Control-M Reviews

Vendor: BMC

4.4 out of 5

114 reviews
98% willing to recommend

1,847 followers

What is Control-M?

Control-M is used for enterprise workload automation, orchestrating finance, retail, healthcare, and supply chain processes. It handles batch job scheduling, managed file transfers, cloud integrations, and compliance auditing across on-premises, cloud, and hybrid environments.

Get the Control-M Buyer's Guide and find out what your peers are saying about Control-M, Camunda, Microsoft Configuration Manager and more!

Control-M is the #1 ranked solution in top Workload Automation solutions, #2 ranked solution in top Process Automation solutions, and #3 ranked solution in top Managed File Transfer (MFT) solutions. PeerSpot users give Control-M an average rating of 8.8 out of 10. Control-M is most commonly compared to Camunda: Control-M vs Camunda. Control-M is popular among the large enterprise segment, accounting for 75% of users researching this solution on PeerSpot. The top industry researching this solution are professionals from a financial services firm, accounting for 28% of all views.

Helped 801,394 peers since 2012

Featured reviews

Pedro Fuentes

System Engineer at Community Loans of America, Inc.

They have a department that handles requests for enhancements. I talked to Control-M guys back in October or November when they had a gathering here in Atlanta. We talked about not being able to go back in history in Helix Control-M for more than two weeks. We submitted a request for enhancement. They told us that they are working on it, and they are thinking of expanding that to 30 days. We would like to see it expand to 90 days, but they are working on it. In Control-M, we were able to go back 180 days, but that was on-prem. The storage of that data was on our own servers. We know that storage is money, and we do not expect them to store that much of the data, but at least 30 to 60 days seem proper.

Read full review

Chris Wahl

Operations Engineer at West Bend Mutual Insurance Company

The reporting is top-notch. I haven't found any other applications on the market that can replicate what Control-M offers. The alerting is very good, and I think their service monitoring is the best in the industry. The solution is a key part of our system and I have not seen any significant limitations with it. It's very reliable and performs as advertised. We're just starting our data pipeline journey. Compared to other products in the market, I believe Control-M's is the easiest to use. Theirs came out ahead in terms of ease of use every time. I rate them very highly in that area. We're primarily an Azure corporation. We found that the solution's built-in integrations with Azure are straightforward to use. We actively build out methods of alerting, for instance, when workflows in Control-M don't complete, as this impacts our end-users and our managers that support the teams attempting to provide data for the end-users. I think Control-M has a ton of built-in integrations that make alerting when that data is unavailable more visible to end-users. I think that's been very useful in our environment.

Read full review

Patrick Byrne

Higher Executive Officer ICT at Irish Government

It's much simpler now. Everything was a manual batch job. Using the features of Control-M every day makes our batch processing so much easier. It makes our lives so much easier. For our operations team, which runs our daily batch overnight, viewing everything as it happens has been an absolute lifesaver, especially if things go wrong overnight. It's great to have that visibility. It has also sped up our process, reducing overhead and weekend overtime. Batch processing is much quicker now, resulting in fewer manual errors. Control-M has so much functionality that even if you initially purchase it to handle a specific part of your batch work, it can offer much more. We've progressed beyond traditional batch processing to include MFT, which has been incredibly useful. Our file watchers and other automation features have significantly simplified our workflows and made our lives much easier. Overall, I rate the solution a ten out of ten.

Read full review

Control-M mindshare

Product category:

As of September 2024, the mindshare of Control-M in the Process Automation category stands at 4.2%, up from 4.1% compared to the previous year, according to calculations based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Process Automation

Key learnings from peers

Last updated Aug 25, 2024

Valuable Features

Control-M is highly valued for its integration capabilities, automation API, user-friendly GUI, robust scheduling, managed file transfer, and extensive plugin library. The unified view and reporting features enhance workflow monitoring and efficiency. The role-based administration, along with the comprehensive community support and self-service tools, significantly improve user autonomy and operational convenience. The platform's adaptability to new technologies and seamless orchestration of multi-platform processes are crucial for businesses.

"The most valuable features of Control-M are automation and orchestration. It allows a different schedule, and we can manage thousands of jobs. It ensures we can complete them on time accurately. This automation reduces our manual intervention, significantly reducing error."
"Control-M is infinitely scalable. We only need to add agents. BMC will take care of it if you need anything on the SaaS side, but we can handle the rest using our agent architecture."
"The product has enhanced the interface with a clear visual display of data and process batches, showing the completion status of workflows."

Room for Improvement

Control-M users indicate that improvements are needed in the web interface, integration capabilities, reporting functionality, cost-effectiveness, installation process, support quality, user interface performance, and documentation clarity. API integration and support for newer technologies require enhancement. Auditing capabilities and seamless transitions between versions are also areas requiring attention. Users report stability concerns and express a need for more predefined plugins and dynamic reporting facilities. The marketing and visibility of Control-M's full potential should be improved.

"Control-M should receive more notice when it releases new features. The user interface is also a bit complex, and the navigation should be streamlined."
"I'm currently working on the SaaS version, but I've also worked on the on-prem versions before. There is a handful of features that haven't been added to the SaaS version, and the BMC knows that. It's a matter of time before they prioritize the missing pieces and bring them into the SaaS version."
"They could enhance the product's data flow, job processing speed, and efficiency."

ROI

Users report significant cost savings and enhanced efficiency with Control-M. There are substantial reductions in manual effort, improved data transfers, optimized job scheduling, and faster issue resolution. The centralized management has led to lower operational costs and improved visibility. Many experienced ROI within a short period and continue to benefit from Control-M's extensive features and stability improvements. Reduced errors and quicker job execution contribute to overall satisfaction.

Pricing

Control-M's pricing and licensing are complex and often seen as expensive, particularly for smaller enterprises. Costs typically range around $3000 per year or $100 per job, with additional fees for extra features and agents. While considered steep, many users find it justified due to its advanced capabilities and value over the long term. Licensing models vary, often based on job count, nodes, or endpoints, and can sometimes be confusing.

"Control-M isn't cheap, but this is an enterprise model."
"The license model is based on the number of jobs we run on the SaaS application or the number of executions, unlike the on-premise model options. If we have a handful of jobs, it's always good to consider Control-M, but if it's a large number of jobs, Control-M might not be a great option."
"The product price is reasonable. I rate the pricing an eight."

Popular Use Cases

Control-M is primarily used for enterprise workload automation in various industries, including finance, retail, and banking. It schedules and monitors business-critical processes, automates file transfers, and supports database tasks. Many companies leverage it for cloud and on-premise application integrations, such as SAP, Informatica, and Oracle. Control-M improves efficiency by automating batch jobs, business workflows, and IT maintenance procedures, ensuring compliance with SLAs and enhancing the visibility of complex workflows.

Service and Support

Control-M's customer service and support are often praised for their responsiveness, extensive knowledge base, and helpfulness. Users note quick response times, especially for critical issues, but some mention that initial interactions can involve standard procedures that delay resolutions. Documentations and webinars are appreciated, though they could benefit from more clarity and depth. Occasionally, technical issues require escalation to R&D. The support community is generally active and useful. Some users find their experience varies, rating the support from eight to ten out of ten.

Deployment

Control-M's initial setup is generally straightforward and quick, ranging from hours to a few weeks. However, complexity may arise depending on infrastructure size and requirements. Many users recommend engaging third-party support or using documentation and BMC's AMIGO program. Some experienced varying challenges, especially with large environments or specific configurations. Maintenance is minimal, and upgrades have improved over time, reducing downtime and making the process smoother.

Scalability

Control-M supports high scalability across various environments and industries with ease. Several users reported handling thousands of jobs per day without issues. Many highlighted its flexibility in scaling both horizontally and vertically. Most organizations have successfully expanded usage, enabling multiple departments and job types. Some cited cost concerns and complexity in cloud integration, but generally, users experienced reliable performance and appreciated the ability to scale as needed.

Stability

Control-M is highly stable, with minimal issues reported. Users consistently find it reliable, often running for years without downtime. Problems are typically attributed to infrastructure rather than Control-M itself. Many praise its ability to handle updates and failovers seamlessly. It often requires minimal administration and is preferred by financial companies for its dependability. While some earlier versions had issues, recent updates have significantly improved its stability.

These insights are based on the in-depth reviews provided by peers to help you make a better buying decision.

Download our Control-M Buyer's Guide for additional reliable information.

Review data by company size

By reviewers

By visitors reading reviews

Top industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

28%

Computer Software Company

13%

Manufacturing Company

Insurance Company

Retailer

Government

Healthcare Company

Energy/Utilities Company

Educational Organization

University

Real Estate/Law Firm

Media Company

Comms Service Provider

Transportation Company

Construction Company

Non Profit

Wholesaler/Distributor

Hospitality Company

Legal Firm

Logistics Company

Outsourcing Company

Pharma/Biotech Company

Performing Arts

Consumer Goods Company

Compare Control-M with alternative products

Learn more about Control-M

Organizations leverage Control-M to efficiently monitor and manage business-critical processes like payroll, HR, SAP, Informatica, and database tasks. It enhances visibility, security, and error resolution. Automating and optimizing workflows in data centers, AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud Platform, Control-M supports diverse technological environments. The platform's robust capabilities make it suitable for effective centralized management of applications and data pipelines, ensuring enhanced collaboration and scalability.

What are Control-M's most important features?

Integration capabilities: Seamlessly integrates with various systems
Automation API: Facilitates automation through APIs
Managed File Transfer: Simplifies secure file transfers
GUI console: Intuitive graphical user interface
Role-based administration: Provides access control
Single-pane view: Centralized monitoring dashboard
Scheduling options: Flexible job scheduling
Workflow orchestration: Coordinates complex workflows
Reporting: Generates insightful reports
Monitoring: Tracks and manages tasks
Forecasting: Predicts future workloads
Self-service portal: Empowers users with self-service tools
Plugins: Extends functionality through additional plugins

What are the benefits or ROI of using Control-M?

Enhanced visibility: Centralized view of all processes
Ease of use: User-friendly interface
Error reduction: Minimizes manual errors
Improved collaboration: Facilitates teamwork
Scalability: Supports growth and scale
Support: Comprehensive customer support

Control-M is implemented in industries like finance to handle payroll and HR tasks, in retail for inventory management and supply chain processes, and in healthcare for compliance auditing and patient data processing. Organizations benefit from streamlined workflows and automated processes across on-premises, cloud, and hybrid environments, ensuring efficient and secure operations.

Control-M was previously known as Control M.