erwin Data Intelligence Reviews

Name: erwin Data Intelligence
Brand: Quest Software
Rating: 4.3 (18 reviews)

4.3 out of 5

18 reviews
100% willing to recommend

What is erwin Data Intelligence?

Erwin Data Intelligence drives automation, supports data catalog and literacy, and offers Smart Data Connectors for efficient metadata handling. Its customization flexibility and integration facilitate enhanced data governance, visualization, analysis, and compliance.

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erwin Data Intelligence is the #18 ranked solution in Data Governance tools. PeerSpot users give erwin Data Intelligence an average rating of 8.6 out of 10. erwin Data Intelligence is most commonly compared to Informatica Intelligent Data Management Cloud (IDMC): erwin Data Intelligence vs Informatica Intelligent Data Management Cloud (IDMC). erwin Data Intelligence is popular among the large enterprise segment, accounting for 50% of users researching this solution on PeerSpot. The top industry researching this solution are professionals from a computer software company, accounting for 25% of all views.

Buyer's Guide

erwin Data Intelligence

August 2025

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Featured erwin Data Intelligence reviews

Roy Pollack

Advisor Application Architect at CPS Energy

We appreciate the solution's ability to upload source-to-target mappings as well as other types of metadata. We were able to semi-programmatically build these worksheets. The time needed to map each manually would be prohibitive. Although it was not intuitive, there is a feature where DIS can generate the Excel worksheet as a template. Using this allowed us to discover many other types of metadata we can upload, which is the most efficient way to populate metadata.

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reviewer1935849

Architect at a insurance company with 10,001+ employees

The most critical features are the metadata management and data mapping, which includes the reference data management and code set management. Its capabilities allow us to capture metadata plus use it to define how the data lineage should be built, i.e., the data mapping aspects of it. The data mapping component is a little unique to this tool, as it allows the entire data lineage and impact analysis to be easily done. It has very good visuals, which it displays in a build to show the data lineage for all the metadata that we are capturing. Our physical data mapping is using this tool. The component of capturing the metadata, integrating the code set managers and reference data management aspects of it with the data pipeline are unique to this tool. They are definitely the key differentiators that we were looking for when picking this tool. erwin DI provides visibility into our organization’s data for our IT, data governance, and business users. There is a business-facing view of the data. There is an IT version of the tool that allows us to set up the metadata managed by our IT users or data stewards, who are users of the data, to set up the metadata. Then, the same tool has a very good business portal that takes the same information in a read-only way and presents it back in a very business-user friendly way. We call it a business portal. This suite of applications provides us end-to-end data governance from both the IT's and business users' perspective. It is a central place for everybody to start any ETL data pipeline builds. This tool is being heavily used, plus it's heavily integrated with all the ETL data pipeline design and build processes. Nobody can bypass these processes and do something without going through this tool. The business portal allows us to search the metadata and do data discovery. Business users come in and present data catalog-type information. This means all the metadata that we capture, such as AI masking, dictionaries, and the data dictionary, is set up as well. That aspect is very heavily used. There are a lot of Data Connectors that gather the data from all different source systems, like metadata from many data stores. We configure those Data Collectors, then install them. The Data Connector that helps us load all the metadata from the erwin Data Modeler tool is XML-based. The solution delivers up-to-date and detailed data lineage. It provides you all the business rules that data fields are going through by using visualization. It provides very good visualization, allowing us to quickly assess the impact in an understandable way. All the metadata and business glossaries are captured right there in the tool. All of these data points are discoverable, so we can search through them. Once you know the business attribute you are looking for, then you are able to find where in the data warehouse this information lives. It provides you technical lineage right from the business glossary. It provides a data discovery feature, so you are able to do a complete discovery on your own.

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reviewer2056512

Works at a insurance company with 5,001-10,000 employees

erwin provides visibility into our organization's data for our IT, data governance, and business users. When we pull in the mapping, we can generate SSIS packages for all our data warehouses. That saves hundreds of hours because it just does it for you. We can then send it to our data warehouse folks, and it's 90% done. In some cases, it's 100% done as far as the mapping goes. The metadata is part of the governance. A part of the erwin Data Integration Suite product is the BUP, which is the Business User Portal. Business users can go in and search in that portal, and they can find all kinds of entities, in terms of call names and so on. It is important to us that all three teams are able to leverage the data, and erwin does it well. The data catalog dashboard handles the visibility of sensitive data distribution and top data sources quite well. It makes it extremely easy. The data catalog dashboard is also easy to label and search, which has helped with our data governance. The Business User Portal or data catalog dashboard does a pretty good job of providing a single view of all of the key attributes needed to manage our data landscape. I would rank the Standard Data Connectors for automating metadata harvesting and ingestion from common industry sources as the highest piece of the product. It was our big use case, and in terms of being able to generate DDL and SSIS mapping to harvest data, I would rank it very high. erwin enabled us to deliver data pipelines several times faster and with less cost for the use case we were looking at. We had to either roll out our own solution, invest the time and money there, or get up and running relatively quickly to do what we needed to do with erwin. One thing that erwin does extremely well in terms of viewing the technical details needed to manage the data landscape, is that once the mapping is done it can generate mapping documents for business analysts and ECL developers to consume. We've been impressed with what it can do. erwin does impact analysis and data quality assessment as well as any other tool that I've seen. It delivers up-to-date and detailed data lineage. We used data profiling in erwin DI, which saves time when it comes to data discovery and understanding the entire organization’s data. I would give it a high rating because it did it faster than some other tools that we've used.

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erwin Data Intelligence mindshare

As of August 2025, the mindshare of erwin Data Intelligence in the Data Governance category stands at 1.9%, down from 2.5% compared to the previous year, according to calculations based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Data Governance

PeerResearch reports based on erwin Data Intelligence reviews

Type	Title	Date
Category	Data Governance	Aug 19, 2025	Download
Product	Reviews, tips, and advice from real users	Aug 19, 2025	Download
Comparison	erwin Data Intelligence vs Microsoft Purview Data Governance	Aug 19, 2025	Download
Comparison	erwin Data Intelligence vs Informatica Intelligent Data Management Cloud (IDMC)	Aug 19, 2025	Download
Comparison	erwin Data Intelligence vs Collibra Governance	Aug 19, 2025	Download

Title	Rating	Mindshare	Recommending
Informatica Intelligent Data Management Cloud (IDMC)	4.0	6.0%	93%	185 interviews Add to research
Microsoft Purview Data Governance	3.8	21.9%	84%	58 interviews Add to research

Valuable Features

Erwin Data Intelligence excels in automation script capabilities, enhancing development speed and reducing time to market. Its data lineage and mapping features provide a comprehensive view of data flow and impact analysis. The integrated data catalog, Smart Data Connectors, and business glossary improve data literacy and governance. Users value the visualization tools, including mind maps and impact analysis, enabling quick access to critical data insights and supporting efficient data management practices.

"The data mapping manager is the most valuable feature."
"Mind map... is a really good feature because it is very helpful in seeing which column's tables are related. Also, you can flag them with "sensitive data" and other indicators. You can also customize your own features for the mind map. That was another very robust feature."
"Data Intelligence creates a single source of truth for all of our metadata. This solution is better for data warehousing, but the metadata features speed up our development work. It's easy to create and manage mappings because we can export them to Informatica and pick up the work where we left off."

Room for Improvement

Erwin Data Intelligence requires improvement in SDK, API consistency, complex user interface, and more seamless automation. Users find challenges with metadata processing, sluggish performance with extensive data, and challenging integration with external tools. The learning curve is significant, and the AIMatch feature is underdeveloped. Compatibility with other data modeling tools is limited. Data quality assessment lacks integration without third-party software, and Arabic language processing is restricted. Enhancements in workflow and AI capabilities are desired.

"The data quality assessment requires third-party components and a separate license."
"Really huge datasets, where the logical names or the lexicons weren't groomed or maintained well, were the only area where it really had room for improvement. A huge data set would cause erwin to crash. If there were half a million or 1 million tables, erwin would hang."
"The versioning can sometimes be confusing because we use the publishing feature for the mapping. Technical analysts sometimes have two versions, and they should know that the public version is the correct one."

ROI

erwin Data Intelligence resulted in significant time savings, reducing labor costs by 50% and accelerating decision-making processes. Delivery speed increased, project costs decreased, and business data accessibility improved. Organizations reported valuable reductions in time spent on requests, enhanced data quality, and streamlined governance. Without needing extensive IT support, business users could execute tasks more efficiently, contributing to increased productivity and substantial manpower cost savings. Overall, users observed notable efficiency and cost benefits from using erwin Data Intelligence.

Pricing

erwin Data Intelligence is considered competitively priced by many users, though some note it can be expensive depending on specific needs. Estimated costs include a licensing fee of around $7,000 per user with additional fees for server maintenance, and a full suite costing about $100,000 annually. Pricing models vary, with options for user-based licenses and additional costs for Smart Data Connectors. Discounts and negotiated pricing are available, and the solution can be hosted on-premise or in the cloud.

"The price is reasonable, and a subscription is required."
"erwin was at a good price. The federal government wouldn't buy something if the pricing wasn't good."
"The price is too high."

Popular Use Cases

Users primarily utilize erwin Data Intelligence for metadata management, data governance, and mapping business data models to physical implementations. It supports versioning, automated source-to-target mapping, data literacy, cataloging, and metadata profiling. Organizations employ it to better understand their data environments, streamline data transformations, improve data lineage, and integrate with existing systems. Erwin Data Intelligence enables different users to access, manage, and govern data across various business units effectively.

Service and Support

erwin Data Intelligence's customer service and support receive mixed feedback. Customers cite prompt, knowledgeable assistance, with some praising outstanding expertise. However, others encounter delays and communication issues. The transition to Quest improved support for some. Premiers report value from dedicated meetings, but response times can lag. Notable representatives like Tammy and Susan are positively mentioned. Occasionally, resolution times are lengthy, with critical feedback on minor feature requests. Satisfaction levels range, with ratings from five to nine out of ten.

Deployment

Initial deployment experiences with erwin Data Intelligence varied. Some described it as straightforward, with quick setup and minimal maintenance, while others found it complex, requiring considerable effort. Many noted that installation was simple, but configuring components and training users posed challenges. Several reported that collaboration with erwin's support team or professional services aided their process. Adaptation and ongoing use depended heavily on organizational readiness and internal strategies for data governance and management.

Scalability

erwin Data Intelligence offers scalability, supporting diverse users and roles across organizations. Users appreciate its capability to expand licenses and manage metadata efficiently, with features like bulk uploads and project management. Some find it easily scaling, while others note performance challenges with large datasets. Many expect increased adoption and usage growth. Despite occasional performance concerns with large data volumes, many users find it effectively scalable, meeting organizational needs for different user types and data management.

Stability

Users find erwin Data Intelligence stable, experiencing minimal issues. Some noted initial stability challenges, but conditions have improved, with most not facing significant disruptions. A few mentioned minor issues, largely manageable without disrupting operations. Automated processes reduce maintenance concerns. Users appreciate its maturity and connection capabilities, comparing it favorably to erwin DM. Early Java-based complexities require patience, but current stability satisfies expectations, with any errors typically tied to platform interactions rather than inherent tool flaws.

These insights are based on the in-depth reviews provided by peers to help you make a better buying decision.

Download our erwin Data Intelligence Buyer's Guide for additional reliable information.

Review data by company size

By reviewers

By visitors reading reviews

Top industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

25%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Government

Non Profit

Insurance Company

Educational Organization

Construction Company

Manufacturing Company

Retailer

Logistics Company

Healthcare Company

Energy/Utilities Company

University

Media Company

Real Estate/Law Firm

Comms Service Provider

Performing Arts

Recreational Facilities/Services Company

Legal Firm

Transportation Company

Wholesaler/Distributor

Aerospace/Defense Firm

Computer Retailer

Outsourcing Company

Compare erwin Data Intelligence with alternative products

Learn more about erwin Data Intelligence

Erwin Data Intelligence offers automation scripts that accelerate development, integrated data cataloging, data profiling, and lineage analysis to streamline information management. Users appreciate its capability in metadata harvesting, code engineering, and infrastructure integration. The tool provides flexibility to enhance governance and data visualization. While it performs well, users have noted challenges with API robustness and interface complexity, and there are opportunities to improve workflow integration, AI features, and large dataset handling. Companies rely on it for metadata management, automation of metadata mappings, and data governance to support compliance and literacy.

What are the main features of Erwin Data Intelligence?

Automation Scripts: Speeds up development processes through powerful scripts.
Data Catalog: Supports comprehensive data mapping and profiles for better analysis.
Smart Data Connectors: Efficiently handles code engineering and metadata harvesting.
Customization Flexibility: Adapts to existing infrastructure for seamless integration.
Comprehensive Visualization: Empowers data visualization and standardization processes.

What benefits and ROI can users expect?

Increased Development Speed: Automation scripts notably enhance development efficiency.
Improved Data Governance: Streamlines processes, supporting compliance and business definitions.
Effective Integration: Seamlessly fits with ETL tools and existing workflows.
Enhanced Data Literacy: Supports data literacy initiatives with robust cataloging features.
Comprehensive Impact Analysis: Facilitates thorough analysis for informed decision-making.

In industries such as finance, healthcare, and retail, organizations implement Erwin Data Intelligence for efficient metadata management and governance. It assists in automating lineage and mapping, supporting ETL procedures while enhancing compliance and data literacy efforts. Its flexibility and integration support create valuable data insights and governance improvements.

erwin Data Intelligence was previously known as erwin DG, erwin Data Governance.