IBM Blueworks Live Reviews

Collaboration is most valuable. You can collaborate online with many people. People can comment, and you can comment back. It is just like a social network, and that, for me, is very good.

It is easy to make diagrams in this solution. It is running pretty well for me.

Anything to support printing out a big diagram would be good. Most often, we like to print the models out on a large piece of paper. It might already be able to do that, and there is probably a button to make a PDF version for an A0 paper size.

There should be an option to import from and export to Microsoft Visio. Being able to move files back and forth between Blueworks Live and Visio would be good.

They can make it less expensive.

I have been using this solution for two or three years.

It is very stable.

We don't have a lot of people using it. It is just for the analyst team. So, we never had to think about scalability.

IBM's support is good in Australia. They provide a response to us fairly quickly and within a day or so.

There is no installation. It is an online solution, so all we need to do is log in. 

Making it less expensive would be good.

We evaluated ARIS and Visio (from Microsoft). We chose this product because it supports the BPM language, and that's what we want to adopt into our business.

I would recommend this solution. It is pretty good. I am pretty happy with it.

I would rate IBM Blueworks Live a nine out of 10.

Our primary use case of this solution is for business process mapping for clients that come on board with us. We use it for engineering work, mapping their processes, evaluating their concerns with a process mapping exercise, and then providing recommendations for the engineering. I'm the director of professional services and we are customers of IBM Blueworks. 

Blueworks has provided us with a steady set of templates to utilize for mapping. We were previously using different platforms for some of the geos, but Blueworks has given us a consistent standardization across the organization to do all our process mapping on one platform.

I like the way this solution utilizes standards rules for connectivity. We develop a map which can't be done arbitrarily, it requires following a series of rules for adding decision boxes or connecting activities with one another, that kind of thing. I love the control factor.

I think the spaces could be improved, it's not well organized so it's really convoluted. Instead of having spaces represented by any sub-sections of a process, the space controls are lacking. If there were better user controls for user grouping, it would be simpler to develop groups and reduce visibility across the entire organization. Currently, people have access to processes they may not need for editing, but they'd like to view them, and those controls could be expanded. It's really about improving user management and space controls. It's really hard to litigate and control who has access to what.

For additional features, I'd like to see better tools for creating documentation associated with the processes, so that if you're looking for specific information regarding a process of the space, you could do a search and find it without having to go through a process. 

I've been using this solution for six years. 

I've been pleased with the stability. 

Scalability is good. It's gotten more complex recently, but adding users is very easy to do. It's not a problem once you get to the tech support people. We have seven users and they're business and technical analysts or project coordinators. 

The initial setup was pretty straightforward, it took less than two hours. The solution was implemented in-house. 

Mostly because of the usability, user management and space controls, I rate this solution a nine out of 10. 

We have procured several licenses to perform any process transformation engagements that aid in the normal business processes.

The most typical use cases are the automation of the uplink and process documentation is one of the activities. The focus is more on process architecture and internal architecture.

Those are the areas and engagements that are preferred.

We provide our licenses to our clients to document their processes and create certain analyses. It is done in their environment and then we transfer the workspace into their environment.

For me, what I find to be the most valuable is its simplicity and the association with Microsoft Office. Typically when we talk of process designing, visual comes to our mindset.

It's quick to learn. The learning curve is very condensed.

The cloud version is very handy, but a specific feature that I like the most is the visual import. 72% more can happen through visuals. 

The quick transition from visual and the ability to show that onto a tool. We need a great import mechanism and with all of the tools that I have worked with, Blueworks is one of the best for importing the visual.

One of the other elements would be a quick design. We can create quickly and convert from one model into another model, such as from a discovery model into a process model, with just one click. It helps people like me when we are doing a ground paper approach and we are training the client and they are trying to document it. Now we can document it and show them the process benefits.

Currently, there is no other tool that is more cost-effective on the market.

The movement is similar to Aris, and Praga, it's very difficult for the users. 

Because it is cloud there has to be a satellite, but when it comes to the process of implementing the world is leaning towards more complex documentation. With the building model, they want to see with the integrated workflow, and automation systems that can be managed and controlled. They have the automation machines but they need more attributes, controls, encryption, and more information because right now it's limited and needs to be improved.

Better integration with specific systems.

There is no BPMN documentation. Currently, they only have a tool offering of processing the BPMN Model. There are no choreographic models or they don't have models where multiple lanes or tools can be created.

You can't specify a notation that is not BPMN and I would like to be able to use multiple lanes.

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. Adding more BPMN modules to it is an important next step.

While it is scalable, I don't see it being equal with other enterprise solutions.

In the next release, what I would like to see added is more speed from an architecture perspective, adding more press information, such as controls, and adding KPIs for performance indicators. I would also like the ability to set that because the functionality is more important. A process is not seen in just the transformation of input, output, and scalability.

There is a model that changes the way the client use processes.

I have been using this solution for approximately two to four years.

This is more a question regarding your connectivity because it is on the cloud.

It's very stable. We have never experienced any issues. 

If the connection is running slow, it depends on what the latency is. If it is hooked up into a high-speed network then it's very stable.

It is scalable within a scope. 

It goes hand in hand with stability and keeping the tool light and you can keep adding elements. As you add more elements, it becomes a heavy toolset that takes up more on the cloud which will take longer to connect, experiencing latency.

We have contacted technical support and they are pretty good.

There are three levels required:

1. The response time.
2. The ability to resolve the issue in a reasonable time.
3. Guiding us to the right type of finish.

At all levels, they meet the requirements and are pretty good.

The initial setup was straightforward.

It's on the cloud, so as soon as we pay, it's setup. It's as simple as putting in the user ID and you have access.

We had help with the implementation. I was not satisfied; they had no certification and there was no formal training. There is no certification in the market, but we have an alliance with IBM that provides us with technical assistance.

The cost-effectiveness is very high.

They have a free subscription model that gives a lot of power to the users.

It's on the cloud so it automatically gets upgraded to the latest version.

My advice to others always ask questions, which is what I always tell my clients. You should be very observant, especially of why you are looking for processing. If your requirements are completely different from what the tool has to offer, then it will not be a good match and you will be setting up a recipe for a disaster.

Look into IBM Blueworks. It is an active light tool and is it a proper architecture tool, which can do a lot of analysis. If you are looking for such a tool then this product is for you. It is cost-effective compared to any tool on the market.

I would rate this solution an eight out of ten.

The primary use case is process discovery and modeling prior to process deployment using the IBM Business Process Manager (BPMS) solution. It includes the capture and management of process governance roles against processes such as process owners. This was in a publicly funded emergency services organisation.

It raised the process maturity of the organisation from a low level to a reasonable degree of awareness and introduced some process language and conventions to the organisation. The SaaS solution was quick to set up and use.

The solution is quite easy and visual to use for stakeholder collaboration such as during workshops.

It did improve process maturity and floated the idea of the process governance roles but the organisation lost interest and found new tools (toys) to play with.

Along with the IBM BPM solution, the costs escalated too much and were unsustainable for a relatively small organisation.

The most valuable feature is the support for BPMN 2.0 because it is an industry standard.

Blueworks is easy to use.  If you want a very simple quick and easy solution for fairly simple workflows, this is a good choice.

I believe that the APQC cross-industry process hierarchy and some linear single role workflows can be imported.

It has a built-in capability to capture process owners and managers against processes along with other process governance roles. The 'milestone' models are quite good for discovering architecture and then moving into workflow modeling.

The models produced are not sufficient to be imported and used by IBM Business Process Manager - the developers will need to use the IBM BPM modelling functionality to design processes.

The user interface is quite easy at first but process analysts soon run into roadblocks of limited functionality, which is disappointing.  For example, anything but a fairly simple 'happy path' workflow soon becomes tangled with the process flow lines being routed automatically and looking messy and off-putting for stakeholders.  In the version I used (I'm not sure if this is different now), a modeller cannot move any of the model components and re-route the flows; this can be mitigate by using the 'milestone' functionality which enables you to 'stage' a workflow - but this has limited effectiveness and also has the side effect of introducing artificial stages into the 'milestone' view of the model.

The workflow management functionality is so basic it was almost pointless. I was looking for some functionality and realised there isn't any - it is just a list of tasks which get sent as emails to users.  Again, very simple 'happy path' workflow.  If that is all you need, then this produce is fine but there are other similarly-priced solutions that have more extensive user forms, document and email generation etc. that can be configured closer to a full SaaS application.

IBM had an alternative product that was more comprehensive in its functionality but this was discontinued.

I have used Blueworks Live for 24 months, with 12 months in each of two different organisations.

Very stable.

We had a few performance issues occasionally that frustrated the team.

Not too bad.

I've used this in two organisations between 2012 and 2017 - the functionality didn't seem to have changed much from my perception as an end user.

Very easy browser-based, cloud-hosted SaaS solution - the way most solutions are heading.

In the first instance, direct with IBM; in the second instance, via a reseller.

It's fairly cheap and scalable for simple process discovery applications.  It is easy to use.  There are more comprehensive solutions at a similar price.  Beware that there is a minimum contract period and some fixed annual costs.  With a larger number of users, it would like make sense to switch to a proper BPMS such as Appian (although I've not used Appian).

Not really, it was recommended by IBM as part of the IBM BPM package.  Other solutions (Hitachi) were evaluated against this but I was not part of that process.

Unless you really want a simple solution for process discovery only and value simplicity over the ability to exploit more functionality, I see Signavio as a much better option.  Of course, IBM may develop Blueworks.

We primarily use the solution for business process modeling.

The business process discovery is excellent. The diagram or blueprinting functionality of the solution are very good. It's quite easy. You can link the sub-processes and get a big overview of the whole process then.

In relation to sub-process links, the design is poor. On one process you can link back, but the system doesn't link it to the activity directly. It's not that obvious to people, and because of this, they have to read the different notes to find out more. 

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.

Process diagrams can sometimes be confusing. The starting point is at the bottom of the page and not on the top of the page where it actually should be.

It would be good if the control points were visible right away on your progress map.

I've been using the solution for about six months.

I've found the solution to be quite stable. It's never crashed or anything when I've been using it.

The solution can be used quite widely within different departments. This requires a bit of work for the administrator as they'd need to design different folders and access to them, but it is a scalable solution. Right now, in our company, we have about 50 users on it. Most are editors or contributors. I'm unsure as to if we plan to increase usage.

This solution is currently replacing Microsoft Vizio or other office tools such as PowerPoint, Word, or Excel within our organization.

The initial setup is easy. The solution is easy to use and doesn't require that much training. For deployment, we have a two-hour training session for users. We didn't deploy in an organized way because we weren't in a hurry to start using the tools. It could have been done better on our side, but even so, it was pretty straightforward. In total, it may have taken us two days to set it up.

The initial training was handled by a consultant.

We use the cloud deployment model with IBM as the provider.

If you are planning to use the tool wisely, it's a good idea to name conventions, terminology, and structures around doing so right at the beginning. Considering how you will use the tool will help ensure it won't get too messy. During the discovery phase, it's a good idea to create discovery tables. It will help keep you organized.

I'd rate the solution seven out of ten.

We primarily use the solution for process discovery, from end to end.

The mega process maps are very easy to use. You can do standard things like indicating which applications to use or to look at different pieces of information that are linked to the process. This helps with polices, etc.

The solution is a very basic discovery product so it doesn't have that much modeling capability. This can be improved.  

The solution needs to be seamlessly integrated with downstream automation.

The solution is stable. All the refreshes run very well.

The solution is scalable. It can work for companies that have 50,000 or 200,000 users and can be managed quite well.

Technical support rolled out according to the licensing scheme. 

The initial setup is straightforward. The solution offers up a lot of documentation that helps with the process. Deployment takes about one month.

The licensing costs are based on the number of users. There are editor licenses and UA licenses.

We use the on-premises deployment model.

I'd advise users that they need to look at how relevant the discovery process is, and how quickly you can maintain it or its life cycle as things change. They should also note how it interfaces with other platforms that are integrated into their automation robotics. It's important users know what they are doing and what problems the solution will solve for them.

I'd rate the solution seven out of ten. It's a competitive field, so there's always somebody who's better in some aspects.

We are resellers. Our use case varies from client to client, but the most common are for initial demonstration, cut mapping, and workshops with the clients.

We are always looking for opportunities to expand. We work with clients, but we also look at our processes internally and where we could streamline some of those.

We are using the following tools from the IBM DBA portfolio: Blueworks Live, BPM, ODM, and RPA.

We have implemented the IBM Automation Platform for Digital Business with our customers, but not internally.

We use automation in a few different areas. We have a number of internal (as well as external) processes, like expense reporting, sales handoff, and time tracking, which are all done in the IBM automation suite.

In terms of direction, one of the things that we value of a tool is not just that we are getting benefit from it, but can we apply that benefit to other client situations. One of the things that we look at when assessing if something is a candidate for automation: "Is it repeatable, or is it something that we could bring about to our customers?" This is definitely something that we consider when we are thinking about automation.

It has the ability to document in different formats. It is not tied to a specific model. You can look at it from different angles and see the intuitive nature of it. It always generates a valid diagram. You cannot create something that is not BPMN compliant.

It is very usable. That is probably one of its biggest selling features: Its ability to have someone sit down and spend a couple minutes on it, then they are off and running. 

In the past, we have seen some projects not start on time. This is because we had some process gaps in our automation. By removing those and getting the right people involved at the right time, we were able to send notifications and make sure the information was in the right place. This has really helped to eliminate that risk.

We would like the ability to add additional custom colors. We would like to color additional items to add notes to the blueprint.

We would like to see more robust API access. We want it to be able to interact not just through the front-end, and have the ability to integrate with other systems more easily.

The reporting and analytics features have room for improvement, as well as some of the management and governance. These should be done out-of-the-box, as opposed to being built manually.

The system is very stable, if it is setup the right way.

The cloud versions that we use for custumer-facing things are usually more resilient, as opposed to us standing something up internally. Sometimes, we miss something, or something is not setup exactly right, but these are not product issues.

It's very scalable, either horizontally, adding more servers to the cluster, or vertically, where we are increasing the server size. It is pretty easy to keep up with demand and being able to spin things up and down.

We don't have a lot of interaction with the technical support. In most cases, we are the technical support, since we have the background. For Blueworks, they are very responsive. 

Often, we will either log tickets ourselves or log tickets on behalf of our customers. Then, the Blueworks support team is very responsive and will get back to us right away.

We try it ourselves before putting in front of our customers.

The initial setup is straightforward. For Blueworks, because it is cloud-based, they stand it up for you and provision it usually within 24 hours.

The solution has increased productivity and reduced operating costs (in soft costs). 

It saves time, probably a couple days a month, but this is dependent on the process. E.g., it reduces our onboarding from about five days to three days. Therefore, it saves us about 30 days over the course of a year. This is how it helps us from a business process management use case.

For automation projects, the ROI varies depending on the tools. The RPA capability definitely has the fasted ROI and lowest investment. However, we see a more significant ROI with some of the deeper automation tools, like BPM and ODM.

Our licensing costs are very minimal, because we get a lot of the solutions for free (as a partner).

We only work with IBM.

Try it out. It is clear once you start using the solution that it is a different type of application. There is no direct competition to the tool.

I don't think that there is another product out there quite like it. There are some competitors certainly, but they are either more complex, costly, or too simplistic and not geared towards process documentation.

The integration process is pretty open-ended. You need to be fairly technical to make it work, but we have seen success in integrating it with QuickBooks and Salesforce. Now, we are looking at other systems to integrate it with, as well.

I learned the best approach to adopting process improvement across an organization from using this solution.

This is the best process analysis tool on the market.

Blueworks Live gives insight into where processes can be more productive. It gives that, "Ah ha!" moment from a visual perspective. Since a lot of people are visual, having this is helpful as it provides the ability to tweak, update, and refine processes so easily in Blueworks Live, that feeds improvement.

It enables decisions based upon processes that we do model, and ultimately move forward with.

The solution has improved our business processes.

The usability is easy peasy. Most of the users from the business who do use Blueworks Live have found the tool through me. I end up training them on it, and they have been using it ever since. They don't usually come back to me for needs after the fact. 

We haven't yet been able to dabble in case management with Blueworks Live, as it is not yet offered with the product.

The stability is rock solid. I don't have any issues with stability.

I don't have any issue with scalability.

I haven't had to use the technical support, so that is saying something.

The initial setup was easy.

We are seeing ROI from this solution. The solution has saved us time.

This is the only product that I have used in this space.

I would recommend starting small when using this product.

We are using IBM BAW. We are also using Automation Anywhere throughout the organization, so the sky is the limit. We are planning to expand automation in our organization. We have several onboarding processes and still have a plethora of manual processes that we have yet to automate. Therefore, the platform is only growing.

From the IBM DBA portfolio, we are using: BAW, ODM, RPA, FileNet, and Datacap.

The solution helps us indirectly with compliance or governance issues.

I attended the business track and client success track at the IBM event, tackling one of each. The biggest take away for me was the focus on journey maps and design thinking.