ARIS BPA vs IBM Rational System Architect comparison

The compared Software AG and IBM solutions aren't in the same category. Software AG is ranked #4 in BPD , with an average rating of 8.3, and holds a 8.1% mindshare in the category. IBM is ranked #19 in AM , and holds a 1.8% mindshare. Additionally, 88% of Software AG users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 83% of IBM users who would recommend it.

ARIS BPA

Read 66 ARIS BPA reviews

5,328 Views
4,281 Comparison Views

88% willing to recommend

IBM Rational System Architect

Read 5 IBM Rational System Architect reviews

958 Views
545 Comparison Views

83% willing to recommend

ARIS BPA

IBM Rational System Architect

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between ARIS BPA and IBM Rational System Architect based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft, Camunda, Sparx Systems and others in Business Process Design.

To learn more, read our detailed Business Process Design Report (Updated: February 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Business Process Design

February 2025

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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

ARIS BPA

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Business Process Design (4th), Business Process Management (BPM) (8th)

IBM Rational System Architect

Average Rating

7.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Enterprise Architecture Management (19th)

Mindshare comparison

ARIS BPA and IBM Rational System Architect aren’t in the same category and serve different purposes. ARIS BPA is designed for Business Process Design and holds a mindshare of 8.1%, down 9.3% compared to last year.
IBM Rational System Architect, on the other hand, focuses on Enterprise Architecture Management, holds 1.8% mindshare, down 2.7% since last year.

Business Process Design

Enterprise Architecture Management

Featured Reviews

Veronika Ellermann

BPM Method and Tools Specialist at a pharma/biotech company with 10,001+ employees

Very user-friendly application; ARIS has an active user community; Content-sharing in the tool to be improved

The Risk and Compliance Management tool is rather complex. So, we customized it. Customization was done by SAG and was done fast. The facility for sharing content should be enhanced. For example, it would be nice if you could share content with viewers who do not explicitly have access to the model. As it is now, if you share a process with somebody that does not have access to the model, then the person receives a link that simply tells them they have no access. Particularly, when you're in the process of modeling something and you want to share it because you want to get feedback from your colleagues, I would appreciate being able to share that content. It could be valid for a period, such as 24 hours or one week. This is something that would help.

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it_user951237

Enterprise Architecture Specialist at a energy/utilities company with 10,001+ employees

Modeling is useful, but many features need improvement and technical support is lacking

I find that almost every feature related to the models requires improvement. For example, I would like to see more trendy models, the look and feel of the models can be improved. This solution can be more user-friendly and easier to use, with better dashboards. The impact analysis feature is in need of heavy improvement. The is a standalone product that lacks integration with a business process automation engine. I would like to see the workflow improved, where it integrates seamlessly with the artifacts.

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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"Process Modeling or Process Mapping/Documentation. This is the most comprehensive tool for capturing the process details. Any organization who wants to embark on a BPM journey, process mapping/documentation, lays the foundation for the BPM led implementation."

"Good at controlling the workflow and relevant key processes."

"ARIS provides the basic foundation for any digital transformation an organization decides to take."

"Business Process Analysis: We can simulate, optimize, and analyse business processes based on various business requirements. It assures our rolling out the best processes."

"In general, the users really like it and they can get started using it very easily."

"The most valuable features of ARIS BPA are its flexibility and reporting."

"The tool has good navigation."

"Also, the UML parts have been improved very much in the last two years. And it's very powerful now to combine the BPMN and UML parts in the product, because you can make a connection between them, so that you have the right interoperability between them. So if you're doing data modeling, you can use your class diagram and bind that to the BPMN part."

More ARIS BPA pros

"We have seen ROI with this solution over the years that we have used it."

"The solution is pretty stable."

"The user interface is good. It's both clear and comprehensible. It's easy to work with."

"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."

Cons

"There should be a more intuitive tool when creating reports."

"I find it difficult to access the database as I want with direct querying."

"The integration between ARIS, webMethods, and project versions needs improvement."

"ARIS BPA’s usability could be improved."

"There is a lot of room for improvement. They need to increase the performance of the system flow. They need to support it more. ARIS Process Governance is still quite basic, and they are using an old BPM and process automation module."

"Sometimes, ARIS BPA breaks down, and its stability can be improved."

"The governance mechanism could be better, as could automation."

"ARIS BPA is not really a platform that offers you the opportunity to execute processes that you model."

More ARIS BPA cons

"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."

"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."

"This solution can be more user-friendly and easier to use, with better dashboards."

"The solution needs to better integrate with other products, like Microsoft."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"ARIS has different licensing mechanisms for different modules, but they are perpetual licenses. So you pay once."

"The solution has a fair price for the value it delivers."

"It is well worth the investment in the enterprise."

"The setup cost and pricing depend on the license (Modeler, Viewer, Administrator)."

"The price of the solution is reasonable."

"We have a concurrent license system."

"The price could be better."

"It is an expensive solution."

More ARIS BPA pricing and cost advice

Information not available

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

18%

Manufacturing Company

11%

Computer Software Company

11%

Government

10%

Manufacturing Company

17%

Financial Services Firm

15%

Computer Software Company

10%

Government

10%

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about ARIS BPA?

The most valuable features of ARIS BPA are its flexibility and reporting.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for ARIS BPA?

Pricing for ARIS BPA is average, not cheap or expensive. It's cost-effective and worth the money we pay.

See all answers

What needs improvement with ARIS BPA?

Improvement should be made as per customer requirements.

See all answers

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Comparisons

SAP Signavio Process Manager vs ARIS BPA

Compared 24% of the time

ADONIS vs ARIS BPA

Compared 10% of the time

Camunda vs ARIS BPA

Compared 7% of the time

Bizagi vs ARIS BPA

Compared 7% of the time

Visio vs ARIS BPA

Compared 6% of the time

More ARIS BPA Competitors

Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect vs IBM Rational System Architect

Compared 67% of the time

erwin Data Modeler by Quest vs IBM Rational System Architect

Compared 12% of the time

MEGA HOPEX vs IBM Rational System Architect

Compared 11% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

ARIS BPA

February 2025

Download ARIS BPA product report

Buyer's Guide

Enterprise Architecture Management

January 2025

Download IBM Rational System Architect product report

Also Known As

ARIS, ARIS BPM

Rational System Architect

Overview

ARIS is the market-leading solution for professional business process management and modeling. Whether you want to document the "as-is" state of your operations for quality or certification reasons or design the "to-be" in terms of continuous improvement in your transformation program, ARIS is the best choice for establishing a single source of truth regarding all process excellence topics in your organization. It is for any organization looking to digitally transform their business, increase operational excellence and customer experience and ensure compliance in execution. ARIS helps you to make the most out of your processes with Process Mining, Risk & Compliance Management, RPA and much more.

What makes the difference?

The most comprehensive platform for process excellence in the market
Easy to use
Covers business & IT architecture from all angles
Full flexibility and >100 diagram types
Customer-driven development based on best practices
Strong partner ecosystem

ARIS is the market-leading solution for any organization and ideally suited to digitally transform the organization, increase operational excellence and customer experience and ensure compliance in execution.

Software AG

IBM Rational System Architect is an enterprise architecture solution for visualizing, analyzing, and communicating enterprise architecture and business process analysis. This solution provides decision support, process optimization, and integration into solution delivery. Rational System Architect addresses all aspects of your organization's enterprise architecture, including modeling, publishing, analysis, and execution.

IBM

Sample Customers

Tesco, Weifu, Airbus, Siemens, Proximus, Alicorp, Sekerbank, Bancor, Philips,Sky, Emirates NBD, Dubai Municipality, Suva, U.S. Army, Australia Post, Westfalen Weser Energie - ARIS serves customers across all industries and of every size worldwide. Companies trust ARIS as the market leader for process excellence with more than 30 years of experience in the market, 10 million users worldwide, from 1 user companies to the Fortune 500.

Wuxi Lake Cloud, Nationwide, ETI, IDS Scheer

Buyer's Guide

Business Process Design

February 2025

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