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PeerSpot user
Senior Solution Designer at a comms service provider with 1,001-5,000 employees
Vendor
I can create requirements, draw all kinds of UML diagrams, link it all together and produce nice PDF reports and charts for the stakeholders.

What is most valuable?

There are many, but the most important is traceability, and having the option to quickly drill down from a birdseye view to the little details, and back.

How has it helped my organization?

I can create requirements, draw all kinds of UML diagrams, link it all together and produce nice PDF reports and charts for the stakeholders. We even quit using JIRA and perform issue tracking with a nearshoring team of 10 people directly in Sparx.

What needs improvement?

Once you know the tool, there is not much left that I miss. It lacks some collaborative functions like sending emails when a status changed. But I can perfectly live with that, by using Discussions and Model Mail in EA. Another thing is the locking of diagrams etc., which is important when working in a team. This can be a little bit cumbersome. But here I also have found a nice workaround, so again, I can perfectly live with that.

What I miss is a way to hide stuff that I don't need, so that all the windows and views are not clustered with unnecessary stuff. That would also be nice for new team members, so that they are not lost so many times.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using it for four years.

Buyer's Guide
Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect
October 2024
Learn what your peers think about Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: October 2024.
816,406 professionals have used our research since 2012.

What was my experience with deployment of the solution?

We've had no issues with the deployment.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is very stable. It only doesn't like when it loses connection to the database repository, but even after a forced reboot, I have never lost any data.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We have had no issues scaling it for our needs.

How are customer service and support?

I only used it a few times, when I forgot passwords or license keys. The support was always fast and excellent.

How was the initial setup?

I always compare EA with a lovely beast. It seems very complex at the beginning, because it provides you with all options in all places, but once you realized that you don't have to use it all, and you know your workflow, it just works perfectly.

What about the implementation team?

We did it in house. It is a simple installation. Also, setting up the key store for managing the floating licenses is no rocket science.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The price for such a tool is very fair. You can choose between different versions depending on your needs, and you can scale up any time later. There is a free trial (30 days), and a free version of EA to view the model. This is perfect for stakeholder to see what is going on.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

I really tried hard to find the best solution that suits all needs. JIRA/Confluence, and many UML tools like Magic Draw. The only tool that comes close is Visual Paradigm. After some time evaluating, I chose EA, because it gives me the freedom of writing SQL queries, and I can create backups of the whole model very easily. Also, the concept of floating licenses is very nice if you work with different external teams.

What other advice do I have?

Just be prepared that at the beginning EA will overwhelm you with all its options. It is very hard for example to create your first nice looking report. But if you don't give up too early, EA will pay off on the long run.

When I confronted the developer team that I plan to switch from JIRA to EA, they were not really happy. But now, after a short while, they love it because they immediately see changes, have access to all the diagrams (ERDs, Sequence Diagrams etc.). They now always have the big picture (I'm using mind maps, for example), and wherever they are, they can simply right-click an element, click "Find in Diagrams" and see this element in context. We even do all time reports in EA, directly on the Issues, Requirements etc. The hidden power of EA comes with its "Tagged Values". We are doing scrum, with sprints and retrospectives etc. all in EA without any additional extension or third party tool.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
it_user326337 - PeerSpot reviewer
it_user326337Customer Success Manager at PeerSpot
Consultant

Mario, have you been using it for scrum? If so, how have you found it?

See all 5 comments
Solution Architect at a insurance company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Easy to use, very stable, works with different standards, and has an incredible repository of artifacts
Pros and Cons
  • "Its ease of use and the breadth of the toolkit are most valuable. It has an incredible repository of artifacts to work with, and they're all cross-referenced. It works with a whole bunch of different standards. It works with BPMN, which is Business Process Modeling Notation, and it also works with something called TOGAF, which is the Open Group Architecture Foundation. There are different layers when you're dealing with architecture. There is the user interface, application, data, data servers, and all that kind of stuff. You have the infrastructure, hardware, and software layers, and then you have the application and business capability layers. You can model a business process and decompose it into all of the applications, data, and hardware to support it."
  • "They should make the Save button easier to find. A simplified user interface for a lighter user would probably be useful. I am not sure if such an interface is already there."

What is our primary use case?

We are building it right now. We first have to build a repository and the tool, and then we have to develop the training for different types of users. We are using its latest version.

What is most valuable?

Its ease of use and the breadth of the toolkit are most valuable. It has an incredible repository of artifacts to work with, and they're all cross-referenced. 

It works with a whole bunch of different standards. It works with BPMN, which is Business Process Modeling Notation, and it also works with something called TOGAF, which is the Open Group Architecture Foundation. There are different layers when you're dealing with architecture. There is the user interface, application, data, data servers, and all that kind of stuff. You have the infrastructure, hardware, and software layers, and then you have the application and business capability layers. You can model a business process and decompose it into all of the applications, data, and hardware to support it.

What needs improvement?

They should make the Save button easier to find. 

A simplified user interface for a lighter user would probably be useful. I am not sure if such an interface is already there.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for six months.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is very stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is scalable. Right now, we've only got a hundred books, but we want to have hundreds of thousands of books. There are only three of us using it in our architecture group, and then there are probably 30 other architects in other parts of the company who are using it.

How are customer service and technical support?

My colleague is dealing with technical support. 

How was the initial setup?

One of my colleagues did that. I am not familiar with the setup, but I know it is pretty elaborate because, like anything, you got to configure it the way you want. The more robust the tool, the more configuration it usually needs.

What about the implementation team?

In terms of the software solution, it doesn't take a lot of maintenance. It is like building out a library.

What other advice do I have?

I would advise others to understand their needs and find a tool that really meets their needs.

I would rate Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect an eight out of ten. It is a very strong tool, but I don't have enough comparison points to give it a higher rating.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect
October 2024
Learn what your peers think about Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: October 2024.
816,406 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Management Consultant & Architect at Contextual Focus Limited
Consultant
Great pricing with an easy initial setup and a comprehensive toolkit
Pros and Cons
  • "For the most part, we find that it is remarkable how inexpensive it is."
  • "The presentation graphics need to be improved in future builds."

What is our primary use case?

We're doing enterprise architecture work primarily. In one case we're looking at enterprise data modeling. In another case is mostly business architecture.

How has it helped my organization?

We haven't used the solution long enough to make any observations in terms of the product improving our company's functions. It's too soon to tell.

What is most valuable?

For us, the solution is evolving still.

I find it performs as well as other solutions that I've used, like QualiWare's Rational System Architect. It performs quite well.

For the most part, we find that it is remarkable how inexpensive it is.

Overall, the solution offers very good packages.

The initial setup is easy.

What needs improvement?

The presentation graphics need to be improved in future builds. It's primarily an architecture tool. Therefore, it's using certain formulas, and they aren't really very useful in terms of presentation graphics for executives. It's an ongoing issue. You do some kind of diagram, you then have to convert it into a Microsoft PowerPoint in order to get a certain look and feel. Otherwise, the design is just too obscure for executives to understand.

The product needs better tools for defining report templates. Sparx will generate automated reports based on whatever you select from the repository. It has this templating tool that's very flexible, however, I can't get the damn thing to work properly. It's just not very user-friendly. It's almost like a programming language. That's the thing that we keep coming back to tech support with to say, "What are we doing wrong?" If they offered a better report generating front end that will let someone quickly and easily configure what they want in their reports, that would be very useful.

For how long have I used the solution?

I'm pretty new to the solution. I've used the solution for a little under a year at this point. It's likely been ten or 11 months so far.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

While the solution has crashed a few times in the past year, I wouldn't describe it as unstable. There aren't really bugs or glitches on it. Mostly, it's fine.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I can't speak to the level of scalability of the product. The user community for our purposes is quite small. We haven't tested scaling it with larger user groups. However, it's not the type of tool you would role out to a larger community anyway. Therefore, from a performance scalability perspective, it's hard for me to comment.

That said, from a functional scalability perspective, it's packed with all kinds of features. Your enterprise architecture approach could certainly scale up to accommodate more and more of the types of analysis you'd want to perform.

We have two teams that use the solution. In one case, there are three people using it, and in another case there are seven.

How are customer service and technical support?

We've used technical support in the past.

We've needed them for a few little obscure things and things just that are quite annoying to figure out. They've always been there and they're quite good.

We're quite satisfied with the level of assistance we receive. I would rate them at a perfect ten out of ten.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

Personally, I've used a lot of different solutions, and a lot of different kinds of case tools. However, in both my client environments that we are presently using, we presently implemented Sparx and they had nothing like this before. This is really an eye-opener to them and a new kind of field for them to go into.

How was the initial setup?

We found the initial setup to be very straightforward and simple. It's not complex at all. A company shouldn't have any trouble with the deployment process.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The pricing is excellent. It's very inexpensive.

What other advice do I have?

We're just a customer and an end-user.

We're using the latest version of the solution.

We use different deployment models, including cloud and on-premises.

It's an excellent entry-level tool. I say entry level as case tools are typically a very expensive proposition to bring into a business, and not necessarily because of their licensing costs or their implementation costs. It is more the training costs of the individuals to start working and thinking in an architectural way and then using tools like this in a consistent and productive manner. You need a methodology investment and you need training investment, and then you need a setup investment for the actual enterprise architecture program or practice that you're going to work with.

The tool itself is comparable to a bunch of others. However, it's not as expensive as most. It's in fact so cheap that last year, due to delays related to the COVID lockdown, I ended up buying a license for myself. It's that inexpensive. It cost less than Microsoft Word. It's an excellent way for a company to start or an organization to start using an enterprise architecture discipline. However, it's not an end-to-end solution. It could be an end-to-end solution. It just involves training of resources and change management for different processes and for governance and all this. A lot of companies just either don't realize that at all or aren't prepared to make the investment outside of the cheap license.

I would rate the solution eight out of ten.

It offers a comprehensive toolkit that it provides very good capabilities. The kinds of coverage that it gives to enterprise architecture tasks are great. The diagrammatic flexibility that it has, the methodological flexibility, and diagrammatic flexibility are also very helpful. It can support lots of different metamodels that will allow you to implement different enterprise architecture methods. It'll diagram them all. It does a very good job of allowing you to structure your environment so that you can support lots of different kinds of analysis across domains of enterprise architecture. It's very flexible in that sense. For these reasons, I give it fairly high marks.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
PeerSpot user
Enterprise Architect at Mobiliser
Consultant
Top 5
It allows us to validate design changes and give an indication of the code before speaking with developers.​​ Collaborating on a medium to large model resulted in significant performance problems.

How has it helped my organization?

Allowed us to validate design changes and give an indication of the code before even speaking with developers. It also allowed the architects to reuse work done by other projects or by other architecture specialities. It is more structured than tools like Visio making it easier to build accurate diagrams.

What is most valuable?

  • Ability to manage a meta-model that support a single source of truth for models
  • Ability to capture concept thinking diagrams (referred to as white boarding)
  • Reverse engineering capabilities
  • Collaborative functionality
  • Ability to trace through from a requirement statement to impacted logic was extremely powerful to us

What needs improvement?

Collaborating on a medium to large model resulted in significant performance problems, in some cases critical issues. It did not include sufficient flexibility for architecture work targeting business stakeholders. Very much a tool focused at application architecture despite having functions covering higher architecture domains.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using it for eight years in total, and five on a daily basis.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

We have had some stability issues but these varied version by version.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability issues limit us from expanding the use of the tool.

How are customer service and support?

Initially this was excellent in early versions. The growth of the product has changed as the company has grown. We were not able to get resolution to scalability issues in reasonable timeframes for versions nine or 10.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

IBM's tools and a number of other tools primarily UML focused. In v7 Sparx was miles ahead of the competition, fast, flexible, priced affordable.

How was the initial setup?

It was straightforward for single use, but for collaborative use it is slightly more complicated.

What about the implementation team?

In house team. If you're thinking of scaling it up I would recommend linking the commitment to pay for the product to demonstration of the tools ability to support the team size and use you are proposing and ensure contracts are in place with tight SLAs if issues occur.

What was our ROI?

It's impossible to tell, as the tool has helped to swing decision making in a few high level business meetings but mostly considered a tool to improve the efficiency of architecture.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

The current market landscape is changing. The recent work I've done with Orbus IServer to be a serious contender.

What other advice do I have?

Be realistic about what you team can achieve. In a single use situation there is little advise needed but if you are intending to deliver it into an organisation, ensure that

  • The way it will change how you work is possible (considering people and processes)
  • The cost is reasonable
  • The competition has been assessed using a POC not marketing ware (e.g. Orbus)
  • The training impact is understood (The tool is not trival to use)
  • The business view is not ignored. In my experience this tool does not remove the need to render information for a business audience separately and neither does tools like Orbus.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
it_user526653 - PeerSpot reviewer
Consultant with self employed
Consultant
It allowed teams and team members all over the world to collaborate and sync up on specific detailed parts of the solution or model easily with a minimum fuss.
Pros and Cons
  • "Automated document generation is a real time saver, no more cut and paste, no more keeping track of which diagrams are in which reports, no more last minute update panics. Just click a mouse and you've got an up to date report."
  • "Its best features are not intuitive or easy to learn. Most companies I have worked with, when I see what they are doing with it , are not using more than 5% of what they could and should be doing with it."

What is most valuable?

Automated document generation is a real time saver , no more cut and paste, no more keeping track of which diagrams are in which reports, no more last minute update panics. Just click a mouse and you've got an up to date report.

Customized profiles allow you to create entities that are custom engineered to your organization. Do you want to separate non-functional requirements into two types, say high and low priority, with each one having custom tags such as owner, why needed, history, date needed and authorizer for the high priority you can have it all built in to a tool set.

How has it helped my organization?

In one organization, it allowed teams and team members all over the world to collaborate and sync up on specific detailed parts of the solution or model easily with a minimum of fuss by sharing the repository instead of having to e-mail diagrams or search through SharePoint to find the right diagram. Its easy to bookmark a diagram in a repo so someone else can open their EA client and quickly find and even modify it directly, if appropriate

What needs improvement?

Sparx EA has always had one strong negative that has kept it from dominating the market ( not counting the fact that the big guns can out market Sparx).

Its best features are not intuitive or easy to learn. Most companies I have worked with, when I see what they are doing with it , are not using more than 5% of what they could and should be doing with it.

I've even seen reviews of the product by people who worked with it in which they complain that it can't do things that it most definitely can do(e.g. I've seen it referred to as an exclusively single user tool).

Yes there are courses available but it's counter productive to teach everyone everything, don't confuse a business analysts by teaching him about class diagrams and document templates, don't teach a programmer how to create BPMN diagrams.

The webinars and videos help , there has been big improvement in the reference material that Sparx has made available.

For how long have I used the solution?

Six years

What was my experience with deployment of the solution?

No

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Very very rarely.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

No.

How are customer service and technical support?

Customer Service:

Very good.

Technical Support:

Very good although there is no phone support.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I actually used a tool called TCC, Together Control Centre many years back which was very similar. It was created by Peter Coad of the (Coad-Yourdon methodology).

Unfortunately, some ruthless venture capitalist got control of the companies and tore it to pieces trying to make it a do all be all tool ("It's a floor wax - its a dessert topping").


How was the initial setup?

Straightforward.

What about the implementation team?

In-house ( mostly myself)

What was our ROI?

Always hard to say because it depends how you measure it but 20% or more is quite feasible.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Use floating licenses strategically.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

Power Designer, Corso, Rational,BIZZDesign

What other advice do I have?

Take the time to learn the features well - it will pay off.

I have been using it for six years and I am still learning new ways to leverage its features - not because of new versions but because of gaining an even greater understanding of the tool and how it works.

The number one recommendation I have about using this tool is to invest some time to understand how to use it properly.

Most people will use MSWord or Excel by just diving right in and using it and learning as they go, tinkering here and there and that approach works fine.

Do not use this approach with Sparx EA, you will end up using it as a fancy version of Visio which is like buying a Porsche to use for storage space.

Also focus your learning on what you will be doing with the tool ( i.e. if you will be creating requirements models don't waste time learning how to auto generate documents).





Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
PeerSpot user
Integration Architect at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
Vendor
It automatically generate documents at a click of a button, which is such a productivity booster.​

Valuable Features

The document generation tool. The ability to define templates based on our corporate documentation standards and automatically generate documents at a click of a button is such a productivity booster.

Improvements to My Organization

I don't know where to start. I've used Sparx at one organization and was subsequently primarily involved in the adoption and implementation of EA at another organization.

We transformed the tooling from a mis-mash of Gliffy diagrams, web-sequence diagrams, and some Aris for capturing requirements. We have implemented standardized EA models aided by templates. It increased the productivity due to ease of use. It provided a uniform tool from requirements analysis to technical design specifications used across teams. We have more complete models that are published and accessible, they reflect changes in real time. Links across components aids in impact assessment.

Room for Improvement

Repository integration. SVN based repositories can be a pain to merge changes. The database based repository can become slow.

Use of Solution

I've used it for approximately eight years, but only about three years extensive use.

Deployment Issues

We have had no issues with the deployment.

Stability Issues

We created a database repository. Adding users and growing the model did add a fair amount of latency.

Scalability Issues

We have had no issues scaling it/

Customer Service and Technical Support

Customer Service:

I've not had to use customer service.

Technical Support:

I've not had to use tech support. The online help, forums and tutorials were sufficient to solve the problems that I encountered.

Other Solutions Considered

I have evaluated various tools - IBM Rational Software Architect, briefly played with SyBase Power Designer and Archi. I found them difficult to use, a steeper learning curve, or they did only a portion of the modelling.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
PeerSpot user
Architecture and Innovation Officer, Corporate Strategy, Plans and Systems, Ferrovie dello Stato with 1,001-5,000 employees
Vendor
​Shared models capture digitally fundamental knowledge about the business and its representation in ICT systems.

Valuable Features:

UML modelling, XML generation import/export, design patterns, automated generation of documentation, XMI import/export. Benefits to the business accrue from adoption of model-driven architecture principles and practices. The tool and its features make application of these principles productive, efficient and shared by the architects community, thus helping achieve the benefits in practice

Improvements to My Organization:

Shared models capture digitally fundamental knowledge about the business and its representation in ICT systems. Tooling makes this knowledge shareable, reusable, validated, rigorous, open and  turns it into a common asset of the Company rather than an arcane informal insight of a few individuals. Helps communicate with vendors and quickly bring new hires or new project members up to speed on projects

Room for Improvement:

In truth we are still using an older version of the product, and we are aware of a number of improvements that have been made to it since. We feel that compatibility with other MDA modelling products, particularly open source such as Visual Paradigm, Modelio or Capella is an area of improvement, as well as better integration with Integrated Development Environments. We would benefit from better support of REST web services and JSON. However we would not encourage ‘bundling’ Enterprise Architecture with IDEs: we prefer Sparx Systems to specialize in building the best modelling tool and features, but allowing a wide choice of IDES. The fundamental reason for this is that we cannot and do not wish to enforce the use of a single tool on all our partners: we want to be able to use a single model, not a single tool

Use of Solution:

We've been using it since 2010/11.

Deployment Issues:

We've had no issues with the deployment.

Stability Issues:

We've had no stability issues.

Scalability Issues:

We've been able to scale it to our needs without issue.

Customer Service:

We have had very little, or no, need for customer service, which we count as excellent digital customer service level is delivered through the online tools and the forum.

Initial Setup:

It was in fact straightforward, which was one of the determinants for selecting it.

Implementation Team:

Implementation and training was done in house under control of an experienced MDA practictioner. We did in fact train our partners.

ROI:

Depending of what items enter in the computation of ‘return’ the ROI can be estimated from high to very high, productivity gains measured in either shorter lifecycles or headcounts of personnel required to build effective models.

Other Solutions Considered:

We have evaluated other products both before and after the adoption of Enterprise Architect. We selected EI as the best quality/price to ease of learning and use. 

Other Advice:

The tool is not a substitute for brains; it boosts the productivity of your thinking process, resulting in the very fast production of good models, but of bad ones just as easily, except that a good thinker can sport bad designs early before they become implemented disasters.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
it_user222246 - PeerSpot reviewer
it_user222246Architecture and Innovation Officer, Corporate Strategy, Plans and Systems, Ferrovie dello Stato with 1,001-5,000 employees
Vendor

Très hereux de te re - comment dire?- re"voir"!. I found that especially in large organizations people are content with drawing pictures, and when they finally give you tools they continue to draw pictures. The productivity boost that comes from using a tool for modelling is enormous, but even more important is the switch to MODELING itself, which gives you gains that go well beyond productivity. You open the door to true engineering, automation and much more.
I wish you the best in your endeavour!

See all 2 comments
reviewer977976 - PeerSpot reviewer
System Architect, SCRUM Product Owner at a tech company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Usability could improve, more options needed, but simple installation
Pros and Cons
  • "The installation was very easy."
  • "I have found the solution is lacking options. The general usability needs improvement and more compliance to CML definitions."

What is our primary use case?

We are using Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect for model-based system engineering.

What needs improvement?

I have found the solution is lacking options. The general usability needs improvement and more compliance to CML definitions.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect for approximately two years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability could improve.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability could improve in my experience.

We have hundreds of employees in my company that are using this solution.

How are customer service and support?

The company does not put a lot of focus on technical support. I am not sure if they are overloaded but there is improvement needed.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I was previously using PTC Windchill and we switched to Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect because it was too expensive.

How was the initial setup?

The installation was very easy.

What about the implementation team?

Our IT department did the implementation of the solution.

What other advice do I have?

I would not recommend this solution to others.

I rate Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect a five out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: October 2024
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.