution for our customers, an improved workflow automation.""For me, what I find to be the most valuable is its simplicity and the association with Microsoft Office.""You can use if from your mobile device or you can be on the desktop. It doesn't matter. You are always connected. It is cloud-based, so you don't have to install anything.""IBM Blueworks Live is cloud-based and provides easy access to all your processes in one place.""Valuable features include real-time modeling and design work, the ability to perform workshops with clients in real-time with the tool, and getting instant output.""This solution is good at utilizing standards rules for connectivity."

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Cons
"The interface must be improved.""I would like to see improved reporting and, potentially, dashboards built on top of that. Right now, it's a little manual. More automated reporting and dashboard views would help because currently you have to push things out to a spreadsheet, or to HTML, and there aren't many other options that I know of. I would like to be able to produce graphs and additional things right in the tool, instead of having to export the data somewhere else.""I would like to see more support for working with the big-data world. There are so many new databases evolving and it's very hard for them to keep up with all of the new technologies. It would be good if they were able to dynamically support big-data platforms, other than Hive and Teradata.""The reverse engineering in Oracle Databases needs improvement, as there are issues.""I would like the solution to be more user-friendly to deploy.""Although Quest Software has made tremendous strides in recent years, they need to evolve more in the big data arena; erwin Data Modeler could use a little more work when it comes to big database designs.""It does not have a cloud application.""One of the things I've been talking to the erwin team about through the years is that every data model should have the ability to be multi-language... When I was working at Honda, it became very difficult to work with the Japanese teams using just one model. You can have two models, one in English and one in Japanese, but that means you have to keep the updates back and forth, and that always increases the risk of something not being updated."

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"Spaces are not well organized; space controls are lacking.""I can't insert any images. For example, within the process map, if I want to put it in the box or rectangle, or circle. If I have to use one image or icon, that's not possible.""IBM Blueworks is BPMN 2.0 compliant, but it does not adapt to the overarching BPMN 2.0 concepts.""The objects that the solution creates are not unique.""In the solution Signavio, they have a customer journey mapping feature that should be added to IBM Blueworks Live. It's valuable to map or document the customer journey to identify the pains and opportunities in this process.""Sometimes, the tool is automatic, which can complicate it, but once you're accustomed to manipulating it, you can use it very effectively.""It is BPMN-compliant but the tool needs to be more involved to get into a completely 2.0 oriented tool. It has a few things but it's not the complete BPMN model.""The font size is really, really small and it's really not useful to print out process models because you cannot read what's written in different boxes. This makes it necessary for people to have access to the tool. We view licenses to see how the printing or output is. It's not very good."

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Pricing and Cost Advice
  • "The primary reasons that erwin was selected were that it was much more affordable for us [than Embarcadero] and it was easily maintainable."
  • "This company had bought the license for three years, and it's not an individual license. While you can buy a license for each individual, that would be very expensive. There is something called concurrent licenses where you can purchase licenses in bulk and 15 to 20 people can access the license and model. Concurrent licenses are scalable to the number of users and are proportional to the cost."
  • "An issue right now would be that erwin doesn't have a freely available browser (that I am aware of) for people who are not data modelers or data engineers that a consumer could use to look at the data models and play with it. This would not be to make any changes, but just to visually look at what exists. There are other products out there which do have end user browsers available and allow them to access data models via the data modeling tool."
  • "The price should be lower in order to be on the same level as its competitors."
  • "I wish it wasn't so expensive. I would love to personally buy a copy of my own and have it at home, because the next job that I'm looking at is probably project management and I might not have access to the tool. I would like to keep my ability to use the tool. Therefore, they should probably have a pricing for people like me who want to just use the solution as an independent consultant, trying to get started. $3,000 is a big hit."
  • "There are no costs in addition to the standard licensing fees."
  • "I don't specifically know what we're paying now. About three years ago, in another organization, I have this memory of 6,000 AUD a seat or something like that, but I am not sure. In the mid-2000s, it was something like 1,200 AUD a seat. I get the impression that there was a price jump when it was spun off from CA as a separate company, which is understandable, but it could sometimes be a barrier in some organizations picking it up. I haven't talked to erwin people yet, but I'm going to suggest to them that they could perhaps think of having an entry-level product that is priced a bit lower, and then, you can buy the extra suite."
  • "The price of erwin Data Modeler is very expensive, in particular for this part of the world."
  • More erwin Data Modeler by Quest Pricing and Cost Advice →

  • "Based on the licenses purchased, from a footprint perspective, you can have as many people as you want. You have multiple different categories of licenses to keep the cost low."
  • "We are seeing ROI from this solution. The solution has saved us time."
  • "They have a free subscription model that gives a lot of power to the users."
  • "Making it less expensive would be good."
  • "The solution is not very expensive."
  • "There are editor licenses that are around 50 euros per month, and contributor licenses that are around 30 euros per month."
  • "Price wise, IBM Blueworks Live is in the middle range, and I would give it a five out of ten."
  • "The solution is very, very cost-effective."
  • More IBM Blueworks Live Pricing and Cost Advice →

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    Questions from the Community
    Top Answer:Forward engineering, DDL generation, reverse engineering, and reporting are the most valuable features of the solution.
    Top Answer:The solution's model mark could be better because it crashes sometimes.
    Top Answer:The solution is easy to operate. Also, there is an automatic mode to make the business flow. You don't have to put any lines or arrows in a decision point in IBM Blueworks Live; it's very automatic.
    Top Answer:The solution costs around 600-700 dollars/year, which is quite affordable.
    Top Answer:Sometimes, the tool is automatic, which can complicate it, but once you're accustomed to manipulating it, you can use it very effectively.
    Ranking
    9th
    Views
    3,371
    Comparisons
    1,769
    Reviews
    11
    Average Words per Review
    432
    Rating
    7.9
    12th
    Views
    3,145
    Comparisons
    1,978
    Reviews
    8
    Average Words per Review
    495
    Rating
    7.8
    Comparisons
    Also Known As
    erwin DM
    IBM Lombardi Blueprint
    Learn More
    Overview

    erwin pioneered data modeling, and erwin Data Modeler (erwin DM) remains trusted, award-winning software for data modeling and database design, automating complex and time-consuming tasks. Use it to discover and document any data from anywhere for consistency, clarity and artifact reuse across large-scale data integration, master data management, metadata management, Big Data, business intelligence and analytics initiatives – all while supporting data governance and intelligence efforts.

    IBM Blueworks Live is a cloud-based business process modeling tool that helps discover, map and document processes and accessible anywhere through a browser and that generates industry-standard BPMN 2.0 layouts, documentation and output. Tutorial videos guide you through creating and editing a simple process model, allowing you to learn and perform business process modeling in minutes.
    Sample Customers
     Premera, America Honda Motors, Aetna, Kaiser Permanente, Dental Dental Cali, Cigna, Staples
    Cloudsoft Corp. Ltd., Bayer, S¾SS, Essex County Council
    Top Industries
    REVIEWERS
    Financial Services Firm28%
    Insurance Company21%
    Government14%
    Energy/Utilities Company7%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Financial Services Firm19%
    Government10%
    Computer Software Company9%
    Manufacturing Company7%
    REVIEWERS
    Manufacturing Company33%
    Financial Services Firm17%
    Comms Service Provider11%
    Government11%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Financial Services Firm21%
    Government9%
    Insurance Company9%
    Computer Software Company9%
    Company Size
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business33%
    Midsize Enterprise7%
    Large Enterprise60%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business16%
    Midsize Enterprise10%
    Large Enterprise74%
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business23%
    Midsize Enterprise5%
    Large Enterprise73%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business13%
    Midsize Enterprise10%
    Large Enterprise77%
    Buyer's Guide
    IBM Blueworks Live vs. erwin Data Modeler by Quest
    March 2024
    Find out what your peers are saying about IBM Blueworks Live vs. erwin Data Modeler by Quest and other solutions. Updated: March 2024.
    767,847 professionals have used our research since 2012.

    erwin Data Modeler by Quest is ranked 9th in Business Process Design with 37 reviews while IBM Blueworks Live is ranked 12th in Business Process Design with 20 reviews. erwin Data Modeler by Quest is rated 8.6, while IBM Blueworks Live is rated 8.2. The top reviewer of erwin Data Modeler by Quest writes "The product lets users import different types of models, but it is expensive, and the interface must be improved". On the other hand, the top reviewer of IBM Blueworks Live writes "An easily scalable and affordable solution that enables users to document and digitize processes with ease". erwin Data Modeler by Quest is most compared with SAP PowerDesigner, IDERA ER/Studio, Visio, Lucidchart and Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect, whereas IBM Blueworks Live is most compared with Visio, SAP Signavio Process Manager, Lucidchart, ARIS Cloud and Camunda. See our IBM Blueworks Live vs. erwin Data Modeler by Quest report.

    See our list of best Business Process Design vendors.

    We monitor all Business Process Design reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.