2018-08-09T07:01:00Z

What advice do you have for others considering Visio?

Julia Miller - PeerSpot reviewer
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62 Answers

MB
Real User
Top 20
2023-11-02T14:38:00Z
Nov 2, 2023

I rate Visio a seven out of ten. I recommend it for beginners. However, I advise others to use it along with additional software.

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Enas Selim - PeerSpot reviewer
Real User
Top 10
2023-11-02T08:12:00Z
Nov 2, 2023

The rationale behind its efficiency lies in the seamless integration through plug-ins. You can simply plug in, install, and immediately engage in your business activities simultaneously. It requires minimal expertise, except for a basic understanding of business modelization concepts, allowing you to swiftly implement your own configurations without the need for extensive knowledge. I would rate it 7 out of 10.

Mark Bielz - PeerSpot reviewer
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
2023-11-01T06:48:00Z
Nov 1, 2023

I recommend Visio to others and rate it a ten out of ten.

AA
Real User
Top 20
2023-10-30T03:55:00Z
Oct 30, 2023

I rate the overall product an eight out of ten.

AF
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
2023-07-24T11:55:00Z
Jul 24, 2023

To those planning to use it, I would say that it is the simplest tool. Overall, I rate the solution a nine out of ten.

Tarun Singh - PeerSpot reviewer
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
2023-04-06T13:41:57Z
Apr 6, 2023

We are Microsft partners. I'd rate the solution seven out of ten. People should consider the solution. However, there is a lack of customization available.

Learn what your peers think about Visio. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2024.
765,234 professionals have used our research since 2012.
DE
Real User
Top 20
2023-03-28T17:42:44Z
Mar 28, 2023

I rate this solution 10 out of 10.

SunilAgarwal - PeerSpot reviewer
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
2023-03-10T10:48:34Z
Mar 10, 2023

We extensively use Microsoft products. I'd recommend the solution to other users. I would rate the solution eight out of ten.

Csaba Molnar - PeerSpot reviewer
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
2023-02-16T10:15:00Z
Feb 16, 2023

I am using the latest version of Visio. I would rate the solution a seven out of ten.

Anthony Busulwa - PeerSpot reviewer
Reseller
Top 5Leaderboard
2023-01-18T11:09:50Z
Jan 18, 2023

Around fifty people use Visio within my company. People in the company use Visio whenever necessary, but I use it more frequently. I talk to customers a lot, and I'm part of the sales process, which means I need to create diagrams, so I use Visio a few times a week. My usage is usually greater than other developers in my company. I don't have any particular advice for people who want to use the solution, but Visio is a user-friendly product and easy to use. My rating for Visio is eight out of ten because it's a good product. My company is a Microsoft user.

SE
Real User
Top 20
2023-01-12T20:25:06Z
Jan 12, 2023

My company uses Visio, but not very frequently. My rating for Visio is eight out of ten.

MB
Consultant
Top 5
2022-12-05T20:15:28Z
Dec 5, 2022

Here is some practical advice when using connectors between blocks/symbols: Put your blocks where you want them and insert the connector lines last. This will expedite the completion of your graphics and reduce the time spent making line corrections. While Visio is somewhat intuitive, Microsoft hasn't bothered to make significant improvements in it over the years. Visio is in serious need of improvement despite its usefulness.

Greg Swain - PeerSpot reviewer
Reseller
2022-03-18T21:43:00Z
Mar 18, 2022

It had the same struggles the entire time it has been around. It is a good tool, but it got a little bit of a learning curve. Sometimes, you got to figure out how to make the line snap correctly so it is not really confusing, but it is a valuable tool. People want to use it. I would rate it an eight out of ten. It is a really good application for what it does. I'm sure there are one or two other solutions out there that are pretty good, but I don't have a lot of exposure to them.

BP
Real User
2021-12-31T11:47:00Z
Dec 31, 2021

We're a customer and an end-user. We're using the latest version of the solution. I'd recommend the solution. It's always a useful tool. Instead of using other drawing tools, I'd say that this one is likely the best option. I'd rate the solution at an eight out of ten.

ME
Real User
2021-11-07T09:12:00Z
Nov 7, 2021

I would rate Visio an eight out of ten. It's a product that's been known. Many people use it. It's got an established install base. It's not flawless by any means, but since it does allow some intimacy with the Microsoft products, that's probably its greatest thing, and in a business environment, that's important. Because of its cost structure, a lot of organizations are trying to figure out if there are alternatives out there, which there are. Those other products can do much of the heavy lifting that Visio does at a cost point that, in some cases, is very attractive.

NS
Real User
2021-10-20T05:42:19Z
Oct 20, 2021

I would recommend this solution to others. I rate Visio a ten out of ten.

SK
Real User
2021-09-20T16:03:14Z
Sep 20, 2021

I rate Visio a nine out of ten.

EE
Real User
2021-08-30T11:25:19Z
Aug 30, 2021

There are five people, network engineers, who use the solution in my organization. I would recommend it to others. I rate Visio as a ten out of ten.

VS
Real User
2021-07-21T18:59:22Z
Jul 21, 2021

It's important to understand your objectives, understand who the audience is and your needs. You can then make a call as to which solution suits. It's not an easy solution for non-technical folks and is generally used by technical staff in technical IT departments within corporate companies. I started as a technical person so haven't had issues with it. I really like that it's easy to draw stuff out. You don't need PowerPoint for a standalone diagram that you have only from a collaboration perspective, like the confluence etc. If you're doing a standalone diagram, trying to communicate the message in a visual format, Visio is great. I rate this solution a seven out of 10.

KD
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
2021-07-05T10:42:22Z
Jul 5, 2021

Visio is that it is a reasonable product. I see Visio as something similar to Coral Draw, but more vector-oriented. For example, no picture, but vectors. I classified Visio more as a standard drawing program, it tries to be something else. I am drawing more and more diagrams in UML and Visio is not the ideal tool. If I was going to rate Visio for generalistic drawings, it would be a solid eight. It is a good product, there is nothing wrong with it. However, this is not my main use case. I rate Visio a five out of ten.

GA
MSP
2021-07-01T18:20:49Z
Jul 1, 2021

This is a very powerful and useful tool. You can create all types of diagrams and I consider it a must-know option. I rate this solution a nine out of 10.

LT
Real User
2021-05-31T15:09:46Z
May 31, 2021

I would recommend this solution to others who are interested in using it. I would rate Visio an eight out of ten.

DM
Real User
2021-05-23T23:39:14Z
May 23, 2021

I'm using the latest version of the solution. I can't speak to the exact version number. We use both cloud and on-premises deployment models at this time. I'd advise any company considering using the solution should first have a Microsoft team in place. I'd rate the solution at a five out of ten.

XR
Real User
2021-04-08T22:34:56Z
Apr 8, 2021

Be aware that it is easy to get lost in all the different things to do with it. I would rate Visio a nine out of ten.

NR
Real User
2021-04-07T21:01:05Z
Apr 7, 2021

I would tell potential users that it depends on how you use it. You can use Visio for everything from designing networks to organizational charts. You can also use it for so much more as it's a very versatile tool. There are a lot of Visio stencils that are available on the web. Use those. Just do your homework. But there's just a lot of people who have contributed to creating various open-source Visio stencils. Most product vendors have already created those stencils. You don't need to go and recreate it on your own. You can go to NetApp or VMware, or Cisco and download the stencil for their products. Then it makes it very easy to use and integrate. On a scale from one to ten, I would give Visio a nine.

OR
Real User
2021-04-01T10:08:17Z
Apr 1, 2021

I rate this solution a seven out of 10.

MM
Real User
2021-03-09T17:24:38Z
Mar 9, 2021

I'm not sure what type of business relationship our company has with Visio. My role usually revolves around working with Visio and various website engines. I'm not sure which version of the solution we're using. One of the key things for a company considering Visio would be to establish some guidelines for how Visio should be used and how it's used to augment existing workflows for the customer company. For users, it would just be to gain comfort with the tool shortcuts and get to know the tools, strengths, and any weaknesses. That you may perceive and just understand them and the solution becomes easier to work with. I'd rate the solution at an eight out of ten. It's just a reliable workflow for me so it's a pretty good tool. Lately. it has also been pretty stable.

AB
Reseller
2021-02-23T21:56:43Z
Feb 23, 2021

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

SD
Real User
2021-02-22T21:28:54Z
Feb 22, 2021

I primarily use the solution myself for my own projects. I'm a customer and end-users. In general, I would rate the solution at a six out of ten. I would recommend this product, however, at the same time, I suggest to everybody to know and practically use several tools, so as to keep up their overall knowledge and skills. For some purposes, it is easier and more reliable to use one tool, and for other purposes, it is more reliable to use another. I do not recommend to anybody globally to work alone with one tool, separately from all the world.

AC
Real User
2021-02-22T17:53:22Z
Feb 22, 2021

I would recommend the product and I think it's very useful for any person that works in a company where you need to visualize the process you work in and to analyze ways of improving. I would rate this solution more highly if it was easier to extract data but for now I rate Visio an eight out of 10.

reviewer1498125 - PeerSpot reviewer
Real User
2021-02-17T04:36:05Z
Feb 17, 2021

In the near future, I would like to see an updated product with diagram usage in BPM systems. I would recommend Visio to other companies if money is not a problem. Overall, on a scale from one to ten, I would give this solution a rating of eight.

NE
Real User
2021-02-12T13:29:00Z
Feb 12, 2021

We use an older version of the solution. We don't use the latest one. It might be either the 2015 or 2016 version. We're customers and end-users. We aren't consultants or resellers. We don't have a business relationship with the company. We are big clients, however. We have a volume license. Overall, I would rate the solution seven out of ten.

KS
Real User
2021-02-03T20:37:29Z
Feb 3, 2021

If you have a need for flowcharting, organizing, or creating diagrams, I think you should check it out. It's worthwhile. Based on my previous experience with the previous versions, I would rate Visio a nine out of ten.

TH
Real User
2021-01-26T15:07:24Z
Jan 26, 2021

I'm a consultant. I tend to use the latest version of the solution. I try to keep everything up to date. That said, I'm unsure as to which version I'm on right now. We're a small consulting shop. Right now, there's three of us and the roles are generally around facilitating business process design sessions. That's what we usually do is. Typically, I will stand up and facilitate with the client. We'll have a room full of clients - maybe 10, and sometimes it has the vendor - and our team. I will facilitate, we'll capture all of the discussions. We'll put everything on sticky notes, on a wall, with our methodology. And then my folks will capture all of that on Visio and on Microsoft Word. Then we go back to clean it all up and make it presentable. Overall, it's very easy to use. It's very intuitive and if you're documenting business processes, it does the trick. It's not like there's no other software out there that will do something similar or something as well. However, I've used Visio for so long. It's just a habit and I don't see any reason to try anything else. I'd rate it ten out of ten. There's a reason I've been using it for so long. It does everything I need it to do without having too many confusing bells and whistles

PF
Real User
2021-01-23T08:10:43Z
Jan 23, 2021

I would advise potential users of Visio to explore the third-party templates and not limit themselves to what is provided because it's not enough. On a scale from one to ten, I would give Visio an eight.

SH
Real User
Top 10
2021-01-14T13:20:57Z
Jan 14, 2021

I would recommend it to new users. Today, Visio can be used by many more people because it helps in many ways. For example, when you use Office Suite Spreadsheet or PowerPoint, the extent to which you can do diagramming is limited in terms of dimensions. On a scale from one to ten, I would give Visio an eight.

MA
Real User
2021-01-07T18:29:57Z
Jan 7, 2021

I would rate Visio an eight out of ten, and that's just because I don't know how to use it fully. I know it does a whole lot. It has plenty of training. I wish I had more time to actually get really good at it.

AK
Real User
2021-01-04T16:00:15Z
Jan 4, 2021

I would recommend this solution as a starting point and as a benchmark to evaluate other tools because it is much cheaper. Also for starting modeling, database modeling, other UML, as well as other templates for modeling and business process modeling. It integrates well with SharePoint. It's a good tool to start working with and to use it as a benchmark with some more expensive tools. If those tools don't provide more features than Visio then they are not worth investing in. I would rate this solution a six out of ten.

VM
Real User
2020-12-31T21:07:00Z
Dec 31, 2020

It is a good tool for beginners or medium-level users. It is also good for those users who have experience in using Microsoft solutions. However, I don't consider it as an enterprise-architecture tool. It is a very generic visualization tool. I would rate Visio a seven out of ten for its ease of use for beginners.

MB
Consultant
Top 5
2020-12-10T11:46:00Z
Dec 10, 2020

I like to call Visio a program for the graphically impaired. I use it because I hate spending lots of time preparing graphics. I would recommend skipping any fancier alternatives. Most people might benefit from adding quality visuals to their documents but don't have design skills. In that case, I recommend using Visio instead. As long as you don't have excessive expectations, it will do what you need it to do and do it for a reasonable cost. I would rate Visio an eight out of ten.

JH
Consultant
2020-12-08T19:50:13Z
Dec 8, 2020

For anything other than project planning, Visio seems to be absolutely fine and I recommend it. This is an excellent product. As it can do everything that I want it to do, I have not really considered any room for improvement. I would rate this solution a ten out of ten.

AC
Real User
2020-11-27T17:53:18Z
Nov 27, 2020

I'm just a customer. I don't have a business relationship with Visio. For how I use the solution, it's quite good and does what I need it to do. It's unique in terms of drawing processes. That said, it is getting a little bit old. There are other solutions out there that offer many more functionalities and users can work with more information on them. That's really useful. Visio, on the other hand, doesn't have the same kind of capabilities. That's why I'm currently looking for another application to use. I want to be able to export more information from the business process management notations. Visio could potentially improve on this, and, if they don't I will have to look elsewhere for a solution that can handle this. Overall, I would rate the solution at a six out of ten due to its general limitations at this point.

MH
Consultant
2020-11-26T12:28:10Z
Nov 26, 2020

I would rate this solution a five out of ten.

MB
Real User
2020-11-18T21:42:26Z
Nov 18, 2020

It is natural and professional. It is very easy. You just align and drag and drop elements. That's the only thing Visio needs. I would rate Visio a nine out of ten.

JI
Real User
2020-11-13T12:41:15Z
Nov 13, 2020

If you are using other Microsoft products then I can recommend using Visio. I would rate this solution a six out of ten.

OK
Real User
2020-11-04T10:53:00Z
Nov 4, 2020

My recommendation would depend on a few factors like the size of the organization. If it's a small organization and it does not have so many processes, I think Visio is a good solution. For larger organization solutions like Segnavio and Orbus would be better. Those are more complex solutions. I would rate Visio a six out of ten. We don't have a holistic vision of our processes so I can't open a process. If I open a process in Visio, I can't see how it's connected to other processes.

NR
Real User
2020-11-04T02:21:23Z
Nov 4, 2020

I advise standardizing the file naming conventions so it is easier to find what you need when you need it.

RD
Real User
2020-10-29T19:06:00Z
Oct 29, 2020

My advice for anybody who is implementing Visio is to establish the right templates for your project. Templating the models is very important so that everybody has the same ones. I would rate this solution a seven out of ten.

AH
Real User
2020-10-07T07:04:38Z
Oct 7, 2020

I'm using the latest version of the solution. I use Visio now, and I'll use it going forward. I imagine I'll always use it. I have used AutoCAD, however, I prefer Visio. It's my favorite as I'm so comfortable with all of the aspects of the solution after working with it for so long. Overall, I'd rate the solution nine out of ten.

EE
Real User
Top 20
2020-09-27T04:10:12Z
Sep 27, 2020

We're just a customer. We don't have a business relationship with Microsoft. We're using either the 2015 or 2016 version of the solution. The first question a company needs to determine how complex the processes are and how much depth, how much detail they want to document. If it's simpler and they want to get away from the flow chart and then present it somewhere else (such as on a PowerPoint or a report) Visio is a great option. However, if you want to actually manage your processor, simulator, have a database, or have workflows in order to get approval within different departments or, for example, create documents after a flowchart, then I'd recommend other programs. Overall, I'd rate the solution seven out of ten.

SE
Real User
2020-09-27T04:09:59Z
Sep 27, 2020

The only real comment I have for people thinking of adopting Visio is that it is pretty easy to use if you are looking for this type of solution. On a scale from one to ten (where one is the worst and ten is the best), I would rate Vizio as an eight-out-of-ten.

RS
Real User
2020-09-13T07:02:29Z
Sep 13, 2020

I'm comfortable using this solution and I would recommend it. I would rate this solution an eight out of 10.

DM
Real User
2020-09-08T09:10:03Z
Sep 8, 2020

This is a product that I can recommend, albeit for limited use. If you just want to draw basic models and create systems diagrams, and not do anything too clever and link it together, then it will work well because it's quite flexible and easy to use. I would rate this solution a seven out of ten.

MA
Real User
2020-08-04T07:26:13Z
Aug 4, 2020

It's a good product and I can recommend Visio to others. I would rate this solution a seven out of ten.

BR
Real User
2020-07-13T06:55:38Z
Jul 13, 2020

I would rate this solution an eight out of 10.

PL
Real User
2019-11-18T07:22:00Z
Nov 18, 2019

I would recommend this solution to others because it gives you a quick view. You can demonstrate in a short period what you want from the managers. Sometimes, however, the program is not compatible with some protocol standards, like ArchiMate. So I would like to see a better interface in the future. On a scale from one to 10, I rate Visio a seven.

AL
Consultant
Top 5
2019-09-05T06:26:00Z
Sep 5, 2019

If you are considering modeling business process to BPMN 2.0 standards, you must purchase the Visio Professional version as the Standard version does not include the BPMN functionality.

KO
Real User
2019-06-04T07:43:00Z
Jun 4, 2019

I would tell somebody considering this solution to understand why you want to use the product in the first place and have a clear understanding of what your goals are. What would you like to achieve with having that product? Ensure that the goals are measurable, then implement. I would rate Visio a seven or an eight.

it_user1024038 - PeerSpot reviewer
Real User
2019-05-29T10:40:00Z
May 29, 2019

I rate Visio as an eight out of ten on a very conservative scale. It is an 8 for ease of use, efficiency, and flexibility. It's not 9 of 10 because it lacks integration functions. If you have a team that is not sophisticated or oriented to flowcharts, or if you don't have a lot of time to train these people, I guess Visio comes in handy as a very easy solution. When I started to train people on Visio, it didn't take more than two or three days. Even people who use iGraphics for years don't know all the features or know that they exist.

FB
Real User
2019-05-22T07:18:00Z
May 22, 2019

If you know how to use Visio and you know what you want to get as an output, then it's very helpful and easy. But, for beginners, or for anyone who wants to prepare a more informative diagram, I'm not sure if Visio is a very helpful tool. Once you have hands-on experience then it is easy to figure out. I would rate this solution a six out of ten.

VK
Real User
2019-05-13T08:56:00Z
May 13, 2019

The only additional advice I would give, Visio is one very powerful tool in the market. Not just the application, but also its effectiveness to collaborate with other applications. Everyone is using Microsoft applications; it's how you work across platforms, and this collaboration makes life easy. The individual applications have a lot of functions an features that's the reason why each of these applications is quite complex. You need to understand the functions before getting the full value of this tool. On a scale of 1 to 10, with ten being the best I would rate this product an eight-over ten because it's a tool what works in collaboration with other applications very well. I'm deducting two marks because it's still complicated for the very generic user. The solution should be developed with a variety of end users in mind. It needs to be user-friendly and easier to use for all different kinds of users and user experience levels.

CE
Real User
2018-08-09T07:01:00Z
Aug 9, 2018

To determine what product or solution you're looking for, talk to many vendors and get their opinions. The most important criterion, for me, when selecting a vendor, is customer service. I would rate Visio at seven out of 10 but I would give it a 10 if it had traceability.

Visio is an innovative collaborative solution that enables users to quickly visualize data-connected business process flows with a host of integrated intuitive features that bring the power of Microsoft 365 to Visio. Visio allows users to easily create professional diagrams, graphs, and other visual data, easily anywhere, anytime, and with anyone. Users are able to confidently and easily transform data into creative powerful visuals. Visio provides dozens of easy-to-use templates along with...
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