Comparison: K2 vs Nintex

Just a quick note before I delve into the comparisons; The comparison of K2 and Nintex has been done from a South African perspective.  Enjoy the read!

//Updated 2010-10-14

Nintex have responded to this post with screenshots and small corrections in areas where my research wasn’t 100% accurate.  I will update my comparison and mark the updates as a response from Nintex.

Workflow in SharePoint

K2 blackpoint	Nintex
K2 allows for process design in SharePoint as well as via K2 studio.	Nintex allows for process design directly in SharePoint.
The second design interface also allows for web service and assembly references to be made.	I couldn’t find references to how Nintex handles more complex workflow requirements, but they do speak of export to Visual Studio, so perhaps it is safe to assume they can customize things to a certain degree?
K2 handles all native list related SharePoint functions such as create, edit, update, delete etc.	Nintex handles all native list related SharePoint functions such as create, edit, update, delete etc.
K2 provides inline functions for process enhancements such as string manipulation, conversions, date operations and more.	//Updated 2010-10-14:  Response from Nintex: In any text input that supports Inserting reference fields, an inline function can be entered that will be resolved when the workflow runs. A number of functions are provided out of the box, and additional functions can be added. Inline functions are .NET static methods that are installed into the Global Assembly Cache on the server.
K2 does not have a function that compares to LazyApproval.	Nintex has a proprietary LazyApproval function.  From Nintex – “Exclusive LazyApproval® System, respond to requests in real language, even when mobile and without SharePoint portal access”
Support for SharePoint 2010	Support for SharePoint 2010

Summary on Workflow in SharePoint:

Nintex and K2 blackpoint compare well in the SharePoint specific arena.  Nintex has however recently released a SharePoint 2010 feature release which ensures that their product takes advantage of the many enhancements of SharePoint 2010 such as the ribbon, document sets and more.  K2 blackpoint’s feature release is set for November 2010 and according to reports will be jam packed with features.

K2 blackpoint (enterprise) has a fixed cost for unlimited users and servers where Nintex has a price per web front-end.  This is key consideration when farming out multiple SharePoint front-ends.

InfoPath Support //Updated 2010-10-14

K2 blackpoint

Nintex

K2 has full InfoPath Forms Services integration capabilities which ensures that developers can access data within the form rapidly.  This data may then be used in a SharePoint list or in a workflow data field. K2 can also address different views in a InfoPath form based on line rules.  For example, you can develop 1 form and show different panes depending on the stage of the workflow you are in. The data in such a  form can also quickly be mapped to SharePoint data from where it can be reported on, filtered and so forth.

Nintex have complete support for InfoPath forms in their SharePoint 2010 feature set release.  The integration works in the same way that SharePoint 2010 handles InfoPath integration which allows administrators to simply “Customize / Edit with InfoPath 2010.”

//Updated 2010-10-14:  Response from Nintex:

The Nintex Workflow InfoPath Forms feature allows workflow designers to edit initiation and task forms using Microsoft InfoPath 2010.

InfoPath forms can be defined for the following:

· Initiation form

· Request data

· Assign Flexi task

· Request approval

· Request review

Nintex Workflow leverages the capability provided by Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010.

When the user clicks a link that displays a workflow form in the SharePoint Server 2010 interface, an .aspx page loads that contains an Office Forms Services Web Part. This Web Part then displays the appropriate InfoPath 2010 form.

Furthermore, Nintex Workflow provides the ability to query XML using XPath. This can be easily used in the workflow to extract information directly out of an InfoPath form.

//Updated 2010-10-14:  Response from Technicallead:

It is very clear that my initial impression of Nintex’s form capabilities weren’t 100% accurate.  I have reviewed the screenshots that they’ve sent through and it seems as though there is deep integration with the SharePoint 2010 feature set.

Having said that, it is important to note that the screenshots are from Nintex’s latest offering which already includes their SharePoint 2010 feature update.  K2’s InfoPath support, even in SharePoint 2010, is available at present although their feature set release for SharePoint 2010 is due in November 2010.

Summary InfoPath Support: //Updated 2010-10-14

InfoPath is a very powerful technology and allows vendors to build complex composite applications by utilising the aggregation, view and rendering tools within InfoPath.  Both products currently support full integration with InfoPath in SharePoint 2010.  At present I would say K2 has a better legacy of InfoPath support, but Nintex has taken a small step ahead with their SharePoint 2010 feature set release.  K2 is due for their SharePoint 2010 feature set release (around November) and with their legacy of better InfoPath integration, they will more than likely take the lead once again.

Reporting

K2 blackpoint

Nintex

K2 blackpoint has a default management portal in SharePoint that comes standard with a number of reports.  These reports allow for detailed drill downs into each process down to a per activity level.  For example, you can see how long it took person “X” to approve a specific task and compare it to your standard SLA. K2 also ships with a host of default SmartObjects which allows vendors to build complex reports using SQL Server Reporting Services.  With blackpoint these SmartObjects are limited to SharePoint & Activity related information.  Blackpearl allows for further and greater integration with line of business systems.

Nintex also has reporting on a per workflow basis.  I have however, not had experience so cannot comment on the extend thereof.  Nintex has however got another product called Nintex Analytics which allows for further reporting, but this will obviously come at an additional cost. Nintex does not have SmartObject type of capabilities.

//Updated 2010-10-14:  Response from Nintex:

Nintex Workflow provides statistics on individual workflows. These reports are provided on a per workflow, per site and across the farm level.

Nintex Workflow also provides performance reports which helps administrators find and diagnose workflow bottlenecks.

When building workflows in the production environment you can assign them "Expected durations", which is the time you think the business process SHOULD take.

Then you can compare those times with actual, average time they’re taking to run. By doing so you can quickly pick out where things are running slow and drill in to find the bottlenecks.

The Nintex Reporting product extends the reporting capability by providing more reports.

//Updated 2010-10-14:  Response from Technicallead:

Nintex can effectively report on a per workflow basis, but without the SmartObject type of technology I’m unclear as to how administrators & vendors will be able to extend these reports further using say SSAS or SSRS.

Summary on Reporting:

In terms of per process reporting, it seem as though both products are similar.  The fact that Nintex does not expose their data via a separate database or via SmartObjects does however raise concerns with the extensibility of their reporting.

Upgrade, Administration & Support:  //Updated 2010-10-14

K2 blackpoint	Nintex
K2 has extensive error handling and administrative related tools that allow administrators to manage business continuity throughout changes / unplanned outages.  Error handling is included by default and error profiles may be customized to view targeted events.	Error handling may be configured on a per action basis.  //Updated 2010-10-14:  Response from Nintex: SharePoint Workflow engine does not allow capturing of workflow errors. Nintex Workflow provides the error handling panel that allows the workflow designer to capture errors that occur during the execution of the action, and create their own logic to handle it.
K2 is developed locally and support is therefore at your doorstep.	Nintex do not have offices in South Africa.
K2 have an upgrade path from k2 blackpoint to k2 blackpearl & then k2 connect which allows customers to add features when they mature into it. K2 also gives rebates to customers that purchase blackpoint and then upgrade to blackpearl.  The initial investment is therefore never lost.	Nintex does not have an upgrade path.
K2 have 35 partners in South Africa.	Nintex have less than 10.
K2 supports out of office configuration.	I couldn’t find this feature in Nintex.

Summary on Upgrade, Administration & Support:

Troubleshooting workflows in SharePoint has historically been very difficult.  As workflow foundation is so embedded in SharePoint, the errors are not very transparent to the administrator.  Nintex’s approach seems to mirror that of SharePoint as they do not have their own workflow server, but simply piggy back of SharePoint re: error handling etc.  K2 runs as a separate workflow engine with its own databases making identifying errors and rectifying them easier.  Further to that, as K2 is a separate entity they can adapt easier to any changes that Microsoft make in their underlying framework.

Although support is remote (whether it be SA or USA) having a local office means that if ever needed the customer would be able to walk into the K2 / SourceCode offices and escalate / deal with the people directly.  Although conferencing is easy to complete, being able to sit in front of someone still holds an immense amount of value.

Overall Product

After doing quite a bit of research on Nintex and speaking to some people that have used it, there is no doubt in my mind that Nintex workflow is a very competent tool in the SharePoint space.  There are however a number of key shortcomings specifically in the InfoPath, Reporting and Administration side that would swing my vote toward K2 blackpoint.  Furthermore, as a total product, K2 has so much more to offer in their enterprise offering – K2 blackpearl.  Yes, the costs are higher, but it is important to understand that K2 blackpearl is a complete end to end enterprise BPM tool and not simply a SharePoint workflow add-on.  K2 blackpearl, with its Enterprise Information Integration capability delivered via SmartObjects turns it into a process broker and business intelligence middleware type product which brings together multiple systems and information throughout your organisation.  The opportunities to streamline and garner insight are therefore endless.

I’ve recently been involved in a discussion on LinkedIn regarding workflow’s for SharePoint and a number of people gave their support for K2 & Nintex. This further reiterates that they are the two market leaders.  One specific comment hit a cord with me as it completely summarised where these products fit into the bigger picture.

“Kevin Canada • … We also have K2, which I see as a true enterprise-class workflow tool. Unlike Nintex, K2 is a completely separate system, and can run workflows independently of Sharepoint, and isn’t constrained by the number of concurrent workflows allowed to run on the farm or the SP timer server vagaries. K2 allows developers and users to create reusable workflow objects, which is a pertty cool thing, since they are tied to K2, not Sharepoint sites, so a global approval process for a large enterprise can be defined and deployed quite easily. Another very helpful thing that K2 provides is the ability to hook into InfoPath forms, which can be extremely tedious to code against. We have also found that K2 (through its "Smart Objects" can be used to extend to processes on other enterprise systems, and even act as a kind of process broker (like BizTalk) only better. FWIW, though, K2 is also Enterprise priced. Although we do not have Nintex, it seems to be a great "middle tier" solution, but specific for Sharepoint.”

In closing:

I sincerely believe that K2 blackpoint and Nintex offer similar value when simply comparing basic SharePoint workflows to one another.  When it however comes to further complex requirements, integration with line of business data, insightful reporting, scalability (K2 won Microsoft ISV Partner of Year Award for 2010) and local support, I fail to find any product that can compare to K2.

//Updated 2010-10-14:

I big thank you to Nintex for responding to this post with a couple of corrections.  They sent me a document with their responses which included screenshots also.  If anyone would like to see this document, please catch me on twitter and I’ll gladly email it to you.

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Tagged: K2, K2 blackpearl, Nintex, Nintex Workflow, Sourcecode, Workflow