TrustRadius Insights for erwin Data Modeler are summaries of user sentiment data from TrustRadius reviews and, when necessary, third party data sources.
Business Problems Solved
erwin Data Modeler has proven to be a valuable tool for users across various stages of the database development process. Data architects, DBAs, and data modelers have used the software to design, develop, and deploy databases. The software enables users to create ER diagrams for both new databases and existing ones, incorporating change requests seamlessly. These ERD diagrams have been shared with end-users and developers to assist in application design. Additionally, erwin Data Modeler has facilitated SQL Server change management by allowing for table changes and generating reusable Alter scripts for production.
The software’s benefits extend beyond design and development tasks. It has played a crucial role in version control and release control within database environments. Users have found it helpful in discussing database designs with functional teams and DBAs, using ER diagrams as visual aids for effective communication. Organizations with multiple applications have benefited from erwin Data Modeler's support in implementing a comprehensive SDLC for database changes and version control. Moreover, the software has been selected as a standard data modeling tool by government agencies and organizations seeking to design, maintain, and implement databases. On a smaller scale, it has even been utilized to standardize record abbreviations and field names.
In summary, erwin Data Modeler offers a wide range of use cases that cater to the needs of data architects, DBAs, and data modelers at various stages of the database lifecycle. Its versatility in facilitating design, development, documentation, change management, and communication makes it a valuable asset for organizations aiming for efficient and standardized database operations.
We are using erwin Data Modeler now for the ERD diagram design. We then provide the ERD to end-users or developers so they can make utilize it while designing their applications. We are also using it for some SQL Server change management. For example, when end-users request table changes, we then reverse engineer the existing DB or table, make the change, and then have erwin Data Modeler generate an Alter script that we can reuse once promoted to Production.
Pros
ERD diagrams
Publishing those ERDs for end-user consumption either on the web or PDF.
Cons
The GUI is a little clunky, even on the 2020 version
Overwhelming amount of options, which is good eventually
Likelihood to Recommend
Erwin Data Modeler great when trying to model a relational DB that is well established and mainstream. A little less useful for something like Amazon Athena, which kind of makes sense. It makes handy diagrams that have lots of information but is also not very visually appealing to view. Further, it's a little obtuse to figure out initially, again due to option overload - sometimes I wish it had a 'simple' and 'advanced' view. It is excellent for automating diagrams and generating changes for existing DBs.