SAP PowerDesigner Reviews

As part of my consultancy business I provide training for PowerDesigner users, face-to-face and online. Working directly with clients or as part of subcontracted project work, I provide mentoring for users and customise the tool to fit the client's needs.

The majority of my clients use PowerDesigner for various types of Data Modelling and Database activities, along with Data Governance, Process Governance and Enterprise Architecture.

I use PowerDesigner myself for managing my own workload. For example, I use a Requirements Model to manage the tips and tricks I plan to include in my blog, and a customised Enterprise Architecture Model to manage my training portfolio. PowerDesigner includes a 'Free Model', which I use to manage and generate my library of PowerDesigner scripts.

The architecture of PowerDesigner is designed with extensibility in mind, supporting comprehensive customisation and automation features which allow customers to make the tool fit the way they want to work, embedding those new features directly into the tool itself. For example, the built-in Template Language enabled me to add a feature to export the structure of a Data Model as a JSON-format file for ingestion by a Data Governance tool.

Even if you don't customise or extend PowerDesigner, the tool is still the easiest modelling tool to use, with spreadsheet-like editing capabilities, the ability to link to or replicate (in a managed fashion) objects from a different model. The bi-directional traceability between objects and models is also a key differentiator - whenever you connect two objects together, that connection is visible from both objects (this may sound obvious but, believe me, other tool vendors don't seem to think it's important enough).

SAP have invested a lot of time and effort into improving and extending the capabilities of the PowerDesigner Web Portal. Following the most recent release, users can create and edit Conceptual, Physical, Requirements, Business Process, and Enterprise Architecture models using a standard web browser as well using the client software.

I'm looking forward to the day when the Web Portal supports every type of model, including Logical Data Models. I also would like to see better support for NoSQL databases.

I have been using SAP PowerDesigner for fourteen years. 

There are organisations with hundreds of users, very large models, and very large repository databases. It works.

The documentation is excellent, and more comprehensive than that supplied by the competition. However, even the best software documentation doesn't support you through your day-to-day modelling activities, which is why I wrote a book "Data Modelling Made Simple with PowerDesigner".

The technical support is very good, utilising SAP' standard customer support portal. I have interacted with technical support at another vendor, where everything is done by email, making it very difficult to keep up-to-date on a case.

I have used many modelling tools (possibly more than 10) over the years; when I set up my own consultancy I had a choice of tools to focus on, choosing PowerDesigner. I do also provide some consultancy and customisation for Idera ER/Studio Data Architect.

It's very easy to install. If you want to install a simple repository database, that's really easy as well - SAP provides a licenced copy of SQL Anywhere, which you can deploy anywhere (as the name suggests).

The list price for PowerDesigner is competitive for the base Data Architecture features when compared with the major competitors, especially when you consider the features that SAP don't charge for such as the Repository, Web Portal and 'Viewer' software. However, the pricing for small consultancies needs to be improved. The competing vendors often have special offers that make the tool more affordable, which is vital for data management consultancies that have to buy the tools that their clients use.

A powerful modelling solution has to be selected, implemented and managed in the same way as any other enterprise software - before you evaluate tools make sure you've documented your modelling process and the metadata you need to manage. Run a 'Proof of Concept' first - so you actually know what you're letting yourself in for and how much work you may or may not have to do to get it to work the way you want.

I am a computer designer and I consult to various companies. I use PowerDesigner for my own system modeling, which I then share with engineers and ultimately, the customer.

Examples of the types of modeling I do are insurance billing and banking products.

I do a data-centric design, so for me, the data analysis and design tools are the most valuable features.

The interface is user-friendly. Because of the graphic nature of it, it helps you to be able to manage complicated systems much easier.

Better support for integration with open-source technologies is needed. For example, I try to use open-source databases such as Postgres and MySQL instead of Microsoft, DB2, or Oracle. However, I think it's lacking in capability from the tool to the database.

In the future, I would like to see data manipulation capability where you can actually write SQL queries and manipulate data from directly within the tool.

I have been using SAP PowerDesigner for more than ten years.

PowerDesigner is definitely stable. I have been using it for a long time and I have had no crashes. It just works.

Because SAP is pushing it and they use it as a design tool, I think it's very scalable for collaboration. However, I have no idea in practice because I'm just using it myself.

In the time that I have been using this product, it has never been necessary to contact technical support. I think that the help files, along with what you can find using Google, are explanatory enough.

The two other products that I have used are erwin Data Modeler and Enterprise Architect. I switched because of the scope and the user-friendliness of the tool. PowerDesigner used in conjunction with SQL Server is quite amazing. They work well together.

The initial setup is straightforward. There's nothing complex about it.

It will take some time to teach yourself how to use the product, but the installation is nothing. It's an hour or two to deploy it.

I bought the software outright and do not pay a licensing fee.

I have been looking for a tool to interface seamlessly into an open-source environment, and what I have found to be lacking is a visual database prototype tool. I would like something like, for example, Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio that can access the data instead of just the definitions for it. I am constantly searching for an open-source tool that can do not just modeling, but data manipulations or data definitions in a better way.

I certainly recommend using this product, although it wasn't cheap so cost is a consideration. Price is a complaint that I have for most design tools in the IT world, as most of them are extremely expensive. Corporations and large companies can use them effectively.

For me, the GUI is definitely a pleasure. At the same time, there is a steep learning curve when dealing with bigger and bigger systems. Fortunately, the tool helps with that.

I would rate this solution a seven out of ten.

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 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.

My primary use case for this solution is to design databases, but I have also used it to design processes.

I also know how to add new features and program using the API. We added some new features to PowerDesigner about five years ago.

The most valuable feature is that we can convert CDM (Conceptual Data Model) to PDM (Physical Data Model), and then prepare an SQL statement to be executed.

It has a powerful engineering feature where if you change the data on a secure server then it will change it in PowerDesigner, too.

This solution has good tools for big data, where you can manage large and complex databases. By comparison, tools such as Enterprise Architect and Visio have problems with big databases.

This product does not have a good BPMN Modeler. Also, the simulations for BPMN modelers are not integrated well enough. If we want this functionality then we have to use another program. Compare this to Visual Paradigm, where we do have a good simulation for the BPMN modeler. 

It is a very stable solution, which is one of the advantages of using PowerDesigner, especially in big databases.

I have not had to speak with technical support for this solution. 

The setup of this solution is easy, but using it is rather complex.

Everywhere that I have used this solution, it was installed by somebody else such as a consultant. However, the installation was easy.

I would rate this solution a nine out of ten.

• 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.

• 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....

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.

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.