Visio Reviews

I'm into designing, so I'm using Visio for creating diagrams. Mostly it's for network, architecture, or data flow diagrams, depending on what the customers need.

What I like best about Visio is that it's flexible.

Sometimes, if I need to draw quickly, I use Microsoft PowerPoint, but if I need icons, which Visio has, I use Visio.

I also like that the solution gives me a much more powerful range of options.

The improvement I want to see in Visio is being able to edit it more quickly, particularly when pulling it out of another software and then editing it on that non-Visio software. Currently, the process affects the overall performance because it's not as quick as I want it to be.

If I were to add a new feature in Visio, and if I went wild, it's the feature of creating new diagrams from Visio, even if I'm on another document. If Visio is running in the background while I have another document open, it would be interesting to be able to draw diagrams on that document.

I've been using Visio for a few years now.

I didn't contact the Visio technical support team, and from what I know, the IT team didn't have to contact support either. Once, there was a bug, and the IT team couldn't do the installation until the next day, but even then, there was no need to contact the Visio support team. As a product, it's intuitive.

Setting up Visio is easy because you just need to check the block, click, and then it'll be set up, but that's because my company uses Microsoft 365. Setup-wise, I'm rating it as eight out of ten.

I'm not involved in the licensing of Visio for my company. However, for Visio licenses for my customers, I am.

Around fifty people use Visio within my company.

People in the company use Visio whenever necessary, but I use it more frequently. I talk to customers a lot, and I'm part of the sales process, which means I need to create diagrams, so I use Visio a few times a week. My usage is usually greater than other developers in my company.

I don't have any particular advice for people who want to use the solution, but Visio is a user-friendly product and easy to use.

My rating for Visio is eight out of ten because it's a good product.

My company is a Microsoft user.

• Network diagrams tools
• Flow charts

• Offers a wide range of diagramming tools.
• Being able to visualize an architecture for a network solution.
• Map a business process.
• Document fitout of a rack solution for on-premise.
• It allows the accurate recording and disseminating of information.

Importing templates can sometimes be a bit hit and miss.

More than five years

No, the product is quite straightforward to deploy.

Earlier versions would occasionally lock up, but recent editions have significantly improved performance.

I haven't pushed the limits of Visio. For what I have used it for, it has been able to handle everything I've thrown at it.

We've not had any need to raise a support issue in relation to Visio.

I can't comment on technical support for Visio. I haven't had to make any support tickets regarding it.

I used some basic open source drawing programs in the past, and came across Visio whilst looking to purchase Microsoft Office some years ago. I found it did everything I needed and never looked at anything else since.

Very straightforward.

In-house

Best way to express ROI for Visio would be the quick and consistent documentation that it helps create, provided that the product is used consistently for diagramming.

Just license alongside Office 365, the monthly fee is always up-to-date

No.

Does what it says on the tin, produces very nice standardized diagrams, and has some very powerful tools.

I find the library of shapes very helpful. I do appreciate that shapes are tied to various templates because it makes it easier/quicker to complete a diagram when the type of diagram you choose automatically loads the shapes that are tied to it. I frequently load additional shapes into the program to keep my diagrams fresh and promote a certain type of individuality to my designs.

We have used this solution since 2009.

The first thing that comes to mind is the layering feature of the software. It is not easy to work with and definitely needs some revisions to help users modify/control the layers easier. Even after all the years I have used this software program, I still have issues with the layering aspect and features. The reason it’s not a 10, is because when I first began learning how to use this program, I found it very difficult and not very user-friendly. I have not used the newer versions of Visio, so I am not too sure if the newer versions are any more user-friendly than prior versions. Hopefully, they are.

There were issues with stability. When attempting to have more than three diagrams open at a time, the system frequently crashes; however, I have never experience a crash with only one diagram open.

There were some scalability issues. While new shapes can be added, there is still the issue with compatibility problems with other versions of the Visio software.

Not too sure. I have never contacted tech support for this product.

I did not use a different solution. I used Adobe Photoshop for other needs that are sometimes similar, but for diagramming MS Visio is the best.

Initially, the program looks very similar to other Microsoft Office products, however once you get into the program, it is difficult to understand where to start. I tried using the software without training, in the beginning, and only became frustrated at not understanding how to use the program. However, with a moderate amount of training, creating basic 1-layer diagrams becomes fun and easy.

I obtained this software when I was attending the University of Phoenix, so with the student discount I think I paid $10, back in 2009-2010. I still have and use the same version because the software is a bit pricey and the version I have works well for my needs. I would advise others to try to get discounted pricing through educational institutions, if possible.

I did not evaluate other options. The software was originally needed for completing my college assignments.

I would recommend first determining the needs of the company and what the expectations are for the software. I would then view basic training videos available, to truly see if their needs aligns with the features and outputs of the software program.

I'm using only this tool for our full architecture block diagram development. We're using it for our action projects, what are we are running.

It's a part of our process where architecture and detailed document development are needed. That's it. From the architecture and flow diagram preparation perspective, when it comes to detailing the documentation before implementing other components can be done in Visio.

The solution is stable.

The scalability is good. We can reuse it as a model. It can be modified.

The tool is user-friendly. 

We are able to bring out what we want in terms of our architectural or detailed block diagrams.

The installation is easy.

I'm now used to the user interface. I like it. 

I can't speak to any missing features. It's been fine so far.

I've used the solution for a while. 

The product is stable. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. It's reliable and the performance is good.

We have found the solution to be scalable. If a company needs to expand it, it can do so.

Most people in our organization use the solution. It is meant for all engineers and then architects. Managers also use it when it comes to representing some project flow processes from the point of view of management.

We haven't dealt with technical support. I cannot speak to how helpful or responsive they are.

The initial implementation is very easy. However, I cannot recall how long it took to actually deploy it.

Our IT team handled the implementation in-house. We did not need outside assistance from integrators or consultants. 

It's just a supporting tool. I can't speak to any direct ROI.

While I know that we do have to pay a licensing fee, I can't speak to the exact details. I don't handle that aspect. I'm not sure if there are extra costs on top of the license itself.

We're a customer and an end-user.

We're using the latest version of the solution.

I'd recommend the solution. It's always a useful tool. Instead of using other drawing tools, I'd say that this one is likely the best option.  

I'd rate the solution at an eight out of ten.

We are end users of this solution. I'm a senior director of the company and a digital engineer.

The solution has helped us get our life cycle diagrams right and show the accountability across groups. It affects the business process sometimes at a very high level. Although it's not a BPA tool, a management tool, it has been utilized in some of those aspects and has been helpful to draw the handoff and the handshake across teams and across roles as we draw the life cycle diagram. With the various tools that come out of the box, it's been pretty helpful to get that in a pictorial fashion as it makes it easier to explain.

I like that it's simple to use and a very intuitive solution. The tools that it provides out of the box are pretty good. The out of the box categorization of flow charts helps. Its ability to take it to PowerPoint is easy as well. 

I'd like to see the portability simplified from Visio to PowerPoint and vice versa. With other products coming on the market, Visio is losing a little ground and as a result, I mainly use PowerPoint now and Visio much less. The user interface could be simplified enabling non-technical people to use it. There's something about it that makes it complicated to use. 

I've been using this solution for a few years. 

It's a pretty stable solution, I haven't had any issues around it.

I haven't seen any issues from a scalability perspective. 

I have previously used Confluence, PowerPoint and Precio, which have similar features in terms of what they're trying to do. They may not be out of the box, but you end up drawing it yourself. Visio is really a complementary solution as it merges when you're drawing deeper  solutions, more technical and when you're wanting clip art and pictures. It's being more in that space rather than really drawing technical stuff.

It's important to understand your objectives, understand who the audience is and your needs. You can then make a call as to which solution suits. It's not an easy solution for non-technical folks and is generally used by technical staff in technical IT departments within corporate companies. I started as a technical person so haven't had issues with it. I really like that it's easy to draw stuff out. You don't need PowerPoint for a standalone diagram that you have only from a collaboration perspective, like the confluence etc. If you're doing a standalone diagram, trying to communicate the message in a visual format, Visio is great. 

I rate this solution a seven out of 10. 

I am working as a business analyst and I used Visio for process mapping.

I like Visio because you basically do anything you want.

The templates are useful, for example, because we can implement a project using the BPMN template. It's very good that you have got that option.

This is a very straightforward product and I don't think that anything needs to be simplified.

It integrates with other products reasonably well.

I would like to see the project planning element improved, although it won't happen because Microsoft deliberately made it worse. They did not like the idea that you could actually plan a project with it, so they greatly diminished the capability because it was competing with Microsoft Project.

Back in the days before Microsoft got their hands on it, it was quite a capable system for managing small projects. If you were doing something that only had half a dozen people and runs for up to a year or something, Visio was perfectly adequate for doing all of the project planning. Whereas, from what I have seen of it now, you could not project plan making a cup of tea with it. They have completely emasculated the project planning capability.

I have been using Visio since it first came out, perhaps 35 years ago.

Stability-wise, it is absolutely fine. I have had no problems with it at all.

We have had no problems with scalability.

I have never needed to contact technical support. I've never had a problem.

For anything other than project planning, Visio seems to be absolutely fine and I recommend it. This is an excellent product. As it can do everything that I want it to do, I have not really considered any room for improvement.

I would rate this solution a ten out of ten.

I primarily use the solution to make new core designs. I connect the designs to the projects I'm involved with. 

I love that interface a lot. I've been involved with design my whole life, and this solution is an excellent program in terms of assisting with design projects. You can work on quite large projects with Visio.

I've used the solution for so long, and I have so much experience with it, I'm quite comfortable using the technology.

The solution makes it very easy to make exciting pictures and designs. Everything is very intuitive and simple to figure out.

I'm not sure of the features that are missing. It's a pretty complete solution.

In some instances, I do feel that AutoCAD is a better solution to use. I find AutoCAD makes better lines and has a few better capacities.

The maintenance of the solution could be better. It might be better on a PC. I'm not sure.

I'm not sure if Visio is the best for 3D designs. One does have to make a bubble. It's typically better to do such designs in AutoCAD.

I find that, in order to get money, advertisers, etc., AutoCAD is a better solution.

The user interface could be more robust. It can export to AutoCAD, however it doesn't do so very effectively. You really struggle with exports as they end up exporting in different forms. It doesn't translate exactly. What is white in Visio ends up being black in AutoCAD. Ultimately, you have to go and fix everything. It's not that easy. You end up losing quality.

I've used Visio in the past 12 months.

In general, the solution is pretty stable. However, occasionally, we do experience a bug or glitch. 

The scalability of the solution depends on the project. You can only put it on so many devices. We have a rather large company, so we have quite a few people on the solution. Not everyone in our organization uses it. It's just specific departments. We're in telecommunication, and we use it in our department specifically.

I'm a big fan of support. They've been very helpful in the past. I'm satisfied with the level of service they provide to me.

I'm also used to AutoCAD and I can make beautiful designs with it. AutoCAD is more complicated, the final drawings are not better than with Visio. That's the main difference.

However, when you have to sell something like Architectura, the screen isn't as clean on AutoCAD.

The initial setup isn't too complicated. It's straight forward.

You have to spend your time with it in order to funny understand the solution in the beginning. It can be a little crazy at first due to the fact that there are a lot of rules we don't use. That said, it's not difficult to learn.

I'm not sure what the pricing is for the solution. I know that AutoCAD is very expensive, therefore, it's possible Visio is comparable.

I'm using the latest version of the solution.

I use Visio now, and I'll use it going forward. I imagine I'll always use it. I have used AutoCAD, however, I prefer Visio. It's my favorite as I'm so comfortable with all of the aspects of the solution after working with it for so long.

Overall, I'd rate the solution nine out of ten.

We primarily use the solution for business process design.

The simplicity of the solution is great. It doesn't have a lot of menus, so it's easy to navigate. 

The fact that it's on-premises allows you to get fantastic speed. It's got a faster response rate, it doesn't lag, and it doesn't have any latency when you're working on it.

The solution has a very comprehensive set of icons. It has a BPMN location and a lot of other different locations you can use at the same time.

Microsoft offers great documentation of the product.

The reason we're moving from Visio to another program is the fact that you can link the library on ARIS or Signavio. These you have to save them on the save drive which as a collaboration. It's not working for us.  There needs to be better configuration at this point. We need something a bit more flexible in that sense.

The scalability is limited.

If you look at ARIS, for example, or Signavio, the flowchart combines all the details and with the click of a button I can create a process manager. That would be something that Visio could add. It would cut my workload in half. Currently, once I'm done with drawing the flowchart, I need to take it and put it in that document and then explain what the flowchart is.

We've been using the solution for four to five years at this point.

The stability is good. It's reliable. It doesn't crash on us, or freeze. I don't recall any bugs or glitches.

The scalability is average. It's not as scalable as other options. Organizations that need to expand it may run into issues.

We have about five to ten users on the solution at our company.

I've never required technical support. I can't speak to the level of service they provide.

That said, there is great documentation, so it's pretty easy to troubleshoot by referencing those if you need to.

We've tried ARIS and Signavio. We're still looking for a solution that can replace Visio for us. We're looking for something that can link our library.

In our organization, the IT department takes care of the initial setup. I wasn't part of the deployment process.

We're just a customer. We don't have a business relationship with Microsoft.

We're using either the 2015 or 2016 version of the solution.

The first question a company needs to determine how complex the processes are and how much depth, how much detail they want to document. If it's simpler and they want to get away from the flow chart and then present it somewhere else (such as on a PowerPoint or a report) Visio is a great option.

However, if you want to actually manage your processor, simulator, have a database, or have workflows in order to get approval within different departments or, for example, create documents after a flowchart, then I'd recommend other programs.

Overall, I'd rate the solution seven out of ten.