2018-09-29T01:09:00Z

What needs improvement with SAP PowerDesigner?

Miriam Tover - PeerSpot reviewer
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PeerSpot user
21

21 Answers

MiomirRakic - PeerSpot reviewer
Real User
Top 10
2024-01-12T15:54:00Z
Jan 12, 2024

Regarding improvements, I suggest enhancing the connection between objects in process and data models. It's crucial to define the structure of objects, especially when dealing with standard frameworks like VMM. There should be better visualization of AROs between BPM and data modeling objects, specifying their structure and impact. For future versions, a feature similar to Bizagi, allowing users to see forms or SQL representations of objects, would be valuable for demonstrating and presenting project details to stakeholders.

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OY
Real User
Top 20
2023-08-18T14:46:00Z
Aug 18, 2023

I think that the user experience could use a lot of improvement. It would also be good to have a connection with CMDB. In particular, the gap analysis. Usually, when we work on a project, on enterprise architect tools, we start with a paper version and then connect the CMDB. PowerDesigner cannot analyze the gap between reality and the theoretical schema we build.

AndersonMoura - PeerSpot reviewer
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
2023-02-15T20:19:00Z
Feb 15, 2023

The portal of SAP PowerDesigner could be better. The tool also needs more features and integration with other products, such as Collibra. It would be interesting for SAP PowerDesigner to have more integration.

Lasha Grdzelishvili - PeerSpot reviewer
Real User
Top 20
2022-12-29T06:53:39Z
Dec 29, 2022

SAP PowerDesigner could improve by making the repository easier to understand. It is difficult to understand how the repository works because when I used logical models as part of the team, we wanted to use them together and update the older versions of the data model version but it was confusing. The repository needs to be explained. It would be helpful to have a checking system on the objects that are generated from the physical data model on the specific database to help see if there is a difference on the database side and on the SAP PowerDesigner documentation side.

Real User
Jul 27, 2023

@Lasha Grdzelishvili  if your model is connected to the target database you can execute  DBMS/Apply changes in database.... That will give you the possibility to see what's the difference between your model and the actual implementation. The results can be generated as a file (to be revised later or applied by a DBA that has the rights) or, if your connection is admin, persist the changes.  

PeerSpot user
Bhargav Thota - PeerSpot reviewer
Real User
Top 10
2022-11-16T19:23:23Z
Nov 16, 2022

One disadvantage of SAP PowerDesigner is that you cannot reverse engineer the ALTER statements, so that's an enhancement or area for improvement I'm looking forward to seeing from the SAP team in the future. That should directly reflect on the physical data models my company builds. I also want SAP PowerDesigner to be able to generate ALTER statements in the future.

Real User
Jul 27, 2023

@Bhargav Thota PD is able to generate with ALTER. You just need to go in 'Generate Database' , 'Options' tab and select 'External', instead of 'Internal' for the specific artefact (constraints, FK, PK ...). reverse engineer imports also the Alter command.

PeerSpot user
Michelle Leslie - PeerSpot reviewer
Real User
Top 20
2022-10-11T14:47:00Z
Oct 11, 2022

I've tried to use Power Designer to bring in images, which didn't work very well at all. I think it's probably one of the best solutions, but it is not at all easy to deploy in a big organization. I think it's a problem because of internal processes, and you have to find the right person to help you. SAP as a whole is a very big, complex animal.

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CV
Real User
Top 20
2022-09-07T15:43:25Z
Sep 7, 2022

The focus is more on mainstream development environments, and I see a lack of focus on the open source world. I think SAP PowerDesigner probably interfaces better with SQL Server and Db2 but not with open source databases like PostgreSQL and MySQL. I'm an Apple user and not a Microsoft user, so I would love to have SAP PowerDesigner be available on macOS and not just on Microsoft. Right now, I am forced to install parallels and run a virtual machine on my Apple.

SaadatTaghi - PeerSpot reviewer
MSP
2022-02-08T17:50:34Z
Feb 8, 2022

The solution itself does not need to be improved. However, they could add support for different languages.

FG
Real User
2021-08-30T08:29:58Z
Aug 30, 2021

SAP PowerDesigner could improve by being more intuitive and user-friendly. It does not enforce some of the integrity of the model that we would like it to retain. There are many areas of this solution that needs to be changed.

DF
Real User
2021-01-06T18:51:35Z
Jan 6, 2021

Technical support could be better and more human.

MM
Real User
2020-12-20T21:13:35Z
Dec 20, 2020

Connectivity can be improved because it's not very good. I would expect data catalog types of products to connect to the database, the repository of PowerDesigner, and get the metadata out more easily. I think as a company, once Sybase purchased SAP PowerDesigner, SAP's investment decreased. I think the number of new features and the product's development is much slower than before.

MN
Real User
2020-09-22T07:16:08Z
Sep 22, 2020

The one issue I've found goes a long way back, especially from version 6.0 onward. In 6.0 there was a fantastic modeling functionality called "Process Analysis Modeling." It was very simple and very straightforward, yet it covered practically all of the three or four important components, which the software should have. Later, that capability was taken out of PowerDesigner. It got lost somewhere. Yet it was something that was very, very nice to have. SAP, they missed it somehow. Maybe it was removed in error? If they could bring it back, that would be amazing. When we had done some of the model icons to other models attached business process modeling, was far easier. The functionality has gone away. The solution is very, very expensive. It would be ideal if it was a more affordable product.

FA
Real User
2020-08-02T08:16:41Z
Aug 2, 2020

Although the presentation for viewing the models is good, I think it could be better. From my experience with other products, the SAP UI could be improved by enabling simpler navigation, especially for non-technical users. It would be ideal if there was a more seamless viewing experience of the models. Another improvement would be to adopt more industry models, especially from the enterprise architecture dimension. You could be adopting the industry standard as with made models, UML and other forms of industry enterprise architecture models. That would enhance the whole usability and enterprise nature of the modeling t Additional features could support other model types which would improve the connectors to the increasing number of software to service packages now that a lot of the applications are moving into the cloud. We need to connect on all fronts. There is still a lot of room for improvement on the web portals in terms of the usability and the visual.

FD
Real User
2020-07-13T06:55:00Z
Jul 13, 2020

In terms of improvement, the pricing is a bit high. I didn't investigate whether we could run business process simulations like you can do with erwin's process modeling tool. I know you can do process modeling in PowerDesigner. I just don't know if you could run simulations of the process.

KB
Real User
2020-06-30T08:17:33Z
Jun 30, 2020

Checking-in models to the repository, especially when working remotely, is a slow process than can sometimes have problems with models being corrupted. Between the client tool and the repository, the process is very chatty. Consequently, sometimes it takes forever to download a model and if it is corrupted then you won't be able to check it in or out again. It would be a nice feature if we had the ability to generate a JSON file from a model.

CV
Real User
Top 20
2020-05-27T16:23:43Z
May 27, 2020

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.

Real User
Jul 27, 2023

@Carel Van Der Merwe In the DBMS tab there is an 'Execute SQL' command... (sure you need to have your model connected to the database before :)

PeerSpot user
it_user1344669 - PeerSpot reviewer
Real User
2020-05-25T07:16:00Z
May 25, 2020

Pricing for small consultancies needs improvement. They sustain prices to competing tools. The competing tools tend to do special offers. PowerDesigner SAP doesn't pay much attention to the pricing of it and there are no special offers. There's no deal for consultants, so if a consultant uses it two or three times a year they're not going to pay thousands for it. Like any product, it could do with being cheaper.

PV
Real User
2020-02-18T07:41:17Z
Feb 18, 2020

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.

it_user1124850 - PeerSpot reviewer
Real User
2019-06-18T15:09:00Z
Jun 18, 2019

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.

MahdiJalali - PeerSpot reviewer
Real User
Top 10
2019-05-22T07:18:00Z
May 22, 2019

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_user931305 - PeerSpot reviewer
User
2018-09-29T01:09:00Z
Sep 29, 2018

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

SAP PowerDesigner is a valuable solution for developing several different types of data models according to business process needs. Data models can be logical, conceptual, and physical, and can also include dimensional and relational models. PowerDesiger has the ability to integrate a designed business process model with the actual database design to ensure that all the data process steps are included in the logical model. PowerDesigner is able to use the physical model to create the actual...
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