What makes OrgDesigner so unique? OrgDesigner can be compared to several classes of tools: drawingtools (process description), process-tools (process modeling) and handbook-tools (communication, document oriented).
Note: this general comparison is made for the 'average' tool in its class.
With drawingtools you can make a drawings of a process description like an activity diagram. In addition to the functionality of drawingtools, OrgDesigner provides:
| Links | Diagrams can be linked, because OrgDesigner 'knows' the objects on the diagrams. This enables easy navigation. |
| Search | Show me the diagrams related to activity Sales. The answer can be given by OrgDesigner in various ways. |
| Import | No need to type the names of persons again: most objects can be imported. |
| Consistency | It is easy to create diagrams with a consistent layout, because
of the predefined settings for diagrams. You can set defaults for Font, colors, Layout of an object (which data where?), linewidth and shape. |
| Analysis | An Analyze-function is available to help you to trace errors. |
| No redundancy | If you have entered the properties (e.g. activity-name) of
an object, you can reuse it. You don't have to enter that property again
('No redundancy'), and you only have to maintain it once! This also has as advantage, that when you change a property of an object, this change is reflected instantly on all diagrams where it is used! |
| Management | Management is easy because of the automated update facility for published html. And for every object there is a modification date, allowing you to find the most recently modified objects. |
Process-tools allow you to model processes. You can describe processes and their interactions. OrgDesigner provides:
| Graphics | The graphic diagrams of OrgDesigner are excellent for processmodeling. After the modeling-process, you want to publish your models. You can use the same diagrams, because OrgDesigner diagrams can be used in many ways (gif, OLE, wmf). |
| n Diagrams | OrgDesigner allows you to create more than one diagram of
the same situation. E.g. an Organization Diagram for your own employees
('informal'), and one for external relations ('formal'). Or you want a diagram of a part of an existing one and keep only the relevant objects on your diagram. This is no problem: an object can appear on as many diagrams as you like. |
| Real world | Because the presence of persons in the OrgDesigner dictionary
and diagrams (e.g. an Organization Diagram),
it's easier for people to make the connection between the real world and
the diagrams. This is of great importance in communication! It is even possible to connect to your Information System directly from a generated PopUp-menu of an Activity Diagram in HTML (examples exist for SAP and Oracle). |
| Inconsistency | In the modeling-process, you are allowed to create inconsistencies.
There are situations that you don't know some facts. 'I know they send form-123,
but I don't know to which department'. Of course, the Analyze-function is available to help you to trace these inconsistencies. |
| Publish | If you created a diagram, you have a lot of choices for publishing. You can even generate a complete handbook in HTML, including all objects and relations you entered in OrgDesigner. Or create a custom handbook using the HTML-Editor, with Index-trees and popup-menus on genrated diagrams. The advantage of this is clear: when people want to see your models, they only need an Internet-browser! You don't have to buy a 'read-only' license of OrgDesigner, and install it everywhere in your organization. |
| Standards | OrgDesigner supports a set of drawingstandards (ISO, QPL,
IDEF). And you can extend this set to create your own standard! OrgDesigner supports the standard XPDL for exchanging workflow-data with other systems. |
| Management | Management is easy because of the automated update facility for published html. And for every object there is a modification date, allowing you to find the most recently modified objects. |
Handbook-tools allow you to create handbooks with descriptions of processes and related documents. A handbook also provides easy navigation. In addition, OrgDesigner provides:
| Graphics | Most of the handbook-tools are document and relation-oriented. OrgDesigner has powerful graphics because Graphic Diagrams support communication much better than text. |
| Publish | You can publish your handbook by exporting to HTML, or using the HTML-Editor. The advantage of this is clear: when people want to see your handbook, they only need an Internet-browser! You don't have to buy a 'read-only' license of OrgDesigner, and install it everywhere in your organization. |
| Big picture | OrgDesigner allows you to create a hierarchy of processes. When you describe a process, it is very easy to add the 'big picture' of that process by describing the interfaces with other processes on a higher level. In this way, you allow the viewers of your handbook to get the big picture. This is very important for people to understand processes. |
| Inconsistency | In the modeling-process, you are allowed to create inconsistencies.
There are situations that you don't know some facts. 'I know they send form-123,
but I don't know to which department'. Of course, the Analyze-function is available to help you to trace these inconsistencies. |
| Management | Management is easy because of the automated update facility for published html. And for every object there is a modification date, allowing you to find the most recently modified objects. |