I use Visio for designing diagrams and flowcharts. It is user-friendly and easy to use compared to other options. Although many people in my company use AutoCAD, I am not familiar with it. For all the designing, charts, and diagrams, I use Visio. If someone requests an AutoCAD format, I will design it in Visio and then forward it to our team who is responsible for converting it to a CAD file.
Senior Manager of Enterprise Systems at a computer software company with 201-500 employees
User-friendly environment, variety of templates, but searching could improve
Pros and Cons
- "The main reason I choose Visio is that it is easy to use. The user interface is familiar and straightforward. Additionally, it offers a variety of templates, such as those for Cisco solutions, which make it easy to create diagrams for specific use cases. For example, we use a Cisco Meraki switch and we can find the exact template for it, then we can easily drop in the components and connect the cables to create the diagram."
- "Searching for specific templates within the program can be difficult. For example, if I need a template for an electrical diagram with certain symbols, it can be challenging to find it."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
The main reason I choose Visio is that it is easy to use. The user interface is familiar and straightforward. Additionally, it offers a variety of templates, such as those for Cisco solutions, which make it easy to create diagrams for specific use cases. For example, we use a Cisco Meraki switch and we can find the exact template for it, then we can easily drop in the components and connect the cables to create the diagram.
What needs improvement?
Searching for specific templates within the program can be difficult. For example, if I need a template for an electrical diagram with certain symbols, it can be challenging to find it.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Visio for approximately three years.
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Visio
November 2024
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I rate the stability of Visio a nine out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability could be better for the cloud version.
I rate the scalability of Visio a six out of ten.
How are customer service and support?
I did not use the support from Visio.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have used some open-source solutions in the past but I prefer Visio.
How was the initial setup?
The setup of Visio is simple.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The solution is expensive. The solution does come bundled in other packages.
I rate the price of Visio a three out of ten.
What other advice do I have?
I rate Visio a seven out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
IT Project Manager at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees
Not user friendly out-of-the-box but is fun to use and is very stable
Pros and Cons
- "It's my understanding that the initial setup is straightforward."
- "It's not the easiest software to use. It's not user-friendly out-of-the-box."
What is our primary use case?
We primarily use the solution for tasks such as work charts, network diagrams, and process flows.
How has it helped my organization?
Process flows are probably the task we do the most. It's just how she diagrams, how a piece of software or a process should work. It's improved our organization.
What is most valuable?
It's pretty basic and fun to use.
You can go to YouTube and watch training videos. There's lots of information online about the product.
The solution can scale.
The product is quite stable.
It's my understanding that the initial setup is straightforward.
What needs improvement?
It's not the easiest software to use. It's not user-friendly out-of-the-box.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for about 20 or so years. It's been two decades; it's a long time.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability is excellent. It never breaks, and I've used it for 20 years. Its performance is reliable. It doesn't crash or freeze. There are no bugs or glitches.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution can scale. If a company needs to expand it, it can do so with relative ease.
We have around 200 people who use it in the company.
As of right now, we do not have plans to increase usage.
How are customer service and technical support?
Technical support is fine, as long as you can get a hold of someone. that can be tricky.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Prior to this solution, it's unlikely we had a different product. It was 20 years ago, and therefore it's been a long time.
How was the initial setup?
I didn't directly deal with the initial implementation. We have a team in-house that handles deployments. I can't speak to what the process was like or how easy or hard it was. Likely, setting it up was pretty straightforward and deployment takes a day. At least, that is my understanding.
We have a dedicated team that handles deployment and maintenance.
What about the implementation team?
We have our own in-house team that can manage the implementation. We did not need the assistance of an integrator or consultant.
What was our ROI?
After 20 years of using the solution, our company has definitely seen an ROI. I don't have exact details, however.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We have an enterprise license. We renew it on a yearly basis. We don't pay any extra fees and we partner with the Gartner group to help us when we have to renegotiate.
What other advice do I have?
I'm using the latest version of the solution. I can't speak to the exact version number.
We use both cloud and on-premises deployment models at this time.
I'd advise any company considering using the solution should first have a Microsoft team in place.
I'd rate the solution at a five out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Hybrid Cloud
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 Process Manager at a maritime company with 5,001-10,000 employees
Flexible and easy to use, but it should have a better connection to the workflow
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature is the set of diagramming tools."
- "The big downside to Visio is that it's very difficult to push the design through to Power Automate, to become a workflow that you can use."
What is our primary use case?
I primarily use Visio for creating mind maps and other visualizations.
I also use it for process modeling, but we are searching for a specific business process modeler because Visio doesn't have the full scope of capability that we need.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature is the set of diagramming tools.
It is quite flexible and easy to use.
What needs improvement?
The big downside to Visio is that it's very difficult to push the design through to Power Automate, to become a workflow that you can use.
The process modeling capability would benefit from a quick modeler tool, such as one where you use a table that is populated using the BPMN 2.0 format.
In the future, I would like to see a connection with the workflow so that you can create your model and then execute it.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Visio for about ten years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability is good.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Scalability is something that needs to be improved.
The models are not linked together, so unless you're using SharePoint or you've defined your own workflow, there is no version control. This makes it more difficult to collaborate, link models, and make sure that everybody is using the latest version. Essentially, you have to build your own framework from scratch in order to do that.
We have about 100 users, most of which are end-users. It requires minimal administration.
How are customer service and technical support?
We have not had to contact the vendor for support.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
This was the first proper diagramming tool that we have used.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward. Our IT department installed it, and I think that it took a couple of hours to deploy.
What about the implementation team?
Our in-house team is responsible for the deployment, maintenance, and providing support.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Our license for Visio is including with the Office 365 subscription.
What other advice do I have?
This is a product that I can recommend, albeit for limited use. If you just want to draw basic models and create systems diagrams, and not do anything too clever and link it together, then it will work well because it's quite flexible and easy to use.
I would rate this solution a seven out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Microsoft Azure
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Assistant Manager in Strategic Consulting at Metlife
Provides Key Collaboration With Other Microsoft Applications Like SharePoint and Excel
Pros and Cons
- "Visio has improved our organization through an essential collaboration with the other Microsoft applications like SharePoint and Excel. So basically in the earlier days, what used to happen, a majority of the organization captured all the as-is process, the time and motion data in the form of Excel and then they used to create process diagrams using other freeware applications. Collaboration allows easy and convenient sharing with other stakeholders, that is really helpful with Visio."
- "The one particular thing which I would like to see improved is in comparison to other products in the market, and is still lacking in Visio, is publishing on a web application. For example, there is a freeware application business process modeling tool, Bizagi."
- "I would like to see included in the next release is the implementation of web publishing."
What is our primary use case?
Our primary use case for Visio revolves around business process re-engineering, as-is process, to-be-processed, and then time and motion study, value stream mapping, and in collaboration with everything together.
How has it helped my organization?
Visio has improved our organization through an essential collaboration with the other Microsoft applications like SharePoint and Excel. In the earlier days, what used to happen was that a majority of the organization captured all the as-is processes, the time and motion data in the form of Excel and then they used to create process diagrams using other freeware applications. However, collaboration allows easy and convenient sharing with other stakeholders, that is really helpful with Visio.
What is most valuable?
The features I find most valuable are the integration with the other Microsoft applications, specifically Excel.
What needs improvement?
The one particular thing which I would like to see improved is in comparison to other products in the market, and is still lacking in Visio, is publishing on a web application. For example, there is a freeware application business process modeling tool, Bizagi. This tool has a very good interface. It also provides visibility allowing users to publish on SharePoint directly. Then the entire product gets converted into an HTML format which provides a one-click on all the attributes of every task, a detailed description, direct visibility, which I find is still lacking in Visio.
An additional feature I would like to see included in the next release is the implementation of web publishing. For example, for any task or any flowchart diagram that I create, example "talk to the customer." Now using "talk to the customer," return adding attribute like "this is a step-by-step document file that you should follow" or "these are the setup questions that you should follow while talking to a customer."
These documents can be attached to that specific task, and when I submit this on the web, users will get all the description, along with the attachment.
For how long have I used the solution?
5 years
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
As far as the stability of the solution I think it still needs to grow up when it comes to the interface usage.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
My impressions of the scalability of this solution on a scale of one to five I would rate the scalability a 3.5, with five being the highest.
I know of 50 users working with this tool. Some of them are engineers. For the people who are not technically sound, for them, they find Visio quite complicated so they try to avoid using it. That is still where Visio needs to grow. In terms of user interaction, UX, and user interface. There is some obstructive complexity.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I did use previous solutions, like as I mentioned one of them was Bizagi Modeler, which is growing in the market. Currently, I'm using IBM Blue.
The reason why there was a switch from Microsoft Visio was because of the user interface and easiness to UX. It's a complete BPMN solution, however, Visio can be used for multiple purposes. Now depending on the kind of audience, it was quite easy for them to use Bizagi Modeler. That's the reason why I introduced Bizagi Modeler in my organization.
After switching organizations, I've found that Microsoft Visio was quite challenging and a little too complicated for the users. Irrespective of understanding the complete utilization and the power of the tool, people are switching to different solutions, so we were using IBM Blueworks.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was straightforward. It's quite easy. I worked on a couple of projects which took two or three months to complete because they required extensive organizational level detail, like from top to bottom. Using Visio, it's quite easy and I like it.
What about the implementation team?
The IT team takes care of the installation and deployment of Visio.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
Before choosing I did a market evaluation. I performed a needs evaluation as the first step in our market evaluation. We considered what kind of solution we wanted and if it was okay to go with a freeware solution or is it right to go with the licensed software. Initially, we were Microsoft Platinum Partners, so that's why we had Microsoft Visio well established in our organization. However, again, when it comes to the kind of usage and along with the maturity of the process that we had, it was a simple move from my end because you're paying for a license and if you do not use the overall potential of it, including the user interface, I think it's not worth to pay for those applications.
What other advice do I have?
The only additional advice I would give, Visio is one very powerful tool in the market. Not just the application, but also its effectiveness to collaborate with other applications. Everyone is using Microsoft applications; it's how you work across platforms, and this collaboration makes life easy.
The individual applications have a lot of functions an features that's the reason why each of these applications is quite complex. You need to understand the functions before getting the full value of this tool.
On a scale of 1 to 10, with ten being the best I would rate this product an eight-over ten because it's a tool what works in collaboration with other applications very well. I'm deducting two marks because it's still complicated for the very generic user. The solution should be developed with a variety of end users in mind. It needs to be user-friendly and easier to use for all different kinds of users and user experience levels.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Director, Technology Planning and Human Resource at Agate Technology Solutions
Good tool for beginners to use on project tracking
Pros and Cons
- "Visio is outstanding because it has features that are useful for project management."
- "Visio is not as scalable as other tools due to the proprietary restriction. You cannot customize it or scale it up like the way you do with Trello or Jira. Microsoft places restrictions on things that you can do with Visio."
What is our primary use case?
I use the tool mainly for project tracking. I also use it for the system design of sequence diagrams and the like. I use MS Visio for crafting my flowcharts and network connectivity mock-ups.
How has it helped my organization?
Visio is outstanding because it has features that are useful for project management. However, Visio lacks some features that are available on Jira and Trello. If these features are made available on Visio, then they can make your work easy. I was not guided by a person nor did I use any training for working with Visio. I just picked it up and started using it. Visio is not complex since it is a Microsoft product. Visio is always updated with new features that have made it more robust and enterprise.
What is most valuable?
The modeling features that aid my flowcharting, sequence diagrams, and project tracking are the most valuable. Creating network architectural diagrams has been made easier for me using Visio.
What needs improvement?
The Burndown chart for easier tracking of the progress of any task needs improvement. I would also recommend that the components of Visio be made to use colors to denote and differentiate them from each other especially when working with large diagrams. This will help to eliminate or at least reduce any form of confusion.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for the past ten years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I have not encountered any stability or performance issues with the tool.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Visio is not as scalable as other tools due to the proprietary restriction. You cannot customize it or scale it up like the way you do with Trello or Jira. Microsoft places restrictions on things that you can do with Visio.
How are customer service and support?
MS Visio Customer Service has so far been incredibly professional. I get spot-on responses to my queries almost immediately.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I had used Enterprise Architect but I found Visio much easier to use.
How was the initial setup?
Visio is quite simple to set up.
What about the implementation team?
I implemented Visio in-house.
What was our ROI?
The time I invested in learning how to use Visio has paid off because I can use it to complete my projects quicker. My clients are also happy because the delivery timeline for the projects I did for them using Visio has reduced by 35%.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Cloud-based tools are always cheaper since they are subscription-based. I use the on-premises version of Visio hence the price is quite expensive. However, I believe that the cloud version may not be as expensive as the on-premises version.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
Yes, I evaluated Enterprise Architect.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate Visio an eight out of ten. The solution is more linear than Trello. Anyone looking to try the solution should go ahead. Visio comes with a trial version which you can use to learn about the tool. If you get familiar with Visio, it is then easy to use more complex solutions that come with a lot of features. However, the advantageous features can be destructive as well. For instance, you want to do something, but you may get distracted, and end up not doing that thing. Visio is quite straightforward and good for beginners.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Other
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Last updated: Sep 2, 2024
Flag as inappropriateIT department manager at Szrt
Scalable and stable solution for creating system plans and hardware equipment structure
Pros and Cons
- "I find the control flow and settings features valuable."
- "The control flow feature needs to be improved. I compared Visio to Bizagi and found that control flow is better with Bizagi. The improvements that can be made to the solution depends on the user."
What is our primary use case?
We use the tool for creating system plans and some hardware equipment structure.
How has it helped my organization?
I find the control flow and settings features valuable.
What needs improvement?
The control flow feature needs to be improved. I compared Visio to Bizagi and found that control flow is better with Bizagi. The improvements that can be made to the solution depends on the user. We don't want to restrict a user on what he can use and for what.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for several years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I have found Visio to be a stable solution.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Visio is a scalable solution. We have around 20-25 users for the tool.
How are customer service and support?
The support for Visio from Microsoft is fine and subscription-based. We have an enterprise agreement with Microsoft so the subscription is for three years. Therefore, we can solve all types of problems that Visio has.
How was the initial setup?
The setup of Visio is straightforward.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing of Visio is much better. It has a free version of the cheapest functionality which is enough for us.
What other advice do I have?
I am using the latest version of Visio. I would rate the solution a seven out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Principal Architect at a government with 10,001+ employees
Stable, easy to set up and a very popular product within the market
Pros and Cons
- "The initial setup is pretty straightforward."
- "There are too many features."
What is our primary use case?
The solution is primarily used for diagramming. I use it for a couple of different things, however, it's mostly for diagramming and documenting data center infrastructure including racks, wide area networks, logical designs, physical designs, and conceptual models.
How has it helped my organization?
The ability to clearly demonstrate and create labels has helped the organization immensely. To be able to create and to provide detailed configuration guidance on what ports to plug wires into, et cetera, is useful.
We use it to discuss design, network, and configuration options, as well as provide detailed guidance to the engineers on how to connect and how to configure our data centers.
What is most valuable?
The product itself is useful due to the fact that it's widely accepted. I can go out on the internet and I can pull down stencils in VisioCafe. I can easily get pre-drawn stencils for whatever I need and that makes life a lot easier.
The initial setup is pretty straightforward.
The solution is stable.
What needs improvement?
There are too many features. One of the things I find most annoying about Visio is the automatic connections. They're just like everything Microsoft does. They overdo it. There are too many features - especially when I have people who are not familiar with the tool.
Users will start creating text boxes for objects that already have a text feature. For example, if you've got a computer and you take a picture of a computer or a stencil of a rack-mounted server, people wind up putting text boxes next to it instead of double-clicking on the box and adding the title there. It's mostly user error, however, it's overwhelming for new users. They don't realize what can be done.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using Visio since before Microsoft bought it. It's been anywhere from 15 to 30 years. I've definitely used it for more than a decade. It's been a while.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is very stable. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. It's reliable for the most part.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I use the desktop version of the product and cannot speak to how scalable the product is. It's only limited by the resources of the laptop itself.
In our company, we have 10,000 users on the product. It's used extensively. All departments use it.
I can't say if the organization plans to increase usage or not.
How are customer service and support?
I never need to call technical support. I cannot speak to how helpful or responsive they are.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Our organization has used the solution for decades. We haven't used anything else.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is very straightforward. That said, I've also been doing this for three decades and therefore have had a lot of experience handling the process.
It's installed pretty cleanly. It's a Microsoft install and there's not really a whole lot of issues. If I don't have a stencil for what I'm drawing, I can go on VisioCafe and a couple of other websites to get them. You can get stencils for network devices, switches, routers, hubs, servers, and all sorts of fun stuff.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I cannot speak to the exact pricing. It's not an aspect of the solution I handle.
What other advice do I have?
We're a customer and an end-user.
Visio is one of the only approved products where I work, and it's one of the best.
I don't know if there's a newer version out, however, the only one I'm allowed, the only one the government provides me with is, is the 2013 version.
I'd rate the solution at a nine out of ten. The only real problem is that there are too many features and it's somewhat overdesigned.
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.
IT infrastructure manager at a legal firm with 51-200 employees
A tool that offers plugins with multiple products to offer a range of functionalities to its users
Pros and Cons
- "The product's initial setup is really simple."
- "There are some issues in Visio with the connectors, and it gets tricky when you want to connect objects with each other."
What is our primary use case?
I use Visio for high-level network design, and I use it for home planning since it is easy to use.
What is most valuable?
With Visio, one of its core features stems from the fact that you can get plugins for Cisco, Microsoft, etc. In general, Visio provides a plugin for sample diagrams, graphs, etc.
What needs improvement?
It will be a great improvement if Visio gets upgraded to provide its users more in the area of 3D. With Visio, when I plan for a house and the height of its walls, I should be able to view the walls in a 3D mode, which can be a huge product improvement.
SketchUp is a program that is not as easy as Visio to build 3D models. If I want to build a house in 3D mode with Visio, then I should be able to do so with one click that allows me to change the house model from 2D to 3D. I don't have the latest version of Visio, but in the version of Visio I use currently, I don't see any 3D mode provided to users.
There are some issues in Visio with the connectors, and it gets tricky when you want to connect objects with each other. The aforementioned aspect of Visio can be considered for improvement.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Visio for fourteen years. I don't have the latest version of Visio. I don't remember the exact version of the solution.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is a stable solution. Stability issues only crop up in Visio when there are some normal issues related to Windows or Microsoft Office, which may arise in cases when the system hangs.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Scalability-wise, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.
I am the only person who uses Visio in my company.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Visio is the first solution I have ever used, which is one of the major reasons why I still stick to it.
How was the initial setup?
The product's initial setup is really simple.
The solution is deployed on an on-premises model.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
If I want to buy Visio for myself, I think it will be around 80 to 120 USD, though it is important to consider that I am unsure of its actual costs.
What other advice do I have?
I rate the overall product an eight 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.
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Updated: November 2024
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