Visio Reviews

One of the key use cases for Visio, apart from creating diagrams, is to create a rack elevation diagram for a customer in which we conducted an on-premises assessment. I use Visio to define a rack length, such as a 38 RU rack size, and place devices in specific RU positions, such as 9300 switches, F5 devices, and Citrix load balancers for that particular rack.

I have not directly tried integrating Visio with other Microsoft projects, but I have seen videos showing that integration is possible. Additionally, I have used Visio to create organizational structures, which integrates with Active Directory, allowing me to define the hierarchy including the CEO, CTO level, practice director, practice lead, and network architect.

For creating diagrams, I definitely use Visio for HLD, LLD, and traffic flow diagrams. Apart from Visio, I use Jira only if the customer specifically requests it; otherwise, I do not use an in-house version of Jira in my organization.

One of the good features of using the Microsoft umbrella product is that if I create a big diagram and then work on the HLD or LLD in Word, I can select everything from Visio and paste it as an image without needing to resize it, which streamlines the process of creating documentation for customers.

The main benefits Visio provides me include simplifying processes, saving time on manual work with diagram creation, and delivering a clean architecture, whether it is network architecture or application flow. I have created diagrams for AWS, Azure, GCP, and on-premises data centers, including rack elevation diagrams and organization charts. Modifications can be made easily and reflected immediately, and I can create PNG images to share with the executive team.

Licensing cost is one of the major points for improvement since it is quite high for personal use. People often turn to alternatives like Draw.io because of the cost, but if an organization provides a license, Visio is the preferred choice.

Sometimes it can be difficult to find icons and stencils for Visio. Often, I need to check various vendor websites to obtain the exact stencils, which can be time-consuming. However, exploring more can lead to finding that information.

I have been using Visio since around 2017 or 2018 for creating diagrams.

For stability, I would rate Visio an eight.

Regarding scalability, I would rate it from 7.5 to eight.

I have not needed to create a support ticket with Microsoft for Visio, as I have not encountered any issues while using it. Therefore, I would rate their support a nine or even 9.5, recognizing that their support system is robust and cooperative.

Positive

Visio initial setup process is very simple, as I use the organization account, and it is available through the company portal. Once installed, I can start using Visio without any worries.

Draw.io is a competitor for Visio in the market.

I have not had a chance to use the data linking feature, but I would love to use it in the future if the requirement arises.

I assigned a diagram to one of my associate engineers, asking him to create an as-is diagram using the same stencil. During this process, if I see a need for modifications, I can make them, and it becomes a collaborative effort, which is a feature I really appreciated.

If given a choice, I would prefer Visio any day, especially if the organization provides the license. I would rate this product overall an eight.

I generally don't use templates. I generally start with a blank map because I know what I want to do, since I've probably already drawn the map while observing processes and writing them down. Then I come and document them digitally on Visio. I start with a blank map and develop it from there.

I'm using Visio and Office. Visio is very important because of all the charts and business workflow. I am using Visio for this. Word and Excel are very important as we are using them on a daily basis.

We are writing analysis documents and design documents. I want to make business flowcharts or cross-function, cross-business functions to help me in writing business analysis or business design.

We used collaborative features in Microsoft Project, which was very useful. In Visio, I didn't use it in that way because I am the only one who writes this document. It wasn't important for me to have someone else modify the same document.

It is important to explain my ideas in an easy way, so it saves time. In the documentation, it is easy to make a matrix between business and departments. In one document, you can show business workflow per department. It will be easy to read, easy to understand by users, and easy to understand each person's role. This is the main use of Visio for me.

The Visio templates are nice. I use them for two things, including the employee structure.

More templates would be very useful, especially in business analysis, to make ready-made different templates that we can use directly. At the same time, you find the needed function when you use this template. For example, when you are using tabs, different tabs, you usually use certain buttons. When you use this template, you find directly the related buttons. It saves time and effort.

The price is high and should be lower because if it becomes lower, I think it would be widely used. It might be more profitable for Microsoft itself when the price becomes lower. I think people don't use Visio too much, but if the price becomes lower, it would be used widely.

I have been using it for more than 15 years.

It is completely stable.

The customer service experience rates a seven. It's very difficult to find the right person. When you have an issue and open a ticket, sometimes the wrong persons answer and don't know the solution. They shift you from one person to another and sometimes it takes weeks to find a solution for a problem. It happened with me more than one time.

Sometimes the answer is misleading. For example, we had an issue in Enterprise Group in KSA, and we raised a ticket with Microsoft. They sent us a document of 170 pages with possible root causes and solutions. The cost to deploy this 170-page solution was too high and the needed time was months. It was almost not an answer. If they don't give me a specific reason, they haven't replied to my question. We neglected the document from Microsoft and started deep diving and finally found the solution ourselves.

Positive

I saw more than one product but I cannot remember all the names. I think one was from Google and one from Amazon. I didn't use the Amazon product. There are other products, not from big names, that make nice products. Some products are very easy to use and very friendly, more than Visio. I found some products very friendly. I prefer Visio because I found my needs inside Visio, especially for matrix and tabs. The options to make cross-functions exist in Visio in a nice way.

The setup is simple and normal, with no issues.

I am using Microsoft products plus Odoo.

I prepared for Business Central and completed one implementation for it.

I didn't think about how to use Visio as an integrated solution. I only use it inside Word to be part of the document.

I don't have additional suggestions because I find my needs inside Visio.

My overall rating for Visio is 10 out of 10.

I am generally using Visio to create some diagrams.

Visio should implement more complex tools or graphics to facilitate processing and use flexible templates. It should allow users to easily drag and drop some previously created diagrams. The tools supplied or provided are very basic, and there are not enough tools for design.

Overall, Visio is stable for my needs.

On the scalability front, the aspect of increasing the number of endpoints is relatively easy to handle.

While I like Microsoft products in general, the main issue is with the licensing options and the problems associated with them. The customer service provided by Microsoft is satisfactory.

Neutral

Previously, I tried Moo Draft and Lucidchart as alternatives to Visio. There are also many other alternatives such as Raw.io.

Overall, it is easy to install.

I can manage the installation process by myself.

I have seen some return on investment in the form of time savings, which is approximately ten to twenty percent.

One of the main problems with Visio is its licensing options and associated issues, which lead to discussions about the price with a Microsoft representative. If asked to rate the price, I would give it around nine points out of ten, indicating it is somewhat expensive.

I have considered Lucidchart and Raw.io as alternatives to Visio.

I'd rate the solution seven out of ten.

We mainly use Copilot for code quality reviews, security vulnerability findings, and other AI-related tasks which assist developers in having a better code output ratio.

For Visio, we use it for business case definitions, user story creations, business flows, component diagrams, architectural diagrams, class diagrams, and everything that makes pictorial representation required.

Visio was very comfortable to use compared to draw.io; the UI was friendly, and it was easy to draw images, but draw.io has its limitations.

Visio was quite useful in Word and PowerPoint, which I miss in draw.io.

I cannot say anything that needs improvement in Visio; it was quite user-friendly, but I think the organization may have found it costly.

I have been working with Copilot for almost six months now.

I have been working with Visio for almost more than five or six years, and it was a fantastic tool; very flexible with many templates available.

From one to ten, I would rate the stability of Visio as eight.

For scalability, I would rate it as eight.

I do not have any direct experience with Microsoft technical support because it is managed by our company experts.

Positive

I was using Visio, but it is not anymore supported in the organization; we are now using draw.io as our official drawing tool.

The initial setup for Visio was very simple.

I do not know about the cloud deployment, as Visio was installed by our local IT team, and we just used it.

If given a choice, I would prefer Visio, but draw.io is also comfortable due to organizational decisions.

Currently, we are not using SonarQube; we have not moved to another vendor, but we are using GitHub Copilot for all coding-related reviews and assessments, static and peer reviews.

I am not using GitHub Copilot because I am into program management now, but my team is using that. I manage my team, and this is an organizational decision to go towards GitHub Copilot.

I am using Azure Copilot, which comes along with Microsoft Office 365. The last time I used Visio was approximately mid-September 2024.

Visio was a good fit for my needs, and I was totally satisfied with its functionalities. I definitely recommend Visio to other users.

Overall, I rate Visio at eight out of ten.

Neutral

I mainly use Visio for various modeling purposes, such as enterprise architecture, process modeling, and strategy modeling. I have used it to do all the architecture disciplines, including security architecture, and have been building a meta-model for the organization. I also did use cases between different systems using Visio.

Visio's flexibility has allowed us to map data modeling, process modeling, and strategy modeling, despite the lack of a formal repository. It has enabled translating specific diagrams into actionable models, even though the entirety of our modeling isn't perfectly cohesive due to its limitations.

One of the most valuable features of Visio is its extreme flexibility. It allows for creating networks, floor layout plans, engineering diagrams, and more. The availability of numerous templates and palettes in Visio is another strength. Visio uses standards, making it easier to get palettes and icons globally. The capability to perform various types of modeling is also a big plus.

Visio should be object-oriented to enable the reusability of objects across different models. Currently, changes made in one model do not automatically reflect in other related models. Having a repository behind the objects would significantly improve its utility, providing a structured environment for managing various architectural components and their relationships.

I've been using Visio for the last 30 years and have gathered substantial experience over this period.

Visio is a stable and well-used tool globally. It has a vast user base, affirming its stability and reliability.

Visio is scalable, but scalability introduces governance issues due to the lack of a repository. Standards and quality control become pivotal to maintaining consistency and coherence across models.

I typically resolve issues on my own using Google and have not heavily relied on customer support.

Positive

Previously, I have used tools like Casewise and the product by IntelliGO known as MAP. These tools offered the object-oriented capabilities and repositories that Visio lacks.

Initial setup of Visio is quite straightforward. For someone with substantial experience, like myself, it rates around eight out of ten for its ease of use.

Visio is one of the cheaper tools in its field. It's not a complex tool which keeps the cost down. However, the functionality available matches the price you pay.

I have evaluated other solutions in the past, such as SAP Power Designer and iServer. iServer complements Visio by providing a knowledge repository, addressing the lack of an object-oriented backend in Visio.

I recommend using Visio if you do not have any other tools. It is a cost-effective option for starting to model and set down your requirements and specifications as models. Even if you eventually move to more advanced tools, starting with Visio helps establish a strong foundation in modeling.

We use Visio for architecture designs and flowcharts.

It's easy to embed Visio in a Word document. We can keep the Visio flowchart active so that we don't have to copy and paste for any updates. Visio can be directly opened and updated from Word. Sometimes, we lose from where the original flowchart was. That's not the case with Visio since it is well-integrated.

Visio requires a lot of memory, and it is not good for a small design. It slows down the Word document because it takes time to load.

I have been using Visio for three years.

The solution's stability is fine because I haven't noticed any crashes. However, it's very slow and takes time to load and exit.

Visio is a scalable solution. More than 20 users are using the solution in our organization.

Visio is easy to deploy, and one person is good enough to install it.

We have seen around eight to ten percent time savings with Visio in terms of document quality, and good documents save a lot of money in technical communication.

When you document something and want to make a flowchart, you can import a Visio drawing in Word instead of drawing it in Word. Once we link it like that, any updates on the Visio side or the doc side remain active throughout the project. The prints are also good because the quality is good when you convert from Visio to video. Our documents are mainly internal technical documents, and we majorly use Word, Excel, and Visio.

The solution does not require maintenance. Microsoft provides updates, and periodic maintenance of the tool is handled remotely. I would recommend Visio to other users because it is a good solution.

Overall, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.

With Visio, I create visual representations of business processes, which helps people understand the notation and communicate ideas effectively. I use BPMN templates to depict these use cases.

Visio is used to show processes in a way that people understand easily.

The task sequencing, the process level views, and the ability to communicate between lanes are valuable features in Visio. It is intuitive for users to drag and drop templates and figures, making it easy to use.

In terms of enterprise architecture, Visio is limited. It is also behind in supporting AI-related projects and might need better integration with other products.

I have used Visio for over 20 years.

Visio is stable, although my version is at least five or six years old. Stability can be impacted by the age of the software and whether updates are being applied.

Visio is the poor man's version of a modeling tool, and it does not scale well.

I have never used Microsoft's support for Visio specifically. However, I face challenges with Microsoft for personal systems due to constant new requirements. For Visio, I don't receive updates under my current subscription.

Positive

I used QualiWare in the past, finding Visio to be less complex in comparison. However, the switch was due to the perception that QualiWare was too hard to use and not user-friendly.

Initial setup can be tailored to different levels of complexity, starting with high-level mission statements and breaking them down into business units and value chains.

It usually involves teams, which could range up to twenty, thirty, or forty people depending on the size of the project. Small activity teams handle more short-term deliveries.

I purchased an older version of Visio and pay about twelve or thirteen dollars a month, but this subscription does not include Visio updates. For other solutions like project management or architecture tools, specialized tools would be more effective.

I would prefer an easy-to-use, comprehensive enterprise architecture and portfolio management tool that is integrated. 

There should be a strong linkage between portfolio management and architecture to ensure efficient management of inventories and life cycles. 

Additionally, a multi-disciplinary approach in architecture delivery can help address various requirements promptly.

I'd rate the solution seven out of ten.

Our class is using Visio to write and test code, program modules, and similar tasks.

I could jump into it and learn the basics pretty quickly. It is probably a really powerful tool if I took the time to learn all of the features and functions of it, but I could jump right into it as a beginner programmer and just write code, test my code.

I did not use it to an extent to suggest any improvements. My use is so limited and for such a short time, I could not make any of those suggestions. The user interface was okay. 

The tools panel at the top, et cetera, seems really complicated. That said, I am a beginner user. It might be more useful for intermediate and advanced users.

For the length of the class, about a month or so.

Visio is stable. I had no crashes in my usage.

I did not deal with Microsoft support or their customer service. I don't recall any interactions with Microsoft support within the past few months.

Positive

I did not use any other business process design or similar products before using Visio.

The initial setup was straightforward. It was really easy; just install and open it.

I did not use the paid version. I used the free version for students. I know lots of programming IDEs have free versions.

I thought it was really useful, and I was able to jump in as a beginner, so I don't see why not.

I'd rate the solution ten out of ten.