Achieving enterprise-wide transformation through AI-powered planning and reporting

As one of the world’s leading technology and consulting companies, IBM is constantly pushing the boundaries of innovation and productivity. Despite its long-standing prominence, the company was not immune to the universal effects of data sprawl.

Data fragmentation led to information silos, inconsistent insights, and a reliance on manual handoffs. These challenges hindered IBM’s financial planning and analysis activities, decision-making, operational workflows, and overall productivity.

With more than 500 financial applications in use across business units, IBM needed a radical shift—one that would not only modernize planning but also lay the foundation for smarter decision-making at scale.

To achieve data unification, IBM developed a platform for integrated enterprise data called Enterprise Performance Management (EPM).

EPM, powered by IBM® Cognos® Analytics, provides users with a single experience to discover and work with performance insights. As EPM progressed, IBM Planning Analytics (TM1 capabilities) was added to the platform to aid in forecasting. In 2019, AI capabilities were infused into the Planning Analytics production environment to increase forecast accuracy, automate manual processes, and integrate data from EPM to replace multiple tools and spreadsheets with interactive, self-service dashboards. The solution also serves as the historical data foundation for IBM’s “touchless” AI forecasting process. By 2021, Planning Analytics became the driving force behind forecast accuracy.

This implementation builds upon IBM’s integrated data model that links data from historically siloed sources and includes solutions such as IBM watsonx.ai® for generative AI-driven analytics. The integrated approach positions analysts within a standardized workflow, allowing them to refine forecasts in real time while applying their expertise to unique business scenarios.

No more chasing data. No more spreadsheet chaos. Just real-time insights and intelligent automation driving decisions.

Since integrating Planning Analytics with EPM in 2019, IBM has achieved:

• “Touchless” AI-driven forecasting with real-time reports
• ~95% model accuracy using IBM watsonx® and Planning Analytics
• A reduction from more than 500 financial applications to less than 20
• More than 30,000 empowered employees through real-time, AI-driven dashboards
• Predictive insights and scenario planning using natural language inquiries

The results were fast and transformative. IBM moved from static reporting to proactive, data-driven planning enhanced by automation and AI.

By leveraging AI and automation, IBM has successfully consolidated its data and transformed financial planning into an intelligent, automated process.

IBM’s transformation delivered tangible business value, saving the company millions of labor hours annually since 2023 by eliminating manual reporting.

Beyond Finance

In 2021, IBM Consulting® adopted Planning Analytics for strategic workforce planning across 160,000 consulting practitioners. Through a solution called SCORE, powered by Planning Analytics, the organization aligned its goals across regions, modeled hiring strategies, and optimized workforce deployment. The impact was swift and measurable:

• Improved Contract Gross Profit (CGP)—every 0.1% CGP improvement (per year) results in an incremental USD 16 million CGP
• Unified strategy execution across Spring Plan, Fall Plan, and Demand Interlock
• Smarter decision-making by aligning strategy with workforce planning and historical data

SCORE also became critical to IBM’s strategic planning reviews, enabling smarter sourcing, real-time forecasting, and data-driven scenario planning across geographies.
SCORE has proven to be an indispensable asset for IBM Consulting, empowering data-driven decisions and driving substantial profitability gains. With its ability to optimize workforce deployment and streamline processes, the tool has solidified its position as a cornerstone of IBM Consulting’s success.

Outcome

With AI and automation at its core, IBM’s transformation demonstrates the power of AI-driven planning to cut out manual waste and create an enterprise-wide impact. By modernizing both financial and workforce planning with Planning Analytics, IBM replaced fragmented processes and siloed data with connected, data-driven strategies. The shift was strategic and immediate, delivering faster insights, sharper forecasts and significant business value.

Executives now have real-time visibility into performance and workforce dynamics, enabling smarter, agile decisions. From saving millions of labor hours to improving profitability through precise workforce optimization, IBM’s approach isn’t just a blueprint for efficiency, it’s a model for intelligent, strategic planning at scale—essential for today’s enterprise.

IBM IBM is a leading provider of enterprise IT products and services. The company helps clients capitalize on actionable data insights, streamline business processes, reduce costs, and gain a competitive edge in their industries. IBM's breakthrough innovations in AI, quantum computing, cloud solutions, and consulting provide clients with open and flexible options backed by a long-standing commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility, inclusivity, and service.