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RSA Archer vs SAP BusinessObjects GRC comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Feb 4, 2025

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

RSA Archer
Ranking in GRC
1st
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
42
Ranking in other categories
IT Governance (1st), IT Vendor Risk Management (4th)
SAP BusinessObjects GRC
Ranking in GRC
15th
Average Rating
7.2
Reviews Sentiment
4.8
Number of Reviews
6
Ranking in other categories
Continuous Controls Monitoring (2nd)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2025, in the GRC category, the mindshare of RSA Archer is 15.9%, down from 16.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SAP BusinessObjects GRC is 1.8%, down from 2.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
GRC
 

Featured Reviews

IMRAN ALMARZOOQI - PeerSpot reviewer
Automates compliance management effectively but needs improved interface and dashboards
The tool basically automates whatever processes you already have, so I cannot specify improvements in that regard. However, my main issue with Archer is the graphics. The graphics have always been lacking. I always need to depend on another tool to read information from Archer to have better dashboards. It is like using Linux, and it has a Linux mindset and interface. I want to use Archer for top management and CEOs, but it looks too technical, and the dashboards are not really friendly. They are bulky, like opening an old Nintendo system from nineteen-ninety. The management agrees that Archer lacks in terms of presentation and dashboarding. It is complex, not user-friendly, and bulky. The interface just looks old.
Osama Saleh - PeerSpot reviewer
Provides a lot of useful information and helps in managing risks and controls
BusinessObjects is very dated. It is not that user-friendly. It should be made more user-friendly. In addition, if they could make predictive analytics an embedded part of it where people get to know what is there to offer, it would be great. They need to invest heavily in business planning and consolidation. They have a BPC tool, which is known for planning and consolidation, but its implementation consumes a lot of effort. It is not that easy to implement. It would be better if they come up with a solution that is more user-friendly and easy to integrate so that we can have multiple consolidations or versions.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"Enables development of any application, automation of any workflow including the GRC work processes."
"The solution has improved my organization by having everything combined to a single platform."
"The product is very flexible."
"This solution helped us with the centralization of our governance data, so we could house all of our controls in one place. We could use that central repository of all our controls to build our risk management strategy and our policy and governance. So we could use controls as a central library and build policy, and then build risk management around it."
"From my perspective, because I've always done it as a consultant, I do like the way it is configured. They've gone into changing the application builder interface, so it is even easier. When you're working with users, it is really easy to show them how to do things quickly and how to configure, change, and design stuff quickly."
"Archer seamlessly integrates data systems without requiring additional software."
"RSA Archer's best features are advanced workflow, reports, dashboards, and notifications."
"It is enterprise-wide accessible. So, it is very helpful for all the employees in our bank. They can log in and do their risk management activities. It has a few inbuilt modules that are helpful for doing risk management activities, such as issue management, risk identification, risk assessment, and policy exception management. It also has some inbuilt workflows inside these modules. They are also helpful."
"The best features are the scalability and flexibility to implement applications on top of the BW."
"It is wonderful from the control perspective. The GRC tools help you in knowing what are the risk controls, how to mitigate risks, and how to ensure that there are no conflicts between the roles. From the user perspective, you get to know what are the permission risks and access risks. You get a lot of useful information."
"Initial setup was straightforward. It took maybe one week."
"We have enterprise clients for the product."
"The tool helps create reports for projects, including the creation of any ad-hoc reports"
"The stability of SAP BusinessObjects GRC is acceptable."
 

Cons

"There should be built-in integration mechanisms, for example, for organizations switching from platforms like ServiceNow to Archer, instead of custom integrations for each client."
"In terms of what can be improved, our client always says their user experience, IU/UX in RSA Archer. They found it is not as user friendly as other tools."
"Recently, we made a suggestion for cross references, like for one application to another. There were limitations there, so we're hoping that will be included in the next upgrade."
"While the AI features are emerging and the cost is comparatively low, it's not yet up to the market standard."
"There were so many problems that we had found. One time, the search index was not working. We also faced slowness in Archer, but I resolved this issue."
"The management agrees that Archer lacks in terms of presentation and dashboarding. It is complex, not user-friendly, and bulky."
"The solution can be a little slow due to the Silverlight feature."
"There should be a way to export and get data from the system in PDF or PowerPoint presentation format. This would be a great addition."
"Technical support could be better and faster."
"An additional feature I would like to see is the option to add wait time and integrate sources in wait time."
"I think the old system is better than the new one. From an improvement perspective, the tool needs to ensure that the new technologies it offers are better than the old ones."
"I am working on features that are not functioning as expected, which creates significant difficulties in management."
"BusinessObjects is very dated. It is not that user-friendly. It should be made more user-friendly. In addition, if they could make predictive analytics an embedded part of it where people get to know what is there to offer, it would be great."
"We cannot actively log in to the system. It should also improve support."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"I am not sure about other companies, but it's quite expensive."
"The price of the solution is very affordable."
"The solution's price should be reduced. You only have to pay the license and there are no additional fees."
"RSA Archer's price is justifiable and not as expensive, compared to ServiceNow. I have heard that the licensing for ServiceNow is much more expensive. I'm unaware whether there are any additional costs after licensing fees."
"At the higher end of the price scale, but provides better, more accessible functionality and customization than cheaper products."
"The initial purchase is cheap. You pay a nominal price to start then renew the license annually. You also must buy a license for each module. I'm not too fond of that aspect of the licensing model. You buy the elephant and then spend more money to feed the elephant."
"As I am a developer and responsible for providing production support, I do not have personal knowledge of the pricing. However, my colleagues claim that it is very expensive in comparison with other tools."
"The pricing is okay. The licensing costs are very reasonable; it is very affordable to us."
"The license is costly."
"SAP BusinessObjects GRC is expensive."
"There is a yearly licensing cost. I would rate their pricing 4 out of 5."
"The product's licensing costs involve a one-time purchase. The tool also allows others to make annual payments towards the licensing charges of the product."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
23%
Insurance Company
12%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Computer Software Company
8%
Computer Software Company
18%
Manufacturing Company
12%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Insurance Company
9%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about RSA Archer?
It has various valuable features. For example, showing us if a control aligns with specific standards or frameworks helps us understand it better and verify its compliance.
What needs improvement with RSA Archer?
While it provides benefits in terms of security, the pricing is a bit higher than customers typically expect. It would be helpful if RSA Archer had the capability for two-way integration because, i...
What is your primary use case for RSA Archer?
Regarding the compliance, risk, and governance tools, I am comfortable discussing the tools in the GRC category. The specific module from ServiceNow is the ServiceNow Compliance, Risk, and Governan...
What do you like most about SAP BusinessObjects GRC?
The tool helps create reports for projects, including the creation of any ad-hoc reports
What needs improvement with SAP BusinessObjects GRC?
I have encountered problems with certain functionalities of SAP BusinessObjects GRC, and the client is not very satisfied. While this is an SAP native solution that clients want to use, it is not a...
What is your primary use case for SAP BusinessObjects GRC?
I am a consultant for an external company implementing SAP BusinessObjects GRC.
 

Also Known As

Archer
BusinessObjects GRC
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

T-Systems, Bridge Point, Equifax, First Data, Global Imaging Company, Manulife Financial
INEOS Melamines GmbH, Banco Galicia
Find out what your peers are saying about RSA Archer vs. SAP BusinessObjects GRC and other solutions. Updated: July 2025.
865,295 professionals have used our research since 2012.