ConceptDraw DIAGRAM vs. SmartDraw

Great for anything that you would use Microsoft Visio for. It is a great software and has a great team behind it. At the end of the day, it will do everything that you need it to and it looks like they are always expanding. I have been surprised by their product and plan to continue to use it in my nonprofit role. If you are hesitant, don't be, it is everything Visio is plus more.

Incentivized

I believe SmartDraw is a great tool for small- to mid-sized organizations for simplifying the production and management of org charts. We've also had the PMO experiment with the use of some of their flow charts as well. If an organization has an HCM with the capability of producing (good!) org charts, that is likely the best option... but many that I have used in my 30-year HR career don't. So there is definitely a need for SmartDraw in the market!

Incentivized

• Multiple templates
• Integration with other tools in the suite
• An extensive set of samples and examples showing the usage of various types of diagrams

Incentivized

• Provides examples to work off of--these are helpful when you don't know exactly where to start.
• Provides a number of stylistic options without making things too complex, so you can be creative without getting overwhelmed.
• Provides a wide variety of templates, meets a wide variety of needs.

Incentivized

• Keyboard shortcuts are non-intuitive
• Re-scaling can be tricky if you don't set the page up correctly at the beginning of your project

Incentivized

• A month-to-month plan would be ideal for users that don't have a need to create many projects
• The sidebar navigation can be a little confusing with all of the tools listed.
• Offering customizable plans with only the feature you need would simplify navigation

Incentivized

It needs a bunch of work. For the price it could be better. And even though I am using it still I find it very difficult to use but I make it work

Incentivized

I've never had any major problems with the ConceptDraw team. Actually, they update their software frequently. It's always small updates, but they're necessary to make sure it will work properly. I had a question one time and decided to send to them. The problem was solved in less than three hours, which I believe is a really good point to consider.

They are always very helpful, we get computers every two years and I have to call them to move the license from one computer to another and they do it with a smile in their voice!

Incentivized

Cheaper, lower learning curve. Looked for something that would meet our needs and allow us to quickly diagram a database and process maps. I have been using this in place of Visio and the one-time purchase is much better than a Microsoft sub. Looking forward to using this software in the future and hoping to get a copy for college classes as well in Database Design.

Incentivized

We have used Corel Draw and Adobe Acrobat. Both of those tools were good when they came out but the abilities of SmartDraw far outweigh both those tools. Corel Draw was also more complex to operate and do tasks, as was Adobe Acrobat in which some basic tasks took additional steps to complete.

Incentivized

• Saved time
• Helps with conveying message properly across team so increased efficiency
• I came to know of many new diagraming techniques by seeing solutions built into ConceptDraw.

Incentivized

• SmartDraw has provided good return for our internal purposes. Using it to understand an organization's structure and inner workings has been valuable. On the client side, creating steps and businesses processes has also been a big plus. It has helped decrease confusing reporting structures and has provided a detailed map for individuals to understand where they fit within their organization.
• Unfortunately, SmartDraw has been somewhat inefficient with some of the more complex projects on our plate and has really deterred certain employees from even wanting to use it.

Incentivized