The most valuable feature is that it is integrated with other tools in the Microsoft Office suite, as well as at the backend with products like SharePoint and Microsoft Teams.
Infrastructure Architect at a government with 10,001+ employees
Integrated well with Microsoft tools and the Office suite, but it needs better support for third-party tools
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature is that it is integrated with other tools in the Microsoft Office suite, as well as at the backend with products like SharePoint and Microsoft Teams."
- "I think that it feels a bit outside with respect to the icons that are available."
What is most valuable?
What needs improvement?
I think that it feels a bit outside with respect to the icons that are available.
It should be easier to integrate with other platforms like Confluence, or other content management platforms for exporting and collaborating on drawings.
It would be helpful if Visio could open drawings from other kinds of tools.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Microsoft Visio for at least 10 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
This is a stable solution and we plan to continue using it for the foreseeable future.
Buyer's Guide
Visio
November 2024
Learn what your peers think about Visio. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: November 2024.
824,067 professionals have used our research since 2012.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Visio is a scalable product. We have perhaps 300 users in the company.
How are customer service and support?
I have not been in contact with technical support.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I did not use another similar solution before this one.
What about the implementation team?
Our in-house team installed the product for me.
What other advice do I have?
If you are using other Microsoft products then I can recommend using Visio.
I would rate this solution a six out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Senior Associate Consultant at a computer software company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Easy to use and works well with PowerPoint, but it needs simulation functionality
Pros and Cons
- "What I like the most is the simplicity and ease of usage."
- "The simulation is an area that requires improvement."
What is most valuable?
What I like the most is the simplicity and ease of usage.
The reason I like it is that we, as consultants, use PowerPoint a lot, and it's easy to drag it and put in a slide of PowerPoint since it's a Microsoft product.
What needs improvement?
The simulation is an area that requires improvement.
In the next release, I would like to see the simulation improved. It's a Microsoft based, so it's still good, but it needs simulation.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with Visio for the past four years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
If we were to say that stable was equal to 100 and unstable was equal to zero, I would give Visio a 50 percent. I would say that if it's a product-based usage for Visio, and it is highly-critical, then I wouldn't use Visio.
For anything that has to do with numbers or with low-level visualization of the system, I wouldn't use Visio because I would need simulation.
If simulation falls under stability, then I would say that it is not stable.
How are customer service and technical support?
I have not contacted technical support.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate this solution a five out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Buyer's Guide
Visio
November 2024
Learn what your peers think about Visio. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: November 2024.
824,067 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Business Consultant at a financial services firm
Templates provide a wide variety of the commonly used graphics
What is most valuable?
The templates are the most valuable feature as there is a wide variety of the commonly used graphics.
When you open a diagram, you have a number of templates such as Engineering, Network, Software, Maps, etc. that quickly organize the images you can use in Visio.
How has it helped my organization?
We can build the process workflows. It makes it easier to describe the process flows.
What needs improvement?
There is a need to keep updating the mobile icons.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have used this solution for more than 10 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
There were no stability issues.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
There were no scalability issues.
How was the initial setup?
The setup is simple; just load and go.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
It is a great investment. Use the Visio Viewer, which is for people that really don’t need to just create a view.
What other advice do I have?
It is fantastic, but avoid making flow charts a full-time job.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Change Management Consultant at a analyst firm with self employed
It is a robust tool for quick mapping. It is not user friendly when it comes to handling large number of processes.
What is most valuable?
Every aspect of it is highly valuable.
What needs improvement?
- Template creation
- Process conversion to SOP
- Ability to enter thorough details for each activity that can be expanded for reading
- Ability to create/define roles and functions and re-use them in all processes
- Ability to establish hierarchy for related processes
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Visio for almost 10 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Surprisingly, I have not encountered any stability issues.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We did evaluate other products, but I don’t remember the names at this stage.
What other advice do I have?
Microsoft Visio is a robust tool for quick mapping. However, it is not user friendly when it comes to handling large number of processes. The details that can be entered into the activities are limited. There is no option to create/define roles and functions as well as their hierarchy. Also, there is no option to enter control notes (other than the simple note tool). Also, there is no option to extract the process as a Word document. There is no option to convert the process flow into an SOP format. Creating custom templates within company’s brand specifications is difficult as well.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Systems Administrator at a government with 201-500 employees
It is stable and easy to set up
Pros and Cons
- "It is stable. I have never experienced any issues."
- "It can be complex. If you don't know a little bit about it, it can get really confusing."
What is our primary use case?
I mostly use it for network diagrams. It is a standard solution for creating this kind of stuff.
What is most valuable?
It is stable. I have never experienced any issues.
What needs improvement?
It can be complex. If you don't know a little bit about it, it can get really confusing.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Visio off and on for around 15 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We have around ten users from IT, engineering, and HR. HR uses it for flow charts or organization charts.
How are customer service and technical support?
I have never used their technical support.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
It has always been Visio. The first one I used was in 2003.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was straightforward.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I haven't looked at the prices lately. We have an older copy, and it was a couple of hundred dollars for this software. That's a huge expense.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate Visio an eight out of ten, and that's just because I don't know how to use it fully. I know it does a whole lot. It has plenty of training. I wish I had more time to actually get really good at it.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Manager, Front End Applications at Henry Schein animal health
Visualizes complex data and process flows
Pros and Cons
- "The diagramming and swimlane features allow for separating business functions."
- "We can easily add templates to SharePoint for collaboration."
- "It could use easier custom icon sets."
- "It needs hyperlinked or narratives for page flows to make demos more effective."
What is our primary use case?
- We design architectural and business flows for web/eCommerce and ERP systems.
- We design web architectures, UML, and ERD.
How has it helped my organization?
Its ability to visualize complex data and process flows. We can easily add templates to SharePoint for collaboration.
What is most valuable?
The diagramming and swimlane features allow for separating business functions. Also, the web page architecture helps.
What needs improvement?
- It needs hyperlinked or narratives for page flows to make demos more effective.
- It could use easier custom icon sets.
For how long have I used the solution?
More than five years.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Management Consulting Director at a consultancy with 201-500 employees
Good interface and good tool configuration; layout configuration is sometimes difficult to use
Pros and Cons
- "Good interface and good tool configuration."
- "Layout configuration is sometimes a little difficult to use."
What is our primary use case?
I'm a business management consultant.
What is most valuable?
The product has a good interface and tool configuration which comes with the Microsoft Office package. Another advantage is that you don't need to be an expert to use the tool. It's actually very easy and doesn't require a technical background so you can make any business process in a very easy way. Once you finish the layout business process, it can be sent to a client and visualized in a webpage without the need to download any other application. With other softwares, like ArchiMate, you need to download the application in order to view it. As a consultant when you finish the process, you need to send it in PDF format or something similar and your counterpart can view the file without any further configuration or further downloads.
What needs improvement?
For professional use layout configuration is sometimes a little difficult to use. I think that the applications could be improved, so that Microsoft Visio is linked in the modeling of applications and algorithms.
What other advice do I have?
I rate this solution a seven out of 10.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Operations Manager at a tech services company with 501-1,000 employees
It is stable and scalable but the interface needs to improve interaction with other tools
Pros and Cons
- "I like to use Visio because it gives me a quick view of the things I had to put in a model for a company. I don't use it as an interface, though."
- "Something that needs to improve, is the interface interaction with other tools."
What is our primary use case?
I like to use Visio because it gives me a quick view of the things I had to put in a model for a company. I don't use it as an interface, though.
What needs improvement?
Something that needs to improve is the interface interaction with other tools.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Visio for around ten years now.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The program is very stable. I've had no issues with it.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is scalable.
How are customer service and technical support?
I don't use technical support. I only use the documentations, the scheme and the use of the symbols.
How was the initial setup?
When I work at companies, they've already installed and prepared the program for me. So I never have to install it for myself.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend this solution to others because it gives you a quick view. You can demonstrate in a short period what you want from the managers. Sometimes, however, the program is not compatible with some protocol standards, like ArchiMate. So I would like to see a better interface in the future. On a scale from one to 10, I rate Visio a seven.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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Updated: November 2024
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