Engage

Pros

Engage is extremely user friendly, intuitive and very easy to learn. However, behind the initial simplicity of the system is a powerful process mapping tool that allows you the freedom and functionality to create in depth process maps that can be the catalyst for delivering real change through efficiency improvements. Customer support is absolutely fantastic, with the wishlist / suggestion function allowing you to submit ideas that have a real chance of being implemented into future updates! Being able to use the software to map live during workshops is incredible and has increased my own productivity immensely.

Cons

The only real gripe I have at the moment is there is no built in spell-check function. Other than that there's nothing I dislike!

Simple, Intuitive, Powerful Software

Mapping the entire 'As Is' situation to use as a reference point for the entire organisation and highlighting current best practice and risk appetite allows for organisational consistency and thorough grounding before moving to the redesign phase. Engage enables us to deliver a 'Process Library' to aid training, audit, Change Management, & Quality in the organisation

Pros

Very quick to learn and master so provides instant feedback on benefits to processes. Highlights savings routes and cost drivers that aren't obvious, enables you to see 'the wood for the trees' Allows quick experimentation to find the optimal processes

Cons

Some concepts that Engage uses as a pre-requisite for building processes can be a little obscure so you can waste time early on understanding why it works the way it does. This is easily overcome with some training and explanation

Review Engage Modeler

The modeler is an easy to use program. In my opinion it could have more functionalities / features in line with developments of technology. It's too much an oldfashioned type of program (microsoft '95)...

Pros

It's easy to use, very intuitive, if you're used to microsoft products.

Cons

it's oldfashioned and too much related to an hierarchial organization (by sharing and publicating processes or giving permission to look of work with the processes).

A game changer for process improvement, modelling and mapping

I came across ENGAGE whilst working as a business analyst consultant and doing workshops in the traditional Post It, paper, Visio and Excel way. I found this software and tried the free trial. The guys at ENGAGE did a quick webinar and I was up and running in an hour and have not looked back since. The first process I mapped was my existing process improvement process using the software to show how much quicker and better it would be to use the software for my role. Quickly I was able to show that as well as providing better outcomes I was also able to deliver the same/better for around 25% less effort and around 40% quicker lead time. I showed this to my boss and immediately he agreed to purchase the software. The software enables me to map live in process workshops with the stakeholders saving massive amounts of time in write ups. The added bonus of mapping live in the workshops is the stakeholders are familiar with the process maps and feel a sense of immediate ownership as they were part of creating them. The user friendly icons make it very easy for non technical staff to understand the maps. In the software you never have to draw a line or move maps around it offers simple drag and drop, copy and paste functionality that makes it easy to add forgotten process steps. The software will move the map around as you add, move or insert steps. Viewing the process from different perspectives (swim lanes) is easy, you map once and with one click you can switch the view into a roles based swim lane. You can add additional attributes to your maps such as IT systems or locations which not only gives you more swim lane views but generates additional reports. The lean functionality within the software allows you to classify the value against process steps and add really rich data against each process step such as descriptions, inputs and outputs. You also add costs against each role, processing times and break times meaning instead of a process map you create a fully costed process model. The powerful analysis tools enable you to identify and improve your processes. Your 'To Be' models can be compared to your 'As Is' with a click showing benefits (across a multitude of statistical measures) and creating a business case. The tool offers a multitude of export options into things like Visio, Word and Excel. Add to this an interactive Brainstorm function with apps for smartphones and browser accessibility which again saves time for analysts.

Pros

- Workshop friendly - Brainstorm App - Powerful analysis tools - View from different perspectives without remapping - User friendly icons - Easily compare As Is and To Be maps - Costs and times embedded in models - Time saving - Create easy business cases for change - Easy to use and intuitive - Depth of features and statistics for advanced users

Cons

Nothing

Transformation at your finger tips

I have used this software with a large number of customers. I have been able to demonstrate how they can improve and transform their processes. Not only this, it enables staff engagement in the mapping of the current process and in the development of a proposed process.

Pros

Simplicity, it's easy to use and to share with others. Using it in a workshop setting is brilliant, it allows the focus to be on what happens rather than keeping track of post-its and added notes. The ability to calculate costs and timings is impressive. Even using gut-feel estimates, the overall outcome is as close to the actual cost as you will get. Then there's the ability to produce report and provide online access to training material.

Cons

I would love to be able to produce reports from a template to suit my customers, I can do it manually but it would be good to be able to set or select a template. It is on the wish list for Engage to implement in a future release.