IBM Planning Analytics: Components

With IBM Planning Analytics, you have a choice of two user interfaces: IBM Planning Analytics Workspace, the standard web interface, or IBM Planning Analytics for Microsoft Excel, with a traditional spreadsheet interface. Both can be used together, and you can switch back and forth at will. Both interfaces are powered by the in-memory calculation engine, IBM TM1®.

IBM Planning Analytics Workspace

This customizable, web-based interface can be deployed to finance users, cost center owners and business managers. Users can measure and monitor performance based on a single, consistent view of KPIs and create scorecards, dashboards and reports.  

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IBM Planning Analytics for Microsoft Excel

This option lets you work in the familiar Excel interface while enjoying the power of a modern planning solution. You retain full Excel functionality and formatting, including capabilities such as graphing and built-in functions.

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IBM TM1

At the heart of IBM Planning Analytics—in either interface—is the proven power of IBM TM1. This robust, in-memory (real-time) calculation engine enables users to build sophisticated, multidimensional models for data analysis on virtually any combination of data hierarchies and dimensions.  

“ The beauty of IBM Planning Analytics is that it is relatively easy to learn and you don’t need to be an IT expert to build tools with it. ”

  • Keith Would
  • Head of Financial Planning and Reporting
  • London Southbank University
  • Read the case study

“ The IBM platform is significantly more robust and scalable than our old approach, and adding new functions is much easier. As soon as we have more requirements, we’re confident the solution will cope. ”

“ Planning Analytics Express allows you to use Microsoft Excel as a user interface, which is a big advantage […] It’s a very familiar, user-friendly environment for finance people to work in. ”

What makes IBM different?

Excel integration

IBM Planning Analytics is tightly integrated with Microsoft Excel, to a degree unmatched in the industry.

More on seamless Excel integration

Size

Our ability to manage data sparsity reduces the need to move or replicate data and means you can work at high speed with very large data sets.

See how IBM helps manage data sparsity

Scalability

As your organization grows and changes, so can IBM Planning Analytics - it can easily manage hundreds or thousands of users.

More on scaling up to meet needs

Ease of use

Highly ranked for its ease of use, non-experts can easily analyze data, create reports and build sophisticated models.

See why IBM is top-ranked for ease of use

Flexibility

Build simple or complex models with small or large data sets and easily adjust them to internal and external changes

More on the key to flexibility in planning

Features

Planning, budgeting and forecasting

Create plans, budgets and forecasts quickly, drawing input from the front lines and scaling to hundreds or even thousands of users. Align top-down targets with bottom-up plans, and link plans together for a cohesive view.

Reporting

Experience a range of performance reporting, monitoring and measurement capabilities. With a single, consistent view of KPIs, you can evaluate plans, identify performance gaps and diagnose the root causes of problems.

Scorecards and dashboards

Develop scorecards and dashboards linked to plans and budgets, then share them across the enterprise for fast, intuitive insight into organizational performance.

Automated visualizations

Automatically create compelling visualizations to share insights with decision makers. Choose from more than 25 different charts, tables, maps, graphs and images – plus text and video.

Personal scenario modeling

Create and maintain sophisticated models with advanced sandboxing capabilities. Easily test business assumptions and model scenarios to immediately see the impact of alternative courses of action before deciding to implement changes.

Multidimensional scenario modeling

Synthesize information, infer trends, drill into transactional data and slice and dice data for deep granular analysis. Built on the powerful TM1 calculation engine, IBM Planning Analytics enables in-depth analysis of large data sets.

Robust hierarchies

Free yourself from the limits of traditional cube-based analysis with hierarchies. Perform in-depth, granular analysis using “attributes” to describe the characteristics of products, customers, regions and more.

Embrace Excel

With IBM Planning Analytics for Microsoft Excel, you can avoid the errors and version control problems of manual, spreadsheet-only processes, but keep the familiar Excel interface. You retain full Excel functionality and formatting.

Data integration

IBM Planning Analytics can unify data from a variety of sources, including TM1, Oracle Hyperion and SAP Business Warehouse (BW). It reduces the need for custom integrations that introduce compliance risks and burden scarce technical resources.

Real-time data access

The in-memory database capabilities refresh data in real time to ensure that results are as accurate and current as possible. Leverage internal and external data, including data from ERP and CRM systems.

Enterprise-scale data volumes

Large data volumes are supported with the solution's ability to manage data sparsity (that is, zero-value cells). This is especially crucial for organizations like retailers, who can easily store hundreds of thousands of SKUs.

Workflow visibility

Streamlined workflow management provides process visibility, enabling managers to track the status of every participant using intuitive, color-coded icons that inform reviewers about workflow status.

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