Blue Pricing, Features, Reviews & Comparison of Alternatives

Pros
UI improvements were prioritized by eXplorance. The interface improved dramatically in my time using the software, becoming more intuitive over time. Though a lot of the complex functionality may only be easily navigable by power users, the support staff typically did a fine job of providing walkthroughs, phone support, and email instructions as needed. Customer support was also invaluable for working through all the "ifs" and "buts" of our student population. Working with a range of literacy levels and familiarity with English language - as well as different course types like labs, practicums, continuing education, etc. - we needed frequent support and check-ins and were always able to reach a successful outcome.

Cons
I get they are an 'online first' company and a software above all else, but I was disappointed by Blue's inability to reliably process and integrate data from paper forms. They used a third party software (ABBYY) to generate forms, and no matter how meticulously our printer was calibrated, there were always problems in the scanning and upload into Blue. Because it was third party, Blue did not provide support for this process and could not refer us to someone at ABBYY. We ended up processing our (thankfully limited number of) paper forms manually.

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 8/10

Pros
I like the updates CS/Support implements in a quick manner. Responsive to bugs in updates. System can easily handle thousands of requests. Responsive and easy to use for end user.

Cons
Wish it had more transparency in the timing of emails (export .csv showing when task emails would be sent, since likely stored in a DB somewhere). Can be tricky at times to implement changes during a published project (manual changes do not impact the DB, wish manual changes could override the DB but I understand why it is not coded that way). Wish some text fields could be modifiable (e.g. "Please select datasource", other technical/vague terms displayed to end users). Would love IE to be better supported (do not recommend this browser, but unfortunately users still use it)

Rating breakdown

Pros
The customizable solution will adapt to any institution's need... even to different scenarios within the same institution. The automatic report generation at the end of the survey was a must-have for us.

Cons
Difficult to set up for the first time... even with the help of the trainers. It takes a lot of time. The additional company trainings are expensive, and after two years, our team doesn't feel like we are capable of building new reports on our own.

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 8/10

Pros
eXplorance listens to our institutions needs and requirements and is continuously modifying and updating their products to be more useful. The software is evolving and has kept base with the changes in the market.

Cons
The learning curve at the beginning is very steep. The software is not as intuitive as other products on the market. Having said that, it also can do more complicated survey design than the competitors.

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 9/10

Pros
Fabulous software vendor, flawless delivery to students, mobile friendly, ada compliant, great performance, hosting, great customer support.

Cons
The report interface to create customized reports from scratch is not intuitive for novice users. I think the upcoming changes in this area in the next version will address these concerns.

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 10/10