erwin Data Modeler vs. Microsoft Power BI

I have had a chance to use few other data modeling tools from Quest and Oracle, but I am most comfortable using erwin Data Modeler. They understand your data modeling needs and have designed the software to give you a feeling of completeness when you are designing a data model.

Incentivized

Has significantly improved collation of data and visualisation especially with business across Europe. Has given me the ability to see the Site availability at the click of a button to see which Site is in the "money" and seize opportunities based on Market data

Incentivized

• Reverse Engineering: I love the way we can import an SQL file containing schema meta data and generate ER diagram out of it. This is specifically useful if you are implementing erwin Data Modeler for an existing database.
• Forward Engineering: We use this feature very frequently. Where we do database changes in our physical and logical data models and then generate deployment scripts for the changes made.
• Physical vs Logical Models: I like to have my database model split into physical and logical models and at the same time still linked to each other. Any changes you make to logical model or physical model shows up in the other.

Incentivized

• Options for data source connections are immense. Not just which sources, but your options for *how* the data is brought in.
• Constant updates (this is both good and bad at times).
• User friendliness. I can get the data connections set up and draft some quick visuals, then release to the target audience and let them expand on it how they want to.

Incentivized

• Cost is the single largest barrier to entry with this tool.
• Would like to see a greater variety of export options available for use outside of the tool, for example as a vector graphic.
• Support has been uneven at times.

Incentivized

• It would be easier for users could Microsoft Power BI and Excel used the same programming languages.
• Would like to see the online version of Microsoft Power BI be as powerful as the desktop version.
• Publishing a Microsoft Power BI file online and then having to save the file is somewhat redundant.
• Would like to export each page or chart as an image.

Incentivized

Microsoft Power BI is an excellent and scalable tool. It has a learning curve, but once you get past that, the sky is the limit and you can build from the most simple to the most complex dashboards. I have built everything from simple reports with only a few data points to complex reports with many pages and advanced filtering.

I had a lot of experience using erwin Data Modeler for designing data models. I think it's pretty intuitive and easy to use. It has enough features to represent your database requirements in form of a model.

Incentivized

Automating reporting has reduced manual data processing by 50-70%, freeing up analysts for higher-value tasks. A finance team that previously spent 20+ hours per week on Excel-based reports now does it in minutes with Microsoft Power BI's automated Real-time dashboards have shortened decision cycles by 30-40%, enabling leadership to react quickly to sales trends, operational bottlenecks, and customer behavior.

Incentivized

CA customer support and our account manager have been able to support us with any issues that we have had, from managing our serial keys to issues we logged tickets to resolve. There are aspects of key management that have made it difficult over the years but support usually has worked with us.

Incentivized

It is a fantastic tool, you can do almost everything related with data and reports, it is a perfect substitutive of Power Point and Excel with a high evolution and flexibility, and also it is very friendly and easy to share. I think all companies should have Power BI (or other BI tool) in their software package and if they are in the MS Suite, for sure Power BI should be the one due to all the benefits of the MS ecosystem.

Incentivized

It was integrated with our erp easily and was accessible on cloud.

Incentivized

Not listed, but I've only used alternatives built into something like the Squirrel SQL editor. That one is semi-functional but lacking many features and, in some instances, just plain wrong. The only pro there is that it's freely available and works over ODBC. I've tried some of the other free ones like Creately but didn't have much success.

Incentivized

Microsoft Power BI is free. If I didn't want to create a custom platform (i.e. my organization insisted on an existing platform that I *had* to use), I'd use Microsoft Power BI. For any start-up or SMB, I'd just use Claude & Grok to build it quickly, also for free. Would not pay for Tableau or Sigma anymore. Not worth it at all.

Incentivized

• It is difficult to assign a monetary value to it. The initial learning curve was fairly long.
• It allows us to have better support documentation.
• It allows ease of communications between functional units.

Incentivized

• Power BI usage reduced the effort of analytical reports creation by about 80%
• Empowered all the level of employee to be more vigilant of the data and business insights, gained the profit of 8% overall.
• AI-powered predictive analytics improved forecasting accuracy by 17%, that topped the overall sales.

Incentivized