To get back to the use of tools: I’ve been using a number of business analysis tools and I want to give you my impressions:
1. Enterprise Architect: that’s the tool I use most frequently. Low cost (sub $200); mostly based on UML, but supports also BPMN. Add-ons for enterprise modeling including TOGAF and Zachman. Does not require the use of any particular methodology.
2. Visual Paradigm: been using the community edition (free) for teaching IS Analysis at Northeastern University; pretty good tool; nice use case modeler; supports UML well.
3. StarUML: open source and free, but you get what you pay for; does not support UML well enough for business process modeling; would not recommend
4. ProVision: really nice tool for BPM and BPA; strong support for hierarchical enterprise modeling; very expensive, though. The big thin is that it has monte carlo and discrete event simulation capability for business process engineering
That’s it for now…
