ActivTrak vs. IBM Planning Analytics

It's well-suited for offices with a mid- to large-sized employee base. I often review ActivTrak first before going to the employee with performance questions. We have 35+ people, and it is hard to keep track of them without a regularly updated performance tracking system. I do think that a small office might be offended by the tracking.

Incentivized

Very powerful modeling capabilities. It has a really good OLAP engine memory. Strong scenario planning for what if analysis. Flexibility of integration with ERPs or WM systems for both cloud and on premises. Centralized planning and alignment of governance is also a plus. Having one single system for many different functions.

Incentivized

• Tracking the teams active time on their computers
• Providing the data to managers to see if there is anything to double click into. If an employee is underperforming and ActivTrak gives us data that shows bandwidth issues, we can address that with the employee quickly

Incentivized

• Handle very large data volumes.
• Scale to a large number of users.
• Not having to compromise on business complexity.
• It can be run by business users.
• Availability of highly qualified consultants to support businesses.
• REST API allows for an open eco system and a variety of solutions to extend the product.
• Vast integration possibilities.
• AI-infused engine with IBM Watson.

Incentivized

• A more detailed explanation is required when updating specific titles within the system. For instance, total time has recently become "screen time". An email notification of this change and its implications would have gone a long way.
• Easier to read the Activity Log in reporting. Sometimes, when downloading large amounts of reports, it can be cumbersome and challenging to navigate through them.
• Customized reports feature.

Incentivized

• sometimes it is hard to produce pixel perfect reports from the Web UI. I know it is not made for this, but still, it'll be great
• getting in e.g. an Excel file just by drag and drop, and the AI should "understand" what the data is all around

Incentivized

We have been using it for several years and find the benefits are quite excellent for the cost so we will renew again next year.

Incentivized

Since IBM Cognos Express is suitable only for medium data warehouse environment, we are not sure if this tool solves the long term need as the business keeps growing rapidly. So its a 50/50 ratio to renew Express license. But having said that, the components of IBM Cognos Express are also available in other Cognos BI suites like Cognos 10.x version. So we will probably upgrade our environment to IBM Cognos 10.x which comes with more new features.

ActivTrak is a great product that just keeps growing. Having used it for quite some time, we have been able to see ActivTrak grow and evolve as a product. The ActivTrak webinars are also helpful to get to know and learn the product. ActivTrak really just works with little effort needed after the initial installation

Incentivized

IBM Planning Analytics is generally good in terms of functionalities. It can be used reduce time for budget planning, resource planning, demand forecasting, etc. The performance of IBM Planning Analytics is acceptable, but user interface can be improved. It would be good to see new features that allow users to customise the dashboard.

Incentivized

It's never been down.

Incentivized

Have not received any issues with Activtrak's performance in regard to loading pages, reports, or other systems.

Incentivized

Support is always fast and the agents are ready at all times to help when an issue arises, if the tier 1 agent isn't able to provide a solution to the issue they're asked about they quickly escalate the issue to tier 2 or 3 to ensure that the appropriate support is given to the issue at hand to have it quickly solved. No issue we've had so far has taken more than two days to be solved.

Incentivized

IBM support has been very quick to respond and handle the very few issues we've had. We've had a third-party who partners with IBM to be our consulting team which has helped greatly reduce the need for us to contact IBM directly. I highly recommend researching and selecting a well-respected partner to help with an implementation as well as ongoing support as needed.

Incentivized

There should be a way to automatically implement the system without giving users the opportunity to accept or deny the program on their computers.

Incentivized

I am unsure, to be honest. I have not had much exposure to different productivity software. I lucked out by using Active Trak first. I do not feel the need to investigate or review other productivity software. I would recommend ActiveTrak to other companies, users, or those searching for productivity software.

Incentivized

As it is related to MS Excel, IBM Planning Analytics is a much more robust and complete solution for the CFO or COO in mind. Oracle Hyperion stacks up nicely against IBM Planning Analytics. However, IBM's investment in AI allows Planning Analytics users more options and speed.

The product's overall scalability is good as our team grows. We would like to see updates to meet market demands.

Incentivized

• Real-time productivity metrics and detailed workforce analytics have allowed us to better understand our workforce and make adjustments for better productivity.
• Because we were able to curb bad habits, team behavior is at an optimal level.
• Since our productivity level has gone up, the return on our investment in staffing has risen.

Incentivized

• Automate direct data connections to multiple data sources
• One secured version of the the truth (for data and formulas)
• Ability to scale to much more detailed planning with option to create predictive forecasts at detail
• Business user friendly with powerful Excel integration
• Very flexible and powerful modeling, can handle custom modeling needs at scale
• Can make the same data available across finance and ops, but at the level of details and timeline that makes sense for them

Incentivized