We performed a comparison between IBM Rational System Architect and SAP PowerDesigner based on real PeerSpot user reviews.
Find out in this report how the two Enterprise Architecture Management solutions compare in terms of features, pricing, service and support, easy of deployment, and ROI."The user interface is good. It's both clear and comprehensible. It's easy to work with."
"We have seen ROI with this solution over the years that we have used it."
"There are a lot of features I find valuable, but I think that the metamodel customization is one of the best features that the solution offers."
"The solution is pretty stable."
"Very good repository features."
"The most valuable feature is the way you can extend it and customize it. With most modeling tools, you fit your modeling process to fit the tool. In PowerDesigner, you can make the tool fit the way you want to work."
"I've used the reverse engineering feature a lot. I can take a look at the structure of the database and what relationships it has."
"The initial setup was very easy."
"It's a great tool for documentation."
"It can automate many routine tasks and save human resources to focus on real problems."
"The most valuable features of the solution are it's built very well, easy to use, and simple to describe freely what is needed in logical and physical data models."
"The physical database model is definitely the most valuable feature because it describes normalization exactly the way you understand the data, and it deploys it perfectly with open source systems."
"This solution can be more user-friendly and easier to use, with better dashboards."
"There needs to be more information at the outset about how to use the solution and how to deploy it. The deployment process needs improvement."
"The reverse engineering of the database is already there, but in the next release I would like to see some pilot supplied with the solution in order to address any database."
"The solution needs to better integrate with other products, like Microsoft."
"It would be helpful if there were glossary, catalog and governance tools. It would help make it a true end-to-end product."
"In terms of improvement, the pricing is a bit high."
"The solution itself does not need to be improved. However, they could add support for different languages."
"The solution is very, very expensive. It would be ideal if it was a more affordable product."
"Regarding improvements, I suggest enhancing the connection between objects in process and data models. It's crucial to define the structure of objects, especially when dealing with standard frameworks like VMM. There should be better visualization of arrows between BPM and data modeling objects, specifying their structure and impact. For future versions, a feature similar to Bizagi, allowing users to see forms or SQL representations of objects, would be valuable for demonstrating and presenting project details to stakeholders."
"SAP PowerDesigner could improve by making the repository easier to understand. It is difficult to understand how the repository works because when I used logical models as part of the team, we wanted to use them together and update the older versions of the data model version but it was confusing. The repository needs to be explained."
"UI could be improved by enabling simpler navigation."
"In the future, I would like to see data manipulation capability where you can actually write SQL queries and manipulate data from directly within the tool."
Earn 20 points
IBM Rational System Architect is ranked 20th in Enterprise Architecture Management while SAP PowerDesigner is ranked 5th in Enterprise Architecture Management with 34 reviews. IBM Rational System Architect is rated 7.4, while SAP PowerDesigner is rated 7.8. The top reviewer of IBM Rational System Architect writes "Modeling is useful, but many features need improvement and technical support is lacking". On the other hand, the top reviewer of SAP PowerDesigner writes "Effective in terms of validating everything, but sometimes they don't allow us some flexibility and GUI could improve". IBM Rational System Architect is most compared with Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect, whereas SAP PowerDesigner is most compared with erwin Data Modeler by Quest, Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect, Visio, IDERA ER/Studio and LeanIX. See our IBM Rational System Architect vs. SAP PowerDesigner report.
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