IBM Blueworks Live vs SAP Signavio Process Manager comparison

IBM and SAP are both solutions in the Business Process Design category. IBM is ranked #12 with an average rating of 7.6, while SAP is ranked #5 with an average rating of 7.6. IBM holds a 3.6% mindshare in BPD, compared to SAP’s 9.1% mindshare. Additionally, 90% of IBM users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 89% of SAP users who would recommend it.

IBM Blueworks Live

Read 20 IBM Blueworks Live reviews

2,383 Views
1,542 Comparison Views

90% willing to recommend

SAP Signavio Process Manager

Read 59 SAP Signavio Process Manager reviews

6,266 Views
4,121 Comparison Views

89% willing to recommend

IBM Blueworks Live

SAP Signavio Process Manager

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 3, 2024

IBM Blueworks Live and SAP Signavio Process Manager compete in the business process management category. SAP Signavio seems to have the upper hand with its comprehensive process management and customization capabilities.

Features: IBM Blueworks Live is known for its intuitive collaboration that eases process mapping and documentation across departments. It simplifies process visualization and ensures rapid adoption post-training. SAP Signavio Process Manager excels in its powerful modeling capabilities, supporting BPMN compliance and offering extensive process governance tools. It features a user-friendly interface with a Collaboration Hub that enhances teamwork and process insights.

Room for Improvement: IBM Blueworks Live requires enhanced simulation capabilities, better reporting, and improved integration with business systems. It also needs richer modeling features to manage complex workflows. SAP Signavio users wish for better tool integration, flexible licensing options, and upgraded document management. Customization of reports and UI enhancements are also desired.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Both IBM Blueworks Live and SAP Signavio Process Manager provide flexible deployment in public, private, and hybrid clouds. IBM Blueworks Live is praised for its responsive customer support, while SAP Signavio maintains a strong service reputation, though its complexity can present technical challenges.

Pricing and ROI: IBM Blueworks Live offers competitive pricing with effective cost solutions and reasonable license fees, resulting in a positive ROI. SAP Signavio Process Manager is noted for its higher price, justified by its robust functionality and comprehensive management features, offering substantial ROI through process optimization and visibility.

To learn more, read our detailed IBM Blueworks Live vs. SAP Signavio Process Manager Report (Updated: April 2025).

Buyer's Guide

IBM Blueworks Live vs. SAP Signavio Process Manager

April 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

IBM Blueworks Live

Ranking in Business Process Design

12th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

SAP Signavio Process Manager

Ranking in Business Process Design

5th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Business Process Management (BPM) (8th)

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Business Process Design category, the mindshare of IBM Blueworks Live is 3.6%, up from 3.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SAP Signavio Process Manager is 9.1%, up from 8.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Business Process Design

Featured Reviews

AjarMathur

Global Innovation Director at Ernst & Young

An easily scalable and affordable solution that enables users to document and digitize processes with ease

IBM Blueworks is BPMN 2.0 compliant, but it does not adapt to the overarching BPMN 2.0 concepts. There is only one kind of BPMN 2.0 diagram. It is a process diagram. It doesn't have the concept of separate tools, which other products offer. If I had to do a hardcore BPMN 2.0 modeling, the product would have its own reservations. There were features we could not explore from a BPMN 2.0 perspective. Most of the time, people who are shifting from Microsoft Office tools to a digitized way of working still want the reporting capabilities to be strong. Some tools, like ARIS or Signavio, offer customized solutions from the reporting perspective. If I have documented my whole finance process and want to fetch out a complete SOP report in a very customized manner, IBM Blueworks cannot provide it. We have to rely on some other services. So that's one area in which we always struggled, how to really customize the reporting aspects. I understand that we need to keep the tool a little more asset-light. It's very difficult to keep adding many options, but at least a few BPMN 2.0 options were needed. We have been suggesting to IBM that we should have some way of customizing the reporting. At least we should get a custom way of reporting it into different formats like Excel or putting up a logo for one of the clients so that their SAP can be printed that way.

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Cirvesh-Daga

Director at T-Systems International GmbH

Good visual representation for modelling and business process mapping but room for improvement in reporting functionalities

There is room for improvement in analytics. People don't realize it, but the world has changed in the last six to eight months. Customers want to see AI like ChatGPT and ML capabilities in all aspects of business processes and reporting. That would be my recommendation for any OEM in this value chain. Reporting could definitely be improved. I would like to see new features in analytics. I like that they analyze the process and give it to me visually, but I'd like the option to use DPMM instead of just DPC. I'd also like the option to have the process map laid out top to bottom instead of horizontally. Especially a choice between DPMN and EPC as a format. Because there are some people who are very comfortable with the EPC notation. The process is very clearly event-driven. There's an event, there's an action. It's very simple to understand. BPMN, which is the most popular business process notation, generally tends to have multiple frames. Actually, in multiple swimlanes rather. And those frames could each represent a particular kind of entity. Maybe it's an action, maybe it's an actor, maybe it's an event. So there are two different ways of notation. I just like Signavio to give us the ability to choose that notation. Because some companies use BPMN and some use the EPC. And then, if the minute you make that change, I'd like them to give us the flexibility of having an already plotted or vertically plotted option. Moreover, I would like to see improvement in the visual part. It's the piece that needs improvement. Currently, you can plot the diagram horizontally or vertically. However, I'd like the option to change the way the diagram is created, like switching between different notations.

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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

"The solution is easy to operate. Also, there is an automatic mode to make the business flow. You don't have to put any lines or arrows in a decision point in IBM Blueworks Live; it's very automatic."

"In terms of the collaboration features, from the point of discovery, it was useful to go to load up the policies and the rule sets that the client had. And in terms of exploring options and being able to model a variety of different processes, that was incredibly useful as well."

"The solution is stable. All the refreshes run very well."

"We are you using the product as a process mapping tool and as part of a larger process improvement project. We use it with IBM BPM and IBM ODM. We get an automated workflow solution for our customers, an improved workflow automation."

"For me the most valuable feature is that it's one depository for our bank. So it's not like everybody has their critical processes on SharePoint or on their desktops. Everything is centrally located. It's very intuitive, easy to use. The support that I get from IBM is always great."

"The reporting that we can generate from IBM Blueworks Live has been interesting. We found the KPIs, risks, process modeling, format, and colors, to be very good. We use the EY template and it is interesting to generate reporting in this format."

"The business process discovery is excellent. The diagram or blueprinting functionality of the solution are very good. It's quite easy. You can link the sub-processes and get a big overview of the whole process then."

"You can use if from your mobile device or you can be on the desktop. It doesn't matter. You are always connected. It is cloud-based, so you don't have to install anything."

More IBM Blueworks Live pros

"The collaboration function in the project views is valuable because people can comment on the processes and we can respond."

"The most valuable feature is that you can customize it completely with all of the attributes that you need."

"It's way of handling is really an advantage. It's quite easy to use, without too much training . That's the main point for me."

"Process Manager supports end-to-end transformation. Students can better understand end-to-end activity and processes as well as how they are run. For teaching, it's process discovery, then modeling, and finally optimization and simulation, partly. Typically, we showcase some simulation of the processes, and this is where we finish. That is why we validate that it's properly designed, but also what are the outcomes of modeled processes. There are also options for discussion on process optimization."

"The most valuable feature for me is the collaboration point of view, where everybody has a single view, or source of truth, and everybody sees the same thing. Everyone can comment, contribute, and discuss the processes itself, which makes it easier to funnel down the most value adding comments and make the relevant changes to the processes. This leads to the next best iteration or version of your process."

"This functionality ("invite anyone for feedback") has substantially increased visibility over work-in-progress when it comes to process modelling and overall process management and it decreased the time spent on giving and receiving feedback through emails and through sharing screenshots/.ppt files/Visio files etc."

"It is a stable solution."

"The formatting features are quite good because you can create very complex models, but you can easily clean them up so that they look very nice."

More SAP Signavio Process Manager pros

Cons

"There should be an option to import from and export to Microsoft Visio. Being able to move files back and forth between Blueworks Live and Visio would be good."

"We'd also like to see it be Six Sigma or Lean compatible, a lot of people have asked about that."

"The objects that the solution creates are not unique."

"The user interface is quite easy at first but process analysts soon run into roadblocks of limited functionality, which is disappointing."

"Spaces are not well organized; space controls are lacking."

"The APIs are great, except the normal business user doesn't know how to create APIs. So it's hard because IBM comes to us as the business users and tell us to create reporting with APIs, except we don't know that, so we have to turn around and flip it to our IT people."

"I would like to see integration with ERP systems. This would help us to simulate the process and see where the problems are. Though IBM Blueworks Live is a good tool for documenting, it is not good for simulating."

"Sometimes, the tool is automatic, which can complicate it, but once you're accustomed to manipulating it, you can use it very effectively."

More IBM Blueworks Live cons

"I think the interface itself can improve a bit. I think the interface is still stuck about a decade in the past, if I may be so brutal about it. Some of the buttons are really small, so you can't even see them. I think it needs upgrading to the 21st century with apps and the way we use mobile phones."

"Typically, a business process management suite would cover the whole lifecycle, from discovery to optimization and operations. This is running on the process server and providing some kind of low-code environment for developing business solutions. I think the latter part is missing, where SAP Connector comes in. Specifically, the execution of processes is missing, where you would design forms to take orders. This is typically part of some development environment for the process server to run processes from out of the models."

"We would like a better way to give users the correct permissions for processes, whether to view or design."

"If you start from scratch then I think this product would be ideal, but if you already have something then it may or may not suit you."

"There is a need for more varied access packages. The access packages that I have used are not cheap enough. They also provide a complete set of tools that are not always used. Sometimes, you need more segregated things, e.g., Signavio includes functionality for a company that has not yet matured. Since there are no basic packages, the company must pay for a package that is not fully used. Typically, process management is started in a company of a certain maturity."

"It would be beneficial to have a defined leveling or hierarchy system to facilitate better understanding and analysis. More openness and flexibility would enhance its capabilities."

"The user administration, the user-group administration, and the license models need improvement."

"Signavio Process Manager needs to have an integrated document management system to better work with processes that rely heavily on documents and document flows."

More SAP Signavio Process Manager cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The solution is very, very cost-effective."

"They have a free subscription model that gives a lot of power to the users."

"The solution is not very expensive."

"Price wise, IBM Blueworks Live is in the middle range, and I would give it a five out of ten."

"There are editor licenses that are around 50 euros per month, and contributor licenses that are around 30 euros per month."

"Making it less expensive would be good."

"Based on the licenses purchased, from a footprint perspective, you can have as many people as you want. You have multiple different categories of licenses to keep the cost low."

"We are seeing ROI from this solution. The solution has saved us time."

"Although Signavio is a feature-rich solution, it is expensive for companies who haven’t reached a certain maturity level in their process management initiatives."

"My client purchased one editor license and the collaboration hub, which covers up to a hundred people."

"I think that the price of the licenses is between $2,000 USD and $3,000 USD per license per year, plus the hub usage. I cannot remember the exact cost, but it is affordable."

"I rate the product price a five on a scale of one to ten, where one is low price and ten is high price."

"We are using the free trial version."

"Comparatively, it is a bit costly when you look at similar tools with similar features."

"I found the pricing of the solution to be moderate compared to other choices."

"The customer Journey Modeler is more than twice the price of Process Manager, which is a lot."

More SAP Signavio Process Manager pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

19%

Computer Software Company

10%

Manufacturing Company

Government

Manufacturing Company

14%

Financial Services Firm

12%

Computer Software Company

10%

Energy/Utilities Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about IBM Blueworks Live?

The solution is easy to operate. Also, there is an automatic mode to make the business flow. You don't have to put any lines or arrows in a decision point in IBM Blueworks Live; it's very automatic.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for IBM Blueworks Live?

The solution costs around 600-700 dollars/year, which is quite affordable.

See all answers

What needs improvement with IBM Blueworks Live?

Sometimes, the tool is automatic, which can complicate it, but once you're accustomed to manipulating it, you can use it very effectively.

See all answers

Which is better - Signavio Process Manager or Celonis?

SAP Signavio Process Manager is a very robust industrial-grade business process modeling tool. It is easy to use and does not require too much technological involvement. This solution has a collabo...

See all answers

What do you like most about Signavio Process Manager?

The visual representation is extremely powerful and easy to use in process modeling and analysis. I can show it to someone who doesn't know business process mapping, and they still understand bec...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Signavio Process Manager?

Due to its SaaS nature, it is slightly challenging as a BPM tool. The pricing could be reduced further. I don't have the exact figures, but I believe it can be lowered because it's cloud-based.

See all answers

Comparisons

Visio vs IBM Blueworks Live

Compared 32% of the time

Lucidchart vs IBM Blueworks Live

Compared 15% of the time

ARIS Cloud vs IBM Blueworks Live

Compared 11% of the time

Camunda vs IBM Blueworks Live

Compared 7% of the time

ARIS BPA vs IBM Blueworks Live

Compared 7% of the time

More IBM Blueworks Live Competitors

Celonis vs SAP Signavio Process Manager

Compared 30% of the time

ARIS BPA vs SAP Signavio Process Manager

Compared 12% of the time

Camunda vs SAP Signavio Process Manager

Compared 8% of the time

ADONIS vs SAP Signavio Process Manager

Compared 5% of the time

UiPath Process Mining vs SAP Signavio Process Manager

Compared 3% of the time

More SAP Signavio Process Manager Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

IBM Blueworks Live

April 2025

Download IBM Blueworks Live product report

Buyer's Guide

SAP Signavio Process Manager

March 2025

Download SAP Signavio Process Manager product report

Also Known As

IBM Lombardi Blueprint

Signavio Process Editor

Overview

IBM Blueworks Live is a cloud-based business process modeling tool that helps you discover, map and document your processes. It is easy to use, allowing you to learn and perform business process modeling in minutes.

With Blueworks Live you can:

Simplify business process modeling
Quickly build business processes in a straightforward, cloud-based interface designed for both IT and business users.

Improve process efficiency and accuracy
A central process repository eliminates version control and consistency issues by providing users real-time access to process workflows.

Enhance cross-team collaboration
A shared team workspace engages all business process owners, encouraging cross-team participation and continuous process improvement.

IBM

The Signavio portfolio of web-based business transformation solutions helps companies to understand and optimize all of their business processes quickly and at scale, providing instant insights for informed decision-making. Signavio’s intuitive analysis, change management and execution solutions around process excellence include use cases like digital transformation, operational excellence and customer-centricity, placing them at the heart of global organizations.

Over 1 million users in more than 1,500 organizations worldwide rely on Signavio products to make processes part of their company’s DNA. Headquartered in Berlin, Germany, Signavio was founded in 2009 to address the need for a collaborative approach to process management.

Signavio was acquired by SAP in the first quarter of 2021. For more information, visit www.signavio.com

SAP

Sample Customers

Cloudsoft Corp. Ltd., Bayer, S¾SS, Essex County Council

DHL, Coca Cola EP, Prudential, Zalando, T-Systems, Jabil, Endress+Hauser, Rakuten

Buyer's Guide

IBM Blueworks Live vs. SAP Signavio Process Manager

April 2025

Free Report: IBM Blueworks Live vs. SAP Signavio Process Manager

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