GVision P15BX-AB Touchscreen Display
Mfg # P15BX-AB-459G
CDW # 1191884
| UNSPSC 43211903
Quick tech specs
- screen, LCD display, 1024 x 768 max resolution, VGA (HD-15) interface, DVI interface, 1 year warranty
Know your gear
Gvision firmly believes that professional know-how, management strength and keen sense toward the market trend are its best assets in reassuring its valued customers with the finest quality of products, services and solutions. GVision is fully committed to a quality-first and customer-first orientation.
PRODUCT FEATURES:
Fashionable housing design with slim bezel;
High contrast color TFT LCD open frame display support resolution up to XGA 1024x768;
Compatible with IBM VGA, VESA standards;
Support DDC1/2B for Plug and Play compatibility;
Advanced OSD control for picture quality adjustment;
Stable aluminum stand base supports wide angle adjustment;
Built-in power adaptor and cable management Stand Base Design;
VESA mounting.
PRODUCT FEATURES:
Fashionable housing design with slim bezel;
High contrast color TFT LCD open frame display support resolution up to XGA 1024x768;
Compatible with IBM VGA, VESA standards;
Support DDC1/2B for Plug and Play compatibility;
Advanced OSD control for picture quality adjustment;
Stable aluminum stand base supports wide angle adjustment;
Built-in power adaptor and cable management Stand Base Design;
VESA mounting.
Enhance your purchase
GVision P15BX-AB Touchscreen Display is rated
4.10 out of
5 by
33.
Rated 5 out of
5 by
Andrew-Lim from
Easy-to-use features for creating BPMN diagrams
What is our primary use case?
I have used Visio Professional to model business process to BPMN 2.0 standard in the Logistic and Insurance Industry. Visio has been an easy-to-use modeling tool for Logistic processes, Complaints processes, Compensation Recoveries processes, Insurance processes, and Finance processes. The modeling of the As-Is process allows process analysis to design an efficient To-be process.
How has it helped my organization?
Visio is used to model and communicate the business process.
As with all process modeling software when used correctly, it has the following benefits:
* Swimlanes enable clear accountability and responsibility.
* The Data Objects are hyperlinked to the Standard Operating Procedures, Letters, and Forms.
* The Data Store is linked to the CRM/ERP system.
* The task types assigned to the task enables the identification of improvement opportunities.
What is most valuable?
The ability to create BPMN Diagrams with the Visio Professional, the ability to import Rules from the BPMN 2.0 Rule Set, and Check the diagram according to the BPMN 2.0 rules are the most valuable features.
The Align features are easy to use and keep the diagram neat and tidy as you model the business process with the stakeholders in process discovery workshops. You need to be pretty competent to be able to map the process on the spot.
The access to commonly used features with the right click of the mouse and F8 (Align) are the best features.
What needs improvement?
The Auto-Align has improved significantly from the previous release; however, you may still find the auto align features lacking if your process diagram has a fair degree of complexity. My suggestion is to keep your process model straight forward and use the intermediate Link Event or End Signal Event to break up, simplify or connect the the rest of the process map.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution for five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
This is a stable solution. When working with a complex process model, ensure that your computer has sufficient RAM to support multiple software and multiple displays (three monitors) running concurrently.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Scalability is not applicable.
How are customer service and technical support?
I have not required customer service or technical support in using Visio.
If you previously used a different solution, which one did you use and why did you switch?
Visio is the first software that I used to start modeling business processes.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup of this solution was straight forward.
What about the implementation team?
This solution was implemented in-house through the IT Support Team.
What was our ROI?
The ROI for this solution is hard to quantify.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The cost of the software is reasonably priced.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I did not evaluate other options before choosing this solution.
What other advice do I have?
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.
Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2019-09-09T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
Venkatesh Mulabagilu from
Easy to use for beginners and allows us to import Visio templates, but its visual presentation, support for other formats and integration with cloud vendors need improvement
What is our primary use case?
I use it to create architecture diagrams.
How has it helped my organization?
It serves purpose to help one get started, but it is not designed to create Modern day Data pipelines or to visualize and Manage Enterprise Architectures.
What is most valuable?
It is very easy for people to start using this tool, and we can import Visio templates that are already published by vendors such as Azure without any issue.
What needs improvement?
a) Its integration with other vendors can be better and support for other formats. For example, when we import a JPEG, we cannot customize it. Similarly, we can't utilize the BPML kind of diagrams.
b) It should natively enable importing diagrams or reference architectures from any of the vendors whose solutions are used by the customer or proposed by solution providers such as DXC
For example: AWS, GCP, VMWARE etc
We can't work in isolation in a multi-cloud or hybrid cloud world. This is a necessity.
c) The tool has to support more collaboration capabilities so that I can co-create architectures within the organization or with my vendor partners or customers
d) As compared to some of the other vendors like Lucidchart, Visio is quite old-fashioned in terms of visual presentation. It is not up-to-date. Its visual presentation should be improved.
e) Rather than static diagrams, the tool should support API level integration like SAP Power Designer or EA tool from SAP so that deployment of solution becomes easier.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution for at least five years.
How are customer service and technical support?
I have not called their tech support. If I want to know something, I normally find YouTube videos, and I have been able to manage so far.
How was the initial setup?
Its installation is easy nowadays. It is not complex.
What about the implementation team?
I did the installation.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I use Corporate subscription-based model, and the subscription is done on a yearly basis. Of course, we need internal approvals in place to get license.
What other advice do I have?
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.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2021-01-03T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
reviewer1326891 from
Very flexible, easy to use, and stable
What is our primary use case?
As process improvement professional I map out current state processes either at the value stream or swim lane level, at times both. With current state I identify pain points and bottlenecks do root cause analysis, identify possible solutions, and make recommendations on which ones I think would be the most effective. Then incorporate them into a proposed future state.
How has it helped my organization?
Once we developed custom templates and shape libraries it provided a common look and feel that our stakeholders have come to understand, which is helping them to develop a continuous improvement mindset.
What is most valuable?
We are all familiar with it, and it is easy to use. There is a lot of flexibility, and you can create custom templates with standard shapes.
What needs improvement?
It would be nice if we could develop a custom database. We have looked into this functionality, but all of the other solutions that have a database are very locked down, and you have to use them their way. You can't define your own systems, tools, and inputs etc. For example, if we have systems that are used in multiple processes, and we want to know what processes use those systems we should be able to query the database for processes that include a specific system. A uses case could be system X being phased out so we need to know what processes will be impacted, so that we can ensure that those processes are all taken into account in any decisions to replace that system.
Additionally, Visio should have the ability to capture metrics such as demand, work time, cycle time, .. for each step in the process. Then those metrics should be able to be linked to a spreadsheet to enable data analysis that remains aligned with the process map so that changes remain aligned between Visio and Excel. Other systems attempt to provide this functionality, but the spreadsheet functionality is not as robust as Excel.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Visio for six years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
There are no scalability issues. We are a nationwide company, and there are around 5,000 users.
How are customer service and technical support?
I never had to contact them.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I never used another solution long-term, but I have evaluated various and continue to see Visio as the best option.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was easy. It has been around for so long. All of us have used it before, so it is not like it was new to us.
What was our ROI?
Good.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Most other tools are expensive.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I was already using Visio for years before evaluating other options.
What other advice do I have?
I advise standardizing the file naming conventions so it is easier to find what you need when you need it.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2020-11-05T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
reviewer1288554 from
Flexible and easy to use in architectural modeling, but it needs better integration with external data sources
What is our primary use case?
The primary use case is modeling architecture requirements.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable features are ease of use and flexibility.
One of the things that I like is the automation from external data.
The user interface is fine.
What needs improvement?
I would like to see better integration with external data sources.
Sharing work with colleagues is sometimes an issue with this product.
I would like to see integration with Microsoft Teams.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Visio for the past fifteen years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Visio is a very stable product.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Given that it's a desktop application, you can't scale it. You can't do much and sometimes, sharing is an issue.
How are customer service and technical support?
I have never used technical support.
They do have lots of videos and everything is available online.
How was the initial setup?
As it is a Microsoft product, the installation is easy.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The yearly cost is approximately $400 CAD ($300 USD).
What other advice do I have?
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.
Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2020-10-31T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
reviewer1446360 from
Has a good interface but it needs better third-party integration
What is our primary use case?
We use Visio for process diagram.
What is most valuable?
The interface is the most valuable aspect of this solution.
What needs improvement?
My colleagues are not satisfied with this solution for many reasons. They don't see end-to-end processes or the layers of one process.
When you use a BPA solution you can open an end-to-end process in one window, go down, or go up between layers to different places. You should be able to see descriptions of the steps of the process.
Integration with third-party vendors is another aspect that needs improvement.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Visio for three to four years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
We don't have any stability problems.
How are customer service and technical support?
We have local technical support. We have an IT department and the department solves all of our problems. They contact local support if need be.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The price will always be high. It depends on the organization size, how many processes there are, and what requirements you have for the solution. If you require additional features like analysis, it will be a different price. It's a balance between requirements and price.
What other advice do I have?
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.
Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2020-11-10T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
Shelley Engen from
Better for visualizing various types of workflows than more primitive methods of tracking
What is our primary use case?
I am an HRIS (Human Resources Information Systems) specialist. I use Visio for a variety of things.
* I do work charts on it.
* I do WiX (Windows Installer XML).
* I do all swim lane mappings.
* I do process mapping.
That pretty much covers it.
What is most valuable?
The ability to do my mappings is the most valuable feature in the solution. It is the reason I have and use the product.
What needs improvement?
I am fairly happy with the program. That would be about 90 percent happy. There is not really much that is wrong with it.
The only problem I tend to have is that sometimes when I am moving objects around within the interface I lose the formatting or it changes type or linking. You have just got to get used to the connectors not staying in the right spots or how they behave as you work with it and know how to repair it. When you are moving stuff around the joins sometimes just do not go where you want them to. That is the join arrow or shapes or connectors might intuit what you are trying to do in another way than you might intend.
It is an issue with learning the user interface and working within the behaviors of the program. When you move stuff around and it might move off the visible page, you just have to know to resize to make it fit in the view again. That part of the interface could be more intuitive or left to the control of the user.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using Visio for least eight years although I think it is closer to ten, actually.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is a pretty stable solution. I do not experience much in the way of bugs or glitches.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I do not really have experience with scalability when it comes to this solution. In my department, it is just me using the program. Outside my department, I guess our IT department and our business analysts use it. I know because we are involved in doing some work with the IT department and they use Vizio extensively. I would say there are like five or six business analysts in that area who use it. I guess if you need to scale usage, you buy another license.
How are customer service and technical support?
I have not had to contact technical support.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Before using Visio, we did not use to do a lot of process mapping and our work charts were done in Excel. I was already fairly familiar with Visio, so that is why we got a Vizio. Vizio is a part of the package for the Microsoft suite, but it is an additional cost. So Vizio is not in the standard package but it is a product that is very compatible with familiar components in the Microsoft Office suite.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup and installation were easy. It was even less than an hour, I think.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Visio is about a $180 dollars to purchase. It is a one-time licensing fee.
What other advice do I have?
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.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2020-09-28T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
Alberto Hidalgo from
Intuitive with an easy setup and a good interface
What is our primary use case?
I primarily use the solution to make new core designs. I connect the designs to the projects I'm involved with.
What is most valuable?
I love that interface a lot. I've been involved with design my whole life, and this solution is an excellent program in terms of assisting with design projects. You can work on quite large projects with Visio.
I've used the solution for so long, and I have so much experience with it, I'm quite comfortable using the technology.
The solution makes it very easy to make exciting pictures and designs. Everything is very intuitive and simple to figure out.
What needs improvement?
I'm not sure of the features that are missing. It's a pretty complete solution.
In some instances, I do feel that AutoCAD is a better solution to use. I find AutoCAD makes better lines and has a few better capacities.
The maintenance of the solution could be better. It might be better on a PC. I'm not sure.
I'm not sure if Visio is the best for 3D designs. One does have to make a bubble. It's typically better to do such designs in AutoCAD.
I find that, in order to get money, advertisers, etc., AutoCAD is a better solution.
The user interface could be more robust. It can export to AutoCAD, however it doesn't do so very effectively. You really struggle with exports as they end up exporting in different forms. It doesn't translate exactly. What is white in Visio ends up being black in AutoCAD. Ultimately, you have to go and fix everything. It's not that easy. You end up losing quality.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've used Visio in the past 12 months.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
In general, the solution is pretty stable. However, occasionally, we do experience a bug or glitch.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability of the solution depends on the project. You can only put it on so many devices. We have a rather large company, so we have quite a few people on the solution. Not everyone in our organization uses it. It's just specific departments. We're in telecommunication, and we use it in our department specifically.
How are customer service and technical support?
I'm a big fan of support. They've been very helpful in the past. I'm satisfied with the level of service they provide to me.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I'm also used to AutoCAD and I can make beautiful designs with it. AutoCAD is more complicated, the final drawings are not better than with Visio. That's the main difference.
However, when you have to sell something like Architectura, the screen isn't as clean on AutoCAD.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup isn't too complicated. It's straight forward.
You have to spend your time with it in order to funny understand the solution in the beginning. It can be a little crazy at first due to the fact that there are a lot of rules we don't use. That said, it's not difficult to learn.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I'm not sure what the pricing is for the solution. I know that AutoCAD is very expensive, therefore, it's possible Visio is comparable.
What other advice do I have?
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.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2020-10-08T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
Elsedeeck Elrayes from
Very fast with great documentation but has limited scalability
What is our primary use case?
We primarily use the solution for business process design.
What is most valuable?
The simplicity of the solution is great. It doesn't have a lot of menus, so it's easy to navigate.
The fact that it's on-premises allows you to get fantastic speed. It's got a faster response rate, it doesn't lag, and it doesn't have any latency when you're working on it.
The solution has a very comprehensive set of icons. It has a BPMN location and a lot of other different locations you can use at the same time.
Microsoft offers great documentation of the product.
What needs improvement?
The reason we're moving from Visio to another program is the fact that you can link the library on ARIS or Signavio. These you have to save them on the save drive which as a collaboration. It's not working for us. There needs to be better configuration at this point. We need something a bit more flexible in that sense.
The scalability is limited.
If you look at ARIS, for example, or Signavio, the flowchart combines all the details and with the click of a button I can create a process manager. That would be something that Visio could add. It would cut my workload in half. Currently, once I'm done with drawing the flowchart, I need to take it and put it in that document and then explain what the flowchart is.
For how long have I used the solution?
We've been using the solution for four to five years at this point.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability is good. It's reliable. It doesn't crash on us, or freeze. I don't recall any bugs or glitches.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability is average. It's not as scalable as other options. Organizations that need to expand it may run into issues.
We have about five to ten users on the solution at our company.
How are customer service and technical support?
I've never required technical support. I can't speak to the level of service they provide.
That said, there is great documentation, so it's pretty easy to troubleshoot by referencing those if you need to.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We've tried ARIS and Signavio. We're still looking for a solution that can replace Visio for us. We're looking for something that can link our library.
How was the initial setup?
In our organization, the IT department takes care of the initial setup. I wasn't part of the deployment process.
What other advice do I have?
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.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2020-10-01T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
reviewer1406118 from
Integrated well with Microsoft tools and the Office suite, but it needs better support for third-party tools
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature is that it is integrated with other tools in the Microsoft Office suite, as well as at the backend with products like SharePoint and Microsoft Teams.
What needs improvement?
I think that it feels a bit outside with respect to the icons that are available.
It should be easier to integrate with other platforms like Confluence, or other content management platforms for exporting and collaborating on drawings.
It would be helpful if Visio could open drawings from other kinds of tools.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Microsoft Visio for at least 10 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
This is a stable solution and we plan to continue using it for the foreseeable future.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Visio is a scalable product. We have perhaps 300 users in the company.
How are customer service and technical support?
I have not been in contact with technical support.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I did not use another similar solution before this one.
What about the implementation team?
Our in-house team installed the product for me.
What other advice do I have?
If you are using other Microsoft products then I can recommend using Visio.
I would rate this solution a six out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2020-11-15T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
David Jaques-Watson from
A stable and scalable solution for business-oriented presentations
What is our primary use case?
I usually use Visio for really high-level conceptual modeling. Ironically, this works well with iServer. But, I use Visio for conceptual modeling since it makes it easy to draw things and is not as strict. This is because, at the conceptual level, one is not properly familiar with the details or constraints. This way, a business person would be able to critique something as being incorrect or not linked or drawn properly.
What is most valuable?
Visio makes it easier than with other tools to do such tasks as changing things or coming up with one's own visual style for presentation purposes. Mostly, the solution is employed for presentations made to business people, with the aim of facilitating their understanding of the design one wishes to use. Due to its greater flexibility when it comes to how things are joined together with lines, it is possible to put things together that would not work in a physical environment. This reduced constraint is good, as it allows one to initially familiarize himself with his system and ask the appropriate questions for which he may not have answers at the moment. At the minimum, this allows a person to put something up for critique in the event that it is incorrect.
The automated tools exist for making the computer do the dumb stuff. It may be worth going out to the market to see the sort of things people are trying to obtain. The solution integrates well with other tools and one can bring Visio diagrams into Word. Once in Word, a person can open the diagram for editing purposes if need be and then close it again and keep it in Word. So, all the integration capabilities with the other Office products is great. I can't think of much that I wish to add to the solution.
What needs improvement?
When creating a database, more stringency is required, as the computer is really dumb. A person is a lot more constrained, much more so when using the actual database creation tool, such as erwin Data Modeler. So the solution's flexibility can be perceived as both a strength and a weakness.
Visio is a general modeling tool, which encourages so many things beyond the use of mere data models. I think it's pretty good. Years back, when we first saw Visio being used with social security, the solution promoted itself as the missing piece. Word, Excel and Outlook were available. There was actually a piece missing where they stuck on the Windows logo.
In the late '90s or early 2000s it was possible to buy Visio with and without Office. They then removed this capability. Nowadays, one can obtain 365 but, with Visio, the component must be bought separately. The issue exists more with the purchasing and it would be nice to have it included as a standard feature. I believe they've now checked in Power BI as a standard component with Office, but Visio has so many more uses, since business people can use it to do swimlanes. Regular people and not just those with a technical background can use it for so much more. It should just be part of the enterprise or the professional version of Office. That's what I'd say. It's just so damn useful.
One of the things that was removed prior to it getting spun out was an enterprise version of Visio which could be set up, kicked off and actually go through one's network to ping everything that was attached to it, including printers, routers, PCs, laptops, et cetera. It would then bring all that information back and write a network diagram itself of all of those things. I thought that was a pretty cool part of the product. I'm not sure whether people now have network tools that do the same thing and that's why it's not used anymore. But, it was nice to see this sort of automation.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Visio since it came out in 1995 or 1996.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution seems to be pretty stable, because I've opened models that I wrote 20 years ago and it still reads them without incurring frequent crashes. I did something flaky the other day which it didn't like. I don't know whether that was because it was going through a virtual machine and have yet to track down what the core issue was. However, overall, things have been pretty stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
When it comes to scalability, I suppose that Visio is like any other product. One of the drawbacks of any Office product is its design for a single person. There exist ones on the web which allow for online editing in Excel, but many of the features I use do not exist in this version. This is a pain point.
We are talking about a one-person product, but the fact that you can print it off as a PDF and share it with others is a good feature of it. Visio differs from a real modeling tool, an expensive one such as, say... erwin Data Modeler, in that the latter has its own repository for storing models, which another person can access and use for modifying the relevant model. The model can be split into an overall one and a subject area. This way, two people can work in different subject areas. As long as two people are not working on the exact same object they will avoid stepping on each other's toes. Visio is akin to any other Office products, in that it involves a single person at a time per document.
How are customer service and technical support?
I don't believe I have ever had to contact technical support to get the solution to work. We usually look up things on the internet. For most Microsoft products the help is not too bad. The last time I had to contact Microsoft support was years ago, concerning flowcharts, I believe.
For any issues involving the local installation I would contact our own infrastructure team. This said, I don't believe I have ever had to go out with an actual bug in the product.
How was the initial setup?
I am not involved with the infrastructure side, but my understanding is that the initial setup was relatively straightforward. I had to put in a purchase order when I started this new role, but obtained access to the tool pretty quickly. I'm assuming that it is similar to other Microsoft products, in that there is a standard implementation, with the IT people having a fixed method of configuration, as with other Office products, which are rolled out.
When it comes to the setup, I have a couple of what are referred to as stencils, which are the things on the side that can be used for creating one's own series of diagrams or its components. I have a couple of these which I reuse. This is the only thing worth mentioning were one setting it up from scratch. But, many of the standard objects are pretty good and extensive. As such, the setup is not too difficult. Neither is it difficult to create one's own look and feel. So, it's pretty good.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I believe Visio to be priced pretty reasonably. Erwin Data Modeler may be a bit on the pricey side nowadays. When it was spun off from Computer Associates, they did so as a separate product and someone else bought it. I seem to recall at the time that the price either doubled or trebled, although I don't remember the reason for this. It was not clear to me what extra value was being offered for the price. Likely, the sole problem with erwin Data Modeler is that the price point is a tad on the high side. It can make selling to clients challenging and they are generally put off by the price.
Probably, it would have been better if erwin Data Modeler was the introduction to the environment whose creation is being attempted, meaning the DI suite and all the other parts involved in the governance, their glossary and all the bits and pieces. As the first taste is always free, it might've been better to have erwin Data Modeler at a lower price point. Once a person has obtained this product he would likely feel compelled to buy the other tools that work with it, rather than attempting to obtain something which does not. This would allow one to lower his price for the initial tool and then charge a bit more for those that nobody else has in their possession, such as one's involving data governance. This said, I'm not really involved in sales or marketing, so what I say should be taken with a grain of salt.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
Visio is really good for high-level presentations but, when it comes to much more lower-level tasks, the best I've found so far is erwin Data Modeler and the DI, the governance suite that they've put out more recently. I've also worked with Oracle Data Modeler. One can't argue with the price on that one since it is free and presents no issues if money is lacking for other expenditures. If a person can do the drawings and present something to people then he can actually generate databases out of it, which is what one's end game is supposed to be anyway. It's not as pretty and it's a little bit more fiddly to do when things start to get complicated.
What other advice do I have?
When I first started, everything was on-premises, although I do not recall if it switched to Azure at a later point. I believe I used it in 365. I am pretty sure the later ones are part of Office 365 or appear as add-ons, as they are not included.
My advice is that a person first work out what he wishes to use the tool for, to see if it suits his needs. While it's great for presenting information to people, it is not as good in the end when it comes to actually trying to build a product out of it. Of primary ...
Disclaimer: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:Partner
Date published: 2021-08-03T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
reviewer1311051 from
Stable with a good interface but not included with the Office 365 Suite
What is most valuable?
The interface of the solution is very good. It's easy to navigate.
We've found that the technical support has been pretty helpful overall.
The project management and the business process are both very good.
The initial setup is pretty straightforward.
The stability of the solution is very good.
What needs improvement?
The solution should be included in Microsoft Office 365. For some reason, it's not. It should be bundled in with everything else. If they did, clients and customers would benefit a lot.
Just because you have technical support for other Microsoft products does not necessarily mean you will have it for Visio.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for ten years at this point. It's been a decade. It's been a long time. However, currently, I only use it occasionally.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is quite stable. It's reliable. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. It's been very good over the years. That said, I haven't used it as much as I used to recently.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Not too many people use the solution in our organization.
How are customer service and technical support?
While we do have technical support for other products, we don't have any for Visio.
That said, in general, Microsoft does offer very good technical support. We just done get it for this product.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is not complex. It's straightforward and pretty simple. However, I myself have a lot of experience with Microsoft. I've been working with Microsoft for 25 years and have handled fairly sizable products in the past.
What other advice do I have?
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.
Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2021-02-12T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
AndriyZavaliy from
A stable and flexible solution for drawing a variety of diagrams
What is our primary use case?
We mostly use this solution for process management and for diagram modeling. Functional diagrams or BPMN partition diagrams — that's all. Some nice drawings for presentations.
Almost all of our employees use bundled Microsoft products and because they have no administrative rights, they cannot install additional programs. We use Visio to present our diagrams to our employees as it's too complicated to explain how to use our services over and over. If we had a BPM platform and a diagram modeling solution, we would not use Visio.
Within our organization, there are roughly 100 people that use this solution.
I am not sure if our company has plans to keep using Visio — it's not up to me. If we were to stop using it, I wouldn't miss it.
What needs improvement?
To me, Visio doesn't really stand apart from similar solutions that I have used. When it first came out, it was quite a progressive product. As it's simply for drawing and painting diagrams, lines, flowcharts, the price is too high. I do not understand why this product is not included in the Microsoft Office package.
I personally wouldn't buy Visio even if it were 10 times cheaper because I only use it at work for diagram modeling; it's not a unique product anymore.
It's both stable and flexible, but many features are complicated. The application grid seems to be unreliable which makes simple tasks complicated. It's not very easy to make diagrams the way I would like them to look.
It should be easier to convert to other vector graphic file formats. Auto error-correction features would also be a big help. If you have a diagram and you scroll your mouse too far, you'll lose your diagram.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Visio for nearly two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Visio is stable.
How are customer service and technical support?
We contact them from time to time. I am satisfied with them.
What about the implementation team?
My boss signed a decision and an IT support unit installed Visio. It only took a couple of minutes. There were absolutely no problems regarding the installation of the product.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Personally, I think the price of this solution is too high. I need this product for my work. I have also bought Office 365 for myself, for my personal office. But if I want to work at home, I can't use Visio due to the price.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
No. But currently, we are in the process of studying other business process management solutions, including Microsoft Dynamics.
What other advice do I have?
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.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2021-02-19T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
reviewer1266000 from
Easy to set up, simple to navigate, and offers good stability
What is our primary use case?
My use case could be anything. What I like to use Visio for is business process design work. Even when we're doing a systems implementation project, I'll use it. One of the things that I tell my clients is that "Before you implement a system, you really need to check your business processes that the system is automating, to make sure that you're not automating a bad process." Therefore, we have a whole methodology on how to do business process design sessions, facilitated sessions. The outcome of those sessions is documented largely in Vizio.
Sometimes, for example, if I've got a good person working on my team, I'll be with the client, facilitating the session and we'll have sticky notes on the wall that represent the process steps, and the outcomes, and the inputs, and all that stuff. We'll be moving those around. And then somebody on my team will be sitting there with Visio, recreating it as we go. If they aren't able to do that, we just take pictures of it and then recreate it in Visio. We clean it up and make it nice looking. However, we use Visio primarily for business and/or project process flows.
How has it helped my organization?
It's a very good visualization tool that helps package everything professionally. It helps clients see where we're going. We're able to capture what we need to capture and we're able to manipulate it the way we want and make it look the way we want, and present it to our clients the way we want.
What is most valuable?
One of the features I like is the automation involved in creating a process. It's really improved over the years. At this point, when you have step one - let's say it's a rectangle with step one in it - and then you're ready for step two, you can just hover the cursor over one side, and then it will automatically add an arrow going to the next box and automatically add a new box. It saves a bit of time there. It's one less aggravation to deal with when you're creating things.
The solution hasn't changed much in 20 years. It's a very meat and potatoes type of product and isn't overly designed. It's very easy to find your way through the solution, as it's not too complicated.
What needs improvement?
Occasionally, the automation feature that helps you easily add the "next step" goes crazy and it will move a bunch of stuff on me. Usually, that's very easily recoverable, however, that's just a little aggravation we have to deal with. It's like an ongoing glitch of sorts. You need to be careful when you are moving the whole image.
If there was a way to make the finished product more interactive somehow, that could be interesting.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for decades. It's been a very long time.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is quite stable. To my recollection, I haven't really had to deal with any crashes or big bugs. It's reliable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I'm just a small consulting firm. Basically, it's just me and a group of trusted subcontractors that I network with across the country. The biggest project and the biggest team of people I've ever had on a project is 25.
We don't have enterprises that we deploy to. We just put it all on our computers or on our laptops and that's it.
How are customer service and technical support?
I don't ever recall using technical support, and if I did, it was likely well over ten years ago at this point. Therefore, I can't really speak to their knowledgeability or responsiveness.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is very straightforward. All you do is implement or install it on your laptop. It has a few defaults that I don't like, however, that I can change. For example, the process boxes might be colored purple or something, and I just want them clear, so that's not a big deal. There are some pre-settings you can adjust so that it defaults to how you need it to look every time.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I have a subscription to Microsoft 365 that automatically updates all of the versions to whatever is the most recent. I have to have a special subscription to get Visio though. Therefore, I've got one subscription to Microsoft that has all of the basic Office products, and then another one for Visio and Microsoft Project.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I did run across at one of my clients several years ago, another process building software. I don't remember the name of it. I'd have to look it up, however, I recall it was really slick and nice and cool. In my mind, it was a little too over-engineered and overly complicated for what I like to do. I'd have to be careful that we're not losing sight. We're not missing the forest for the trees when we get into the business process design. Therefore, I didn't really feel I was missing out by not adopting it.
What other advice do I have?
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
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2021-01-27T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
reviewer1345620 from
It is stable and easy to set up
What is our primary use case?
I mostly use it for network diagrams. It is a standard solution for creating this kind of stuff.
What is most valuable?
It is stable. I have never experienced any issues.
What needs improvement?
It can be complex. If you don't know a little bit about it, it can get really confusing.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Visio off and on for around 15 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We have around ten users from IT, engineering, and HR. HR uses it for flow charts or organization charts.
How are customer service and technical support?
I have never used their technical support.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
It has always been Visio. The first one I used was in 2003.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was straightforward.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I haven't looked at the prices lately. We have an older copy, and it was a couple of hundred dollars for this software. That's a huge expense.
What other advice do I have?
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.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2021-01-08T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
Pete-Fotopoulos from
A popular diagramming and vector graphics solution that's easy to use
What is our primary use case?
I use Visio for diagramming configurations.
How has it helped my organization?
It has improved the way my organization functions because diagramming is almost similar to mind-mapping. It's a good way to get the message across and for people to understand at all levels.
What is most valuable?
Just the fact that a majority of the industry uses it, and you've got third-party templates that were created. All my vendors have templates for their products and services. It's also easy to use Visio.
What needs improvement?
I would help if they had something like a Microsoft Viewer. They also need to make this available across other platforms and not just Windows.
It would also be nice to have a portal within the product, with some agreement with third parties to get those templates through the Microsoft project portal and not have to go out there and spend time locating the templates.
The only downside to Visio is the learning curve. Nobody off the street can pick it up that quick, and they have to learn it. They need to get some training, some tutorials, which applies to just about anything these days.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Visio for more than 15 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Visio is a stable solution.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
If they allowed cloud deployments, you could scale it laterally or vertically.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is a lengthy process, but it's easy to install. But you have to import your templates, depending on whether you want to use generic ones or specific ones.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I think costs are on a per user basis.
What other advice do I have?
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.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclaimer: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:Partner
Date published: 2021-01-25T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
Artur Kowalczyk from
Customizable, and integrates well with SharePoint, but the database modelling has deteriorated
What is most valuable?
The most valuable features are that the user experience is simple, and it's customizable. You can customize it and connect it to data.
It has also many features that allow it to integrate Visio with SharePoint, which might be very useful in many applications.
What needs improvement?
In earlier versions, there was better database modeling. The database modeling has deteriorated significantly in the more current versions.
In Version 2000, the database modeling was pretty decent. Since then, it has deteriorated and a lot of the functionality has disappeared from Visio.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Visio for five years.
I am working with the latest version.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Now it is stable. In the past, it wasn't perfectly stable. with richer functionality, at least for the databases, but right now it's pretty stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability has limitations. It could not model large sets of entities. 200 is probably a reasonable limit.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is easy. It took a maximum of 15 minutes to deploy but it can be less.
Yesterday when I installed it, it only took five minutes.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
It's cheaper than other solutions.
What other advice do I have?
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.
Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2021-01-06T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
reviewer1542180 from
Good interface and good tool configuration; layout configuration is sometimes difficult to use
What is our primary use case?
I'm a business management consultant.
What is most valuable?
The product has a good interface and tool configuration which comes with the Microsoft Office package. Another advantage is that you don't need to be an expert to use the tool. It's actually very easy and doesn't require a technical background so you can make any business process in a very easy way. Once you finish the layout business process, it can be sent to a client and visualized in a webpage without the need to download any other application. With other softwares, like ArchiMate, you need to download the application in order to view it. As a consultant when you finish the process, you need to send it in PDF format or something similar and your counterpart can view the file without any further configuration or further downloads.
What needs improvement?
For professional use layout configuration is sometimes a little difficult to use. I think that the applications could be improved, so that Microsoft Visio is linked in the modeling of applications and algorithms.
What other advice do I have?
I rate this solution a seven out of 10.
Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2021-04-28T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
reviewer1537254 from
A stable diagramming and vector graphics application with a useful automation feature
What is our primary use case?
We use Visio extensively for creating architecture, network and workflow diagrams. Also used for UML Class diagrams and various types of flow charts
How has it helped my organization?
We use it to create diagrams used for architectural review. It's a great tool to create diagrams to show how an infrastructure or software architecture has being designed and then review that with the other domain architects.
What is most valuable?
I like the way you can Hyperlink objects to a URL, local file or other tabs within the same diagram. I use this to create an Overview tab with a high level digram and then link objects in the Overview to other tabs with more detail on that object. You can also save the diagram as a html page and then host on a local server to create an interactive diagram. You can also automate the creation of diagrams with PowerShell
What needs improvement?
Would be nice if visio viewer didn't require active-x.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Visio for over 15 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It's a stable solution. It's Visio. It just works.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Scalability is fine. It runs on each individual client. I haven't used any of the team integration hooks. We have a lot of technologists that use it and we're trying to make a move to move those architecture diagrams to be more driven by code by leveraging C4 and then model driven design through MagicDraw and that's a new journey for us. I think there are still going to be a large number of teams that still end up using Visio as it's very versatile.
How was the initial setup?
It's all automated for our firm by our department. I run it on my Mac as well, and it's super simple to set up.
What about the implementation team?
We do everything ourselves. We set up and deployed this solution.
What was our ROI?
It's better than using PowerPoint or something else to draw the diagrams.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
It's not the cheapest product, but it's extremely valuable.
What other advice do I have?
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.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Microsoft Azure
Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2021-04-12T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
Xavier-Rodriguez from
Phenomenal built-in templates, very stable, and easy and quick to deploy
What is our primary use case?
Company-wide, it is used a lot for flow charts. From an IT perspective, we use it quite a bit for network diagrams and documentation. The Human Resources team uses it for organizational charts.
In terms of deployment, we have a kind of mixed deployment. I tend to use an on-prem version that is loaded directly on my machine. We are all Office 365, so a bulk of our users use it as a cloud-based downloadable solution, which is a part of their Office 365 implementation.
How has it helped my organization?
It helps us to secure business and C-suite leadership approval on projects. For lack of a better term, it dumbs down technical solutions so that everybody can understand them. It provides a nice middle ground. We have a lot of really talented engineers on staff, but they tend to get lost in the technical minutia, and the business gets bored with that.
What is most valuable?
A lot of built-in templates are really phenomenal. The templates assist in translating very complex design elements into understandable diagrams that non-technical folks can grasp.
What needs improvement?
Some of the improvements that have been made in Visio have not been beneficial, at least to me, personally. Too many things have been added to it, and it makes it kind of clunky sometimes. There is an overwhelming desire or competition to continue to improve it when the product is and has been pretty good, and some of what is done tends to clutter it. In some cases, the updates make it more difficult to use. It is already pretty feature-heavy and continuing to add stuff is not productive from my perspective.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution for 10 to 15 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is very stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I don't have any input on that. In terms of the number of users, we probably have a couple of hundreds of users of Visio. They are from the IT and the infrastructure side. We have Applications users and Human Resources users. We have a manufacturing organization, so we have program managers who manage various customer products, and they use it as well.
It is used fairly extensively throughout the organization. Our usage is okay for now, but we're always one acquisition away from that going out the window.
How are customer service and technical support?
I've never used technical support for Visio.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
It has always been Visio. Prior to using Visio, it probably was Paint or whatever program was available at the time.
How was the initial setup?
It is straightforward. It takes very little time to deploy.
What about the implementation team?
It is done in-house. In terms of maintenance, because we're loading it from the cloud, if there's an update, that's taken care of with the regular Office updates. So, pretty much everything is on the front end, that is, getting it from a business standpoint, getting the approval for the license and the cost associated with the license, and getting it installed. Once it is in, it is usually off to the races.
What was our ROI?
We have definitely seen a return on investment.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We're in a Visio plan that is like $15 a month per user. At the moment, it is just the standard licensing fees that I'm aware of.
What other advice do I have?
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.
Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2021-04-11T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
Michel Bourque from
Good availability, really professional, and very easy
What is our primary use case?
I use it to design business models, cyber defense portals, and pictures. We are using the latest version of Visio.
How has it helped my organization?
We tried other design tools from Google and other companies. We also tried a few open-source solutions, and frankly, you don't get that professional finish in any other solution. Visio is more professional and accurate.
What is most valuable?
I like all the features. I go online, and everything pops there. It is in the cloud, and everything is there. Even if there is a crash, everything is still there. I don't lose anything. That's what is the most valuable and likable.
It is really a professional solution for designing. The designs look really nice in the PDF.
What needs improvement?
They have to improve shapes. It has good shapes, but it certainly can have more shapes. There are no U shapes. It also requires more customizations. There are a lot of icons, but they can be modernized more. These icons have to be more customizable so that we are able to change the color and things like that.
It should also have more integration so that we can use it with other tools on the web. We don't use Microsoft Teams. We use Discord, which is more for gamers. It would be helpful if Visio is integrated with Discord. I can then show my work to my team.
We use Visio, and it is a must-have solution for us, but being a startup, we don't have the money to use the whole Microsoft system. Some day we will use Office. For companies like us, there should be connectors for other software. We should be able to use a connector with the software that we are using or with the new generation solutions. Connectors will make it very easy to transfer data.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Visio for three to five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is stable. I never had a bug.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is scalable. We are a small organization. We are a part of a startup, and there are about five to seven users who use it, which is not a big number, but it is enough for us. Architects and web designers are some of the users of this solution.
How are customer service and technical support?
I never needed their service. It is so easy to use and stable.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I used a workflow, which was free, but it wasn't better than Visio.
How was the initial setup?
It is really easy.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
There are some cheaper as well as free solutions.
What other advice do I have?
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.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Microsoft Azure
Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2020-11-21T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
Arancha Cortes Guasch from
Easy to use and very basic, but it's hard to manage attributes
What is most valuable?
I find it really easy to use.
You can customize the process very easy.
You can also communicate with people ad they don't even need to have the tool. They can see the processes on the internet which makes it easy to collaborate with people that don't actually choose to use the tool.
It's easy to use generally, due to the fact that it's really basic.
It has also a lot of Planteria, I know how to paint in it, however, you can use different samples, depending on the structures that you want to draw. It has a lot of possiblities.
What needs improvement?
I'm working with Visio Plan 2. I find some lags on this tool. For example, I cannot manage the attributes. For example, for each figure of the process map, I cannot add any further information about it. I can't add the activity or the role that I'm using to relate to other activities. It is very limited by the information that I can use. Managing data is quite limited.
I would love to see five samples for each attempt that I include in my process. I would like to be able to add some extra information. For example, to be able to add some attributes for each item.
To be able to extract a report for business project management notations would be ideal. Another solution, ARIS, lets you configure each item that you add to the Visio model process, and you can add some attributes that we cannot currently add. For example, calls to activity, main indicators, or a lot of descriptions, etc.
After that, to be able to export a report that shows the relation between the functions and the roles that you have related would be great. If it were possible to see different functions for each role and export it, that would be ideal.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for a very, very long time. It's been about ten to eleven years at this point.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is quite stable. We haven't had any issues in that respect. It doesn't crash or freeze and it's not buggy or have glitches.
How are customer service and technical support?
I haven't needed to reach out to technical support the entire time I've used the product. It's very basic and very simple, and therefore I've never run into any issues I haven't been able to deal with personally.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I'm actually currently looking into different options as I am finding Visio's capabilities a bit dated and limiting.
What other advice do I have?
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.
Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2020-11-28T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
Kerry Smith from
Helps with organization by facilitating diagramming of complex procedures
What is our primary use case?
I am a health and safety professional. I use it for flowcharting, but I also use it for drawing diagrams.
I will do a technical assessment of a workplace scenario of equipment as well as noise measurements, and I will use Visio to draw out the scale.
There are many images that you can put in there and data to create images of workplace exposures.
How has it helped my organization?
It has improved the way our organization functions.
It's a tool that helped me diagram complex procedures. More as a picture versus words.
It also for training and letting other people know how to do that same procedure.
What is most valuable?
It works really well for flowcharting, it can label.
Also, being able to pull the finished drawing out and put it in a Word document is easy, and very useful.
It allowed me to do some things and save them really well. And I found many different things to do with it. It's beyond flowcharting.
The latest version has taken some transitioning and it's a bit of a workaround, but it's also been good. I found the ctrl 1,2,3 buttons that I didn't know about and have been very useful. If you hit ctrl 3 it lets you do your line draw.
What needs improvement?
I just uploaded the latest version and using it now, and I'm struggling with it. It's very different than the other version I have used, and I haven't done any tutorials.
The previous version was easier. It was easy to intuitively figure out what it did. I learned it on my own and it didn't require the review of tutorials. But with this updated version, I am definitely struggling with it. I need to go through the training and go through the tutorials. So far it seems more complex, but maybe it's just different.
It may handle images well, but I don't know yet. It is something that I would like to see in this solution.
It should be easier to transition into a new version without having to spend so much time in just one area. Providing information on what has changed and how to do it would be very helpful.
I would like the option of going back to the way of doing things in the previous version. I don't understand the block system. I had the favorites that I have to build again because somehow they got lost with the upgrade.
In my favorites, I had shapes, fans, and other things. You pull up all of your basic images or search for them, and you could drag them over into your diagram.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Visio for approximately eight years.
We are using the latest version.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I have not had any issues with stability. It's a stable solution.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is easy to scale this solution.
How are customer service and technical support?
I have never contacted technical support.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Previously, I did not use another solution. It was a discovery.
I came across Visio, I saw what I could do with it, and I just continued to expand my uses.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward. With this new version, it is a bit confusing.
With the previous version, I was able to have all of my favorites, I was able to pull objects and do an arrow as a connector, and I had to stop and learn how to do that.
I like the way it was earlier, but it could be just my learning curve.
What other advice do I have?
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.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2021-02-08T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
reviewer1628574 from
Very intuitive and simple to use; user interface could be simplified
What is our primary use case?
We are end users of this solution. I'm a senior director of the company and a digital engineer.
How has it helped my organization?
The solution has helped us get our life cycle diagrams right and show the accountability across groups. It affects the business process sometimes at a very high level. Although it's not a BPA tool, a management tool, it has been utilized in some of those aspects and has been helpful to draw the handoff and the handshake across teams and across roles as we draw the life cycle diagram. With the various tools that come out of the box, it's been pretty helpful to get that in a pictorial fashion as it makes it easier to explain.
What is most valuable?
I like that it's simple to use and a very intuitive solution. The tools that it provides out of the box are pretty good. The out of the box categorization of flow charts helps. Its ability to take it to PowerPoint is easy as well.
What needs improvement?
I'd like to see the portability simplified from Visio to PowerPoint and vice versa. With other products coming on the market, Visio is losing a little ground and as a result, I mainly use PowerPoint now and Visio much less. The user interface could be simplified enabling non-technical people to use it. There's something about it that makes it complicated to use.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using this solution for a few years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It's a pretty stable solution, I haven't had any issues around it.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I haven't seen any issues from a scalability perspective.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have previously used Confluence, PowerPoint and Precio, which have similar features in terms of what they're trying to do. They may not be out of the box, but you end up drawing it yourself. Visio is really a complementary solution as it merges when you're drawing deeper solutions, more technical and when you're wanting clip art and pictures. It's being more in that space rather than really drawing technical stuff.
What other advice do I have?
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.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Microsoft Azure
Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2021-07-26T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
Arancha Cortes Guasch from
Extremely agile, user friendly with many useful templates
What is our primary use case?
I analyze and model processes for optimization. We are customers of Visio and I'm a founder of the company, working as a process consultant.
What is most valuable?
It's a very agile product because I can map and model a process extremely quickly. It's user friendly and there are a lot of templates I can use that are really useful. I like very much that I can publish the different models I've created with my clients and they can view the entire process, it's really useful. It provides a lot of advantages because you can see the inefficiencies visually, and it's really easy to analyze and to detect different inefficiencies in order to improve the process.
What needs improvement?
I'd like to be able to extract different data from different relations between the objects I create and I'd like the ability to analyze the different relations between activities, positions and roles. Visio can't give me this functionality. I would also like to be able to introduce more information in each object. For example, to include some codes or name or description of the activity, to be able to introduce more data in the object. To have this information in the objects would be great.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using this solution for six months.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
This is a stable solution.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
From my clients' perspective, it's really scalable. It can be used in any type of company. I think it's really useful for any person that is working for a company with a wide range of processes. I'm the only person in my company who uses it and I'll continue to do so because it's so user friendly.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I used Aris for a short period of time several years ago. It was a good experience but a more expensive solution. I'm evaluating it again and depending on the conditions the company offers, I might start using it again. I can keep using Visio even if I start using Aris as well.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is very easy. With 365 it's very fast. It's good. I think I was able to deploy in 30 minutes. I did it myself although I was in contact with the chat bot at the beginning to ask some questions.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I pay a monthly fee to Visio.
What other advice do I have?
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.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2021-03-09T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
reviewer1616451 from
Extremely flexible and easy to customize; simplicity is a key feature
What is our primary use case?
Our primary use case of this product is to create diagrams for the solutions I'm designing. Others may use it to provide graphical explanations of complex topics, or even for organizational charts. We have around 20 users in very different roles - IT, processing, design, or those in more technical roles. We are a customer of Visio and I'm a solution architect.
How has it helped my organization?
Visio helps to depict what's on my mind, it flows between the different components that we're designing. Visio is very good at illustrating advanced topics which helps my team understand what I'm trying to get across
What is most valuable?
The valuable feature is the simplicity of drawing shapes and connecting them. It's very easy to customize and then group the activities so the solution offers a lot of flexibility. It really provides value.
What needs improvement?
I'd like them to include more stencils for new technologies in the solution. There are plenty of stencils available on the web but it requires researching, downloading, and testing what works. There are some common ones such as when you're working with technologies like Microsoft but it takes me some time to download clip art and try to make them myself.
I would love to see an option to drill down collapsed sections of the diagrams as well as an option to navigate through different pages of diagrams, something that can be more easily summarized, and then go on to the details.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using this solution for 10 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
This is a stable solution and there's very little maintenance required. We have a software specialist in the company and that person takes care of all the laptops.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward, it takes around half an hour.
What other advice do I have?
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.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2021-07-05T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
reviewer1458378 from
Easy to use and works well with PowerPoint, but it needs simulation functionality
What is most valuable?
What I like the most is the simplicity and ease of usage.
The reason I like it is that we, as consultants, use PowerPoint a lot, and it's easy to drag it and put in a slide of PowerPoint since it's a Microsoft product.
What needs improvement?
The simulation is an area that requires improvement.
In the next release, I would like to see the simulation improved. It's a Microsoft based, so it's still good, but it needs simulation.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with Visio for the past four years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
If we were to say that stable was equal to 100 and unstable was equal to zero, I would give Visio a 50 percent. I would say that if it's a product-based usage for Visio, and it is highly-critical, then I wouldn't use Visio.
For anything that has to do with numbers or with low-level visualization of the system, I wouldn't use Visio because I would need simulation.
If simulation falls under stability, then I would say that it is not stable.
How are customer service and technical support?
I have not contacted technical support.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate this solution a five out of ten.
Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2020-11-29T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
Stanislav Drastich from
Good stability, and scales well, but has a lot of patching that you need to keep up with
What is most valuable?
It's been an extremely reliable solution for me for a very long time. It's quite mature.
If you are a knowledgeable individual, the initial setup isn't too difficult.
There are plenty of very good third-party tools.
The stability is fairly good.
The solution can scale to meet the needs of any project.
What needs improvement?
The issue I have with this solution is the same issue I have with all the products by Microsoft. They depend on many solutions by third parties for too many things, from my point of view. Maybe there should be more basic, fundamental resources incorporated into their products in general - not just this product.
A basic user may have issues trying to install the solution.
There are a lot of patches that sometimes change how one version will interact compared to another.
It would be great if, in the future, we would be able to use numerics and graphics cards. If there already this functionality, they need to make it more publicly known, as I don't see it right now.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been working with Microsoft products for 30 years or so. With this product, I've used it from time to time, when I've needed it. I'm not sure the exact amount of time I've spent with it over the years. It's likely much more than ten years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution, for the most part, is very, very stable. There is one problem in that there are so many upgrades and patches and so on that are critical and must be applied that it makes for a few issues in terms of practical use. I was facing such a very specific problem. The project was functional in an older version, yet the same code was not functional in the newer version. Therefore, to troubleshoot, I used both older and newer versions of the software and had to acquire all the patches for both. There is no clear answer as to why the same code behaves differently within these two APIs. That's a problem. However, it's not really a stability issue.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is quite scalable, and great to use for any project of any size or scope.
How are customer service and technical support?
I only use the solution for my personal use and therefore don't have access to technical support. I can't speak to how helpful they are, or how responsive, as I do not use them. I don't have any practical experience to speak to.
That said, having dealt with Microsoft technical support in the past with other solutions, I can say that, in general, they are very capable and have many experienced people on staff to assist. I've been satisfied with them in the past on other products.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is pretty simple and straightforward for those with knowledge or training. Basic users may have problems, however.
For myself, with so many years of experience with many types of Microsoft solutions, I found everything very straightforward.
It's not that the process isn't intuitive, it's just that, if you don't know what to do or look for, it can become a bit confusing. You must study many new terms and methodologies before you can get around to beginning the process as a completely new untrained user. There may be ways to watch videos online to learn a few tricks and to help you visualize the process.
What about the implementation team?
I have many years of experience with Visio and Microsoft, therefore, I can handle the installation process myself.
What other advice do I have?
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.
Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2021-03-28T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
reviewer1505394 from
Easy to set up with good technical support and excellent stability
What is our primary use case?
I'm an architect; I primarily use Visio for drawing diagrams.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable aspect of the solution is the exterior interface. The exterior application interface and the keyboard shortcuts available help me to do some major work and diagrams.
Since Microsoft did some updates a while back, I've found the solution to be very stable.
Technical support seems to be pretty good.
The initial setup is pretty easy.
What needs improvement?
The application could be lighter or it could be faster with documents. That just comes down to the user's CPU power and how big your document is.
I'd like it if there was some sort of web integration, where you can deploy VST diagrams or at least SVG diagrams or something to the web. It might be useful. I'm not sure if it does it right now, I haven't looked recently.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've likely dealt with the solution for 15 years or so. It's been well over a decade. It's been a long time. It's likely been for however long it's been on the market or for however long Microsoft has had it.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution's stability is quite good. It struggled a bit in older versions, however, Microsoft has update dit and it's been very, very good. There are no crashes or freezing. There aren't bugs or glitches. it's reliable. The performance is good. Ever since we've been using it on Windows 10, it's been great.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is scalable. I've used it and try to compare designs, so it's a fairly simple environment, and it's roughly the same. Again, that kind of depends on your GPU, on the power of your workstation that you're using. If you don't have as powerful of a workstation, you have issues with larger jobs.
Those that use it in my organization are mostly architects. There might be around 100 or so users in my company, although I don't have exact numbers.
I'm not sure if we have plans to increase usage.
How are customer service and technical support?
It's my understanding that the solution has pretty good technical support. I haven't dealt with it personally, however, my colleagues have and it's always been very positive in terms of the comments we've received regarding Microsoft tech support.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is not overly complex. That said, I've been using it for so long that I'm fairly comfortable with it. It's my understanding that the setup today for that tool would be fairly easy for a new user. It should be noted that that's coming from myself, as a person who's dealt with the product for so long.
The deployment of Visio to my workstation was as simple as requesting the download from our central section and it downloads within 10 to 15 minutes. The deployment for my workflow is fairly trivial for me. That's due to the fact that we're using an internal package from the site.
I'm not sure what kind of maintenance is required. It would be an automated packaging process. We would have some sort of a tool chain, where the tool is packaged, and then unpackaged and then deployed to our location.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I don't deal with billing or licensing aspects of the product. I can't speak to the actual costs or if it is expensive or cost-effective.
What other advice do I have?
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.
Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2021-03-25T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
reviewer1627173 from
Allows us to program in VBA and is easy to use out of the box
What is our primary use case?
I wrote some Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) scripts in the background to graph with my stencils and use the database at the back. In general, I'm using stencils, and I'm using Excel database in the background. With those tables, I am able to grab the data out in the stencils, and then I place it Visio. So, the main drawing area is in Visio, but it uses data in the background.
I am not using its latest version. I am using one version back.
How has it helped my organization?
I use it for computer architecture. I make diagrams of various engineering domains such as mechanical systems engineering and electrical systems engineering. It is used for that purpose, and we're able to better organize our architectures to pictures.
What is most valuable?
The fact that you could program in VBA is most valuable.
It is easy to use out of the box. It requires little training, which is readily available. You can learn things easily.
What needs improvement?
We need the place and route capability for the lines when we have a database. I use it for architectures, and between the boxes, there are lines or interfaces from one tool to another. I wish those lines could be easily drawn without having to place them mechanically. I wish that there was some kind of place and route capability, so I just press a button, and all the lines get drawn.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Visio for at least 10 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is definitely good. It works.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It scales, but there is a limit. There is only so much that you can do with the nature of it.
We don't have any intentions to increase its usage, but it is used as a standard tool.
How are customer service and technical support?
I did use Microsoft technical support before but not necessarily for Visio. In general, they're pretty prompt.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
In general, I have been using Visio.
How was the initial setup?
It was straightforward to deploy. It probably took hours in reading instructions and so forth.
What about the implementation team?
It was an in-house job.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We have an enterprise license. I'm not sure what the cost is.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate Visio a nine out of 10.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2021-07-22T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
reviewer1621242 from
A standard and easy-to-use solution, but it needs more flexibility
What is our primary use case?
We use Visio for mapping all the processes. It is a BPMN solution for us.
We are most probably using its latest version.
What is most valuable?
It is a standard and easy-to-use solution from Microsoft, and you benefit from the general functions of Microsoft solutions. It integrates easily with SharePoint, which is a useful tool from Microsoft.
What needs improvement?
It is not flexible in terms of functions and modeling deliverables. When you speak of processes, the program has to describe the activities and the deliverables. You have to tell your robots how to deal with and input something, and you should have something more flexible from this point of view.
For how long have I used the solution?
I got Visio just a few months ago.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I don't know. At this moment, it is just used to map and see where we are. We are just trying to use this. At this moment, we like it, but we'll see with time.
How are customer service and technical support?
I didn't have to call Microsoft so far, but I might do so in the future.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have used MEGA, and I feel Visio is better than MEGA because it is a BPMN tool, and it is standardized.
I have also used the free version of Camunda. It is a service, and it is easy and very fast, but it is not so well known.
How was the initial setup?
It is easy.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
It is a free solution for us. It is integrated with our pack. We are trying to use the solutions that we already have.
What other advice do I have?
I am not sure if I would recommend this solution. It is not perfect, of course, but it is also not so bad. It is just a modeling system. If you want to go further and simulate the processes, you will have to use other tools.
I would rate Visio a seven out of 10.
Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2021-07-18T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
Kim Dijkstra from
Easier drawing capabilities needed, but integrates well and beneficial stencils creation
What is our primary use case?
I work for BAM, which is the largest builder in the Netherlands. We have approximately 24,000 employees and we have a centralized IT that provides all products for our company. I use the solution for organizing many different types of visuals graphics. It has the ability to make drawings quickly with links, flowcharts, and organizational drawings.
What is most valuable?
I think the best part of Visio is that you can import drawings very well into Microsoft Word. For example, if you put the Visio drawing into Word, you can double click on it and it opens in Visio. It is a very useful feature and something which I miss switching to Enterprise Architect. In Enterprise Architect, if I import a drawing into Word it does not open the diagram in Enterprise Architect. This is one of the strongest features and the ability to create your own stencils. Additionally, it allowed the importation of AutoCAD drawings which was helpful because I did not have AutoCAD installed on my laptop.
What needs improvement?
They could improve the drawing function, other solutions provide easier drawing capabilities.
The UML drawings are quite limited, particularly the clause diagrams. You need to put a lot of effort to get everything right, compared to some other products I have tried.
In a future release, there should be more features in UML drawings. Generating drawings that belong to UML is quite an effort, everything is very tedious by hand and I prefer the methods which other competitors use which takes the effort away because some elements are done automatically. It requires fewer clicks with your mouse and fewer presses on the keyboard to accomplish the same result.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for approximately 21 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is stable.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have also used other UML tools and almost all of them are easier to draw in than in Visio.
What about the implementation team?
The implementation is done by our centralized IT team.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I evaluated Enterprise Architect and have now switched to it.
What other advice do I have?
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.
Disclaimer: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:partner
Date published: 2021-07-08T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
Dawn McClure from
Not user friendly out-of-the-box but is fun to use and is very stable
What is our primary use case?
We primarily use the solution for tasks such as work charts, network diagrams, and process flows.
How has it helped my organization?
Process flows are probably the task we do the most. It's just how she diagrams, how a piece of software or a process should work. It's improved our organization.
What is most valuable?
It's pretty basic and fun to use.
You can go to YouTube and watch training videos. There's lots of information online about the product.
The solution can scale.
The product is quite stable.
It's my understanding that the initial setup is straightforward.
What needs improvement?
It's not the easiest software to use. It's not user-friendly out-of-the-box.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for about 20 or so years. It's been two decades; it's a long time.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability is excellent. It never breaks, and I've used it for 20 years. Its performance is reliable. It doesn't crash or freeze. There are no bugs or glitches.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution can scale. If a company needs to expand it, it can do so with relative ease.
We have around 200 people who use it in the company.
As of right now, we do not have plans to increase usage.
How are customer service and technical support?
Technical support is fine, as long as you can get a hold of someone. that can be tricky.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Prior to this solution, it's unlikely we had a different product. It was 20 years ago, and therefore it's been a long time.
How was the initial setup?
I didn't directly deal with the initial implementation. We have a team in-house that handles deployments. I can't speak to what the process was like or how easy or hard it was. Likely, setting it up was pretty straightforward and deployment takes a day. At least, that is my understanding.
We have a dedicated team that handles deployment and maintenance.
What about the implementation team?
We have our own in-house team that can manage the implementation. We did not need the assistance of an integrator or consultant.
What was our ROI?
After 20 years of using the solution, our company has definitely seen an ROI. I don't have exact details, however.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We have an enterprise license. We renew it on a yearly basis. We don't pay any extra fees and we partner with the Gartner group to help us when we have to renegotiate.
What other advice do I have?
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.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Hybrid Cloud
Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2021-05-24T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
Lucio Tirone from
Reliable, with good support, and is easy to install
What is our primary use case?
We use Visio for describing processes, port authorities, requests, exchange of documents, and authorizations. The main use is for business processes and descriptions.
What is most valuable?
It is easy to use.
What needs improvement?
The user interface could be simplified and easier to use.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Visio for a couple of years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It's a stable solution.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
This is an area that we did not explore as it was not necessary for us to scale. It was not a requirement.
We had 10 customers using this solution.
We don't have plans to increase our usage. I am with a different company.
How are customer service and technical support?
Technical support was fine. I did not have any issues with the technical support.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Before Visio, we used Bizagi.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was straightforward. It was easy to install.
What about the implementation team?
We implemented this solution ourselves. We did not use an integrator.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend this solution to others who are interested in using it.
I would rate Visio an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2021-06-01T00:00:00-04:00