Anaplan vs Microsoft Power BI

• Anaplan is great for headcount reporting. We have reports by dept, office location, and subsidiary that is great for planning and also for full company reporting.
• Although they can be complicated to set up, Anaplan is also great for setting up complex P&L views. For example, setting up a P&L with a combination of subs/depts., that still needs to consolidate to the total P&L.
• Systems-wise, I like that it's impossible to #REF the model! Anaplan shows you where everything is referenced, so it's very difficult to break anything.
• I also like that formulas copy across, so there is no chance of pointing to the wrong cell, like in Excel

Read full review

• Engaging dashboard displays with drag and drop modules to convey data in a meaningful ways.
• Familiar Microsoft "Ribbon" type interface that creates an integral feel with the rest of the Microsoft suite of products.
• Built-in mobile optimization window and associated Mobile applications that allow viewing from any location connected to the server.

Read full review

• Performance - in the case of complex business cases, the size of Anaplan is increasing drastically, and even a simple click would take more than it should.
• UI - The User interface needs to be improved: group/expand hierarchy, "Ctrl " + select option to allow multi selection, Content page clean up, easier "Drag & drop" when customizing or building exports.
• Review & enhance the type of security user roles.

Read full review

• It is such a powerful system that it can come across as intimidating for some without some Excel knowledge
• I'm not a database analyst or administrator, so calling the data in can be difficult (not necessary the fault of the software, but something that could be difficult for teams without someone with database knowledge)
• It can come across as confusing, when there is both a local Power BI and online Power BI components. They don't necessarily do the same functions. You'll definitely want to know how to use the online version as this is how you'll publish and share the results of your findings, but the local one has a lot of capabilities that don't appear to be directly available in the online version (and if so, it's not immediately apparent).

Read full review

• I'm sure the impact is positive. We have streamlined many processes and created capacity for our finance team.
• It's great to have "one source of truth" and know that everyone is looking at the same metrics.

Read full review

• I'm using the free version, so the only investment was the time spent to learn how to use the product (which as an Excel user, was very short).
• I use Excel to store every single bit of information about all the projects I do, and being able to see them visualized helped me see some redundant steps I was taking.
• No negative impact at all for me.

Read full review