IBM Cloud Pak for Automation vs Workato comparison

"What this product allows us to do is to move from on-prem instances where we are running independent instances of FileNet, Datacap, and ODM. It allows us to leverage container-based resiliency and availability modeling so that we have some visibility across the CP4BA ecosystem. We're now migrating all of our data to be in the Cloud Object Storage, and we can now use some of the features of Azure in terms of how we store and retrieve content for our members and our providers."

"I believe two significant features of IBM Cloud Pak for Automation are the focus on SLA management and the capability to handle parallel instances effectively. Parallel instances, for instance, are valuable when dealing with a large number of users, enabling tasks to be performed concurrently for efficient system operation. The SLA aspect is crucial for tracking and ensuring timely completion of tasks. Additionally, the cloud compatibility of IBM BAW allows for seamless migration from on-premises to the cloud. This version also includes a business rule management system for storing and managing business rules effectively."

"The best feature of Workato that I especially appreciate is its low-code, no-code platform, enabling us to primarily use these methods even when client's requirements are atypical."

"Their automation and workflows are very strong, and you can build the workflows very easily and quickly."

"It is easier to use than other technical open-source technologies."

"It is very easy to use. It takes complex workloads away, and it provides very smooth integration. It has got a lot of out-of-the-box connectors. It has got a lot of out-of-the-box APIs, which makes it really easy to integrate with applications for different use cases, whether it is in finance, HR, or customer operations. It is by far our favorite integration product."

"Workato is less expensive and offers similar integration capabilities."

"The recipe-driven automation in Workato is very impressive; for the same client project, we extracted purchase orders from emails and pushed them into the file system, and the automation worked as expected without any issues with the Workato email connector."

"Workato allows us to streamline our operations by replacing multiple legacy systems with a single integrated platform."

"Moreover, AI automation simplifies integration development by understanding requirements from prompts and creating the necessary automation."

"I believe there is room for improvement in the user interface, particularly in the Process Portal that customers use to view and manage their tasks. The UI of the Process Portal needs enhancement. Additionally, in the next release, I would like to see improved compatibility with Angular, allowing for direct integration with front-end systems. It would be beneficial to have built-in GUI features based on Angular within the system, rather than developing separate applications externally. This, in turn, would provide a more seamless and enhanced front-end experience."

"One of the challenges we're having is finding vendors who have experience in developing on the cloud. We can find developers on the old platform, but it is leading-edge technology. So, we are having some challenges, and IBM is assisting us to find vendor partners. To be able to leverage all the capabilities of the new platform, we have to upgrade our existing ecosystem of FileNet applications. Upgrading to the new platform while trying to modernize is always challenging because it is like you have a moving target."

"One area for improvement is the CI/CD pipeline, which lacks a version control system similar to GitHub for easier deployment."

"From a technical standpoint, the security features at the data orchestration level could be more organized, and improvements in certificate management are necessary."

"It is tedious to make a tailor-fit function."

"The only minor drawback would be if there was a UI at the front of it, for apps and for a portal as well, it would make it really easy. It would be really useful if there were more apps capabilities."

"There are areas of Workato that have room for improvement, and they continue to develop their AI capabilities."

"There are storage limitations in Workato. The event streams come with a limitation of only 512 KB."

"Integrating on-prem applications is challenging, even though they have an on-prem agent."

"The data flow and debugging processes need improvement, especially for tracing issues. Additionally, Workato struggles with scalability when handling high volumes of data, such as terabytes, requiring chunking for initial data loads."

"Its cost is almost the same or comparable to what we pay with FileNet, but I'm not sure what we pay a year. A good part of CP4BA is the CPU-based licensing model. When we're dealing with 50,000 dentists, for example, if we were to use Salesforce, we would be hit with the licensing of 50,000 dentists, whereas when we build out in CP4BA, it is just based on our CPU usage, not on individual licenses."

"IBM Cloud Pak for Automation is relatively expensive, especially considering it is designed for long-living processes, not for normal automation needs. On a scale of one to ten, I would rate the pricing at around 9. There are no additional costs beyond the standard licensing fees, but IBM has multiple pricing models that make it expensive in its own way. Different plans are available, but overall, the experience suggests it is a costly solution."

"Workato is an expensive solution."

"Speaking about price, I would say that it's market-related. Also, there are costs in addition to the standard license fees since different add-ons depend on what you require."

"On a scale of one to ten, the pricing is around a six. We have a consumption model and the pricing is higher. If you are using any kind of ML-based approach, machine learning, or some advanced analytics, you may have to pay more."