SAP PowerDesigner Reviews

Reverse engineering a database in order to produce documentation for client to understand their database in order to support their application, perform data migration, perform system analysis, perform impact analysis, and write interfaces.

This product is very useful when starting a new project. It helped the consultant to understand the database.

No issues encountered.

I've been using it for about 15 years, starting with v5.0

No issues encountered.

The product is very stable, even with no maintenance updates to purchase. There were a few bugs I have found, which I just learned to work around.

It's very good.

It was implemented in-house.

We also looked at what is now CA ERwin Data Modeler.

It is a great product to use, but the client does not really need to purchase the software, as the consultant can reverse engineer the database, and then create the data model and documentation in order to deliver to client. The client can use the read-only version of PowerDesigner.

I am working for the partner of the vendor of PD. My jobs include implementing, training, customizing, and extending PowerDesigner.

One of my tasks is to develop automation that makes end users more efficient in their work.

It can automate many routine tasks and save human resources to focus on real problems.

The most valuable features are its user-friendly extensibility, impact & lineage analysis, and source/target mappings. It can be configured to display only relevant objects across all models, of any type. It has a public meta-model and the ability to automate many features so that the users can focus on what really matters, as opposed to the formal requirements of the modeling work.

I would like to see better team collaboration in PD. Passing models (or objects in it) from one role to another. Today, we have to solve it by custom extensions and modelling rules just written on paper (and not enforced automatically).

Support for ArchiMate would be an improvement.

There should be a better usage of current hardware including multicore CPUs, higher resolutions (UHD, 4K), and multiple displays.

I would also like to see better troubleshooting options for repository issues. In case of problems during check-in of the model to the repository, the error message just says "checkin was cancelled", but id doesn`t give you any details or hints where to look, what to repair.

I started with IBM Rational Rose and then switched to PowerDesigner. I have some experience with Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect, too.

PowerDesigner is not the cheapest solution on the market, so make sure that you are using it up to its full potential.

Our customers often choose PowerDesigner because of its wide possibilities for data modeling, together with the huge potential to automate frequent and routine tasks. This enables them to implement their own modeling methods within the tool. 

Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect is an option in terms of price, but not in terms of the number supported DBs, source-target mappings, possibilities of impact & lineage analysis, and the ease of customizability of the tool.

Before deploying PowerDesigner, do not underestimate the initial analysis of WHAT will be modeled, as well as HOW and BY WHOM. Are your users prepared well enough for the transition to PD (training, potential changes in the modeling process, ...)?

My advice for anybody implementing this solution is not to deploy PowerDesigner fully by yourself. Allow an experienced vendor consultant to explain all of the features and possibilities of the tool to you, and then just decide what and how you want or need to use.

Often, a customer will want to migrate from another solution onto PowerDesigner. That's how I primarily use the solution: migrating things over to this solution.

We use it to set up the conceptual model. From there, we will take the physical model, where we can start the different DDLs. We will use it to generate the DDLs for the database teams to implement it.

The generational DDLs and the graphics are the solution's most valuable aspects.

The solution is a very pragmatic tool. It's quite easy to use.

The solution is very good for data modeling on a conceptual and physical level.

There are a lot of design tools that are very complicated to use, and customers will not use them in detail. I find the solution to be one of the best tools in the range.

I don't know of any features the solution is lacking.

It would be helpful if there were glossary, catalog and governance tools. It would help make it a true end-to-end product.

I've been using the solution for a while. When I use the solution, the need to use it is driven more from the customer's own needs and not from my own. 

I haven't had any feedback from clients that would make me believe that there are stability issues.

I don't have any direct experience with scaling the solution. It's not something that I handle.

We've never contacted SAP's technical support. I don't have any direct experience with them.

We occasionally do migrations from MEGA HOPEX to PowerDesigner.

The initial setup was straightforward. It's not complex at all.

However, it depends on how big your environment is. It's difficult, but approximately in one week, you can start creating the capabilities and then it depends on what you want to achieve. 

The problem for the migration part is the setup of the conceptual models and the physical models. If you do the modeling between the conceptual and the physical from a migration point of view, then it becomes more complex because you have the generation of internal keys.

We don't have a business relationship with SAP. We prefer to keep our relationship independent and have no direct relationships with them at the moment.

It's certainly a good strategy to migrate to this solution from another tool, but I wouldn't recommend anyone start using it by trying out a trial-and-error strategy. An organization must think first about the migration strategy if they already have a tool and want to migrate before they start. A trial and error approach will waste a lot of time. 

I'd rate the solution eight out of ten. It's easy to use and you can get good pictures out of it.

I like the connectivity or the lineage between the models and usability.

Technical support could be better and more human.

I have been using PowerDesigner for three years.

PowerDesigner is a stable solution. 

PowerDesigner is a scalable solution. I worked in a client site where there was a repository, and there were dozens of data modelers. There wasn't a problem.

It would be better if they had a more human IT support system. They are really chuffed with their support desk, they got the dashboards, and you can log your problems.

With another vendor, you log a problem, and they call straight away. You can tell somebody about the problem. They're very nice and personable, and they know you. For SAP, you're just lost somewhere in the queue, and for me, it's not a decent response.

On a scale from one to ten, I would give PowerDesigner a nine.

• Improving retail company operations on ERP migration

• The report wizard is extensive and useful.

• You can import BPMN from Bizagi.

It has helped me to develop the as-is state, design its to-be state, and track the capital investment according to gap analysis.

• The wizard report links directly to MS Word and is very useful.

• The matrix processes and capabilities are good tools.

• It is easy and fast to use.

• The UML simulation should be improved to avoid designing other tools out of the application. 
• The data governance should be improved, like ER/Studio.

Switched because SAP PowerDesigner is easy to use.

The ROI has been 43%.

• ERwin

• Sparx System Enterprise Architect

• ER/Studio.

• Meta-model
• Template generation
• Library Models

The publicly accessible meta-model is the foundation for utility scripts, report, and general model-to-model or model-to-text generation.

Library models are referenced across projects.

• Impact Analysis
• Traceability

Set of models with a rich set of intramodal and intermodal dependencies, which caters for modelling of upstream and downstream dependencies, allowing for Impact Analysis and Traceability.

Reverse-engineering of late JDK and .NET.

Use third party parsers and enhance Object-Oriented metamodel to cater for newer language features.

No.

No.

I did not use the paid support.

No.

Straightforward.

ERwin.

Use source reference models for your industry and implement as library models.

The customized Data Model validation because, in short, PowerDesigner offers the capability to check if the the model was done following the best practices of data modeling . This capability can be customized to review other internal validation processes.

Less time spent with Data Administrators and therefore more agile approvals Data Model. This is because the Data Administrator spend less time in Logical Model validation, as PowerDesigner does the majority of the checks.

Approximately one year.

No issues encountered.

No issues encountered.

No issues encountered.

I have not used them.

I have not used them.

I previously used Erwin and I switched because PowerDesigner is a more powerful tool. PowerDesigner is more powerful than Erwin in many ways, but to highlight one, the capability mentioned about the Data Modeling is non-existent on Erwin and in my opinion, it is very important.

No other options were evaluated.

• Data modelling

• Collaborative modelling

The meta-model (a.k.a. how objects are supposed to be connected to each other) seems to be proprietary.

I have used it for six months.

We have not encountered any deployment issues.

No issues with stability.

No issues with scalability.

Customer service is good... for a price.

Technical support is good... for a price.

I have used Sparx Enterprise Architect that provides more functions for a fraction of the costs.

It was easy to install.

Setup is simple and does not require external help.

If you have a full SAP stack, maybe you can get it for a fraction of the cost....