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IBM Planning Analytics vs. SAP BPC (Business Planning and Consolidation)

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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    IBM Planning Analytics

    Score8.5 out of 10
    N/AIBM Planning Analytics, powered by IBM TM1®, is an integrated planning solution designed to promote collaboration across the organization and help keep pace with the speed of modern business. With its calculation engine, this enterprise performance management solution is designed to help users move beyond the limits of spreadsheets, automating the planning process to drive faster, more accurate results. Use it to unify data sources into one single repository, enabling users to build…

    $825

    per month 5 users

    SAP BPC (Business Planning and Consolidation)

    Score8.3 out of 10
    N/AThe SAP BPC software is designed to help users plan and achieve a faster, more accurate close. The SAP BPC software aims to help users spend more time growing their business and less time closing books. The vendor’s value proposition is that their software delivers planning, budgeting, forecasting, and financial consolidation capabilities in a single application. This, in turn, enables them to easily adjust plans and forecasts, speed up budget and closing cycles, and ensure compliance with…N/A
    Pricing
    IBM Planning AnalyticsSAP BPC (Business Planning and Consolidation)
    Editions & Modules
    Essentials
    $825
    per month 5 users
    Standard
    $1,650
    per month 10 users
    No answers on this topic
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    IBM Planning AnalyticsSAP BPC (Business Planning and Consolidation)
    Free Trial
    YesNo
    Free/Freemium Version
    YesNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    YesYes
    Entry-level Setup FeeOptionalNo setup fee
    Additional Details
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    IBM Planning AnalyticsSAP BPC (Business Planning and Consolidation)
    Considered Both Products
    IBM
    Chose IBM Planning Analytics
    For strong technical teams and flexibility IBM Planning Analytics is the way to go. For quicker adoption and less technical teams Anaplan is the best option. If consolidation, financials, and moving from legacy tools are main focus than OneStream will be a really good choice. …
    Incentivized
    Chose IBM Planning Analytics
    cost effective solution
    Incentivized
    Chose IBM Planning Analytics
    I compare this software with the previous one i have used i.e. SAP, IBM have the greater speed and hence is fast in implementing plans and conducting other calculations. In comparison to past experience, an allocation that almost takes 10-12 hours in another tool was created in …
    Incentivized
    Chose IBM Planning Analytics
    IBM Planning Analytics with Watson is on an upper hand considering its capabilities. However, it is relatively expensive.
    Incentivized
    Chose IBM Planning Analytics
    Other tools include Essbase, Outlooksoft, and BPC. When comparing the length of the implementation and the speed of the engine, IBM is the fastest on the market. I have not yet found a calculation or planning approach that cannot be done with IBM PA. In one situation, an …
    Incentivized
    Chose IBM Planning Analytics
    We have been users of Oracle Hyperion and Power BI like tools.
    Incentivized
    SAP
    Chose SAP BPC (Business Planning and Consolidation)
    SAP BPC was decided to be implemented into our company due to the added value compared to other competitors who offer the same systems. Although SAP BPC has room for improvement, the ease of use was the deciding factor that resulted in the company picking it. Organization, …
    Incentivized
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    99%
    Would buy again
    128 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Delivers good value for the price
    97%
    Delivers good value for the price
    114 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Happy with the feature set
    97%
    Happy with the feature set
    125 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    97%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    89 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Implementation went as expected
    93%
    Implementation went as expected
    104 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Features
    IBM Planning AnalyticsSAP BPC (Business Planning and Consolidation)
    BI Standard Reporting
    Comparison of BI Standard Reporting features of IBM Planning Analytics and SAP BPC (Business Planning and Consolidation)
    Feature
    IBM Planning Analytics
    7.6
    116 Ratings
    1% above category average
    SAP BPC (Business Planning and Consolidation)
    -
    Ratings
    Pixel Perfect reports7.6102 Ratings00 Ratings
    Customizable dashboards7.7116 Ratings00 Ratings
    Report Formatting Templates7.5109 Ratings00 Ratings
    Ad-hoc Reporting
    Comparison of Ad-hoc Reporting features of IBM Planning Analytics and SAP BPC (Business Planning and Consolidation)
    Feature
    IBM Planning Analytics
    8.0
    122 Ratings
    3% above category average
    SAP BPC (Business Planning and Consolidation)
    -
    Ratings
    Drill-down analysis8.5119 Ratings00 Ratings
    Formatting capabilities7.9120 Ratings00 Ratings
    Integration with R or other statistical packages7.992 Ratings00 Ratings
    Report sharing and collaboration7.8118 Ratings00 Ratings
    Report Output and Scheduling
    Comparison of Report Output and Scheduling features of IBM Planning Analytics and SAP BPC (Business Planning and Consolidation)
    Feature
    IBM Planning Analytics
    8.1
    116 Ratings
    2% above category average
    SAP BPC (Business Planning and Consolidation)
    -
    Ratings
    Publish to Web7.9109 Ratings00 Ratings
    Publish to PDF8.2109 Ratings00 Ratings
    Report Versioning8.3106 Ratings00 Ratings
    Report Delivery Scheduling8.298 Ratings00 Ratings
    Data Discovery and Visualization
    Comparison of Data Discovery and Visualization features of IBM Planning Analytics and SAP BPC (Business Planning and Consolidation)
    Feature
    IBM Planning Analytics
    7.5
    117 Ratings
    2% above category average
    SAP BPC (Business Planning and Consolidation)
    -
    Ratings
    Pre-built visualization formats (heatmaps, scatter plots etc.)8.1117 Ratings00 Ratings
    Location Analytics / Geographic Visualization7.7109 Ratings00 Ratings
    Predictive Analytics7.8107 Ratings00 Ratings
    Pattern Recognition and Data Mining6.638 Ratings00 Ratings
    Access Control and Security
    Comparison of Access Control and Security features of IBM Planning Analytics and SAP BPC (Business Planning and Consolidation)
    Feature
    IBM Planning Analytics
    8.0
    122 Ratings
    5% below category average
    SAP BPC (Business Planning and Consolidation)
    -
    Ratings
    Multi-User Support (named login)8.1120 Ratings00 Ratings
    Role-Based Security Model7.7121 Ratings00 Ratings
    Multiple Access Permission Levels (Create, Read, Delete)8.0122 Ratings00 Ratings
    Report-Level Access Control7.549 Ratings00 Ratings
    Single Sign-On (SSO)8.4114 Ratings00 Ratings
    Mobile Capabilities
    Comparison of Mobile Capabilities features of IBM Planning Analytics and SAP BPC (Business Planning and Consolidation)
    Feature
    IBM Planning Analytics
    7.6
    105 Ratings
    4% above category average
    SAP BPC (Business Planning and Consolidation)
    -
    Ratings
    Responsive Design for Web Access7.7102 Ratings00 Ratings
    Mobile Application7.666 Ratings00 Ratings
    Dashboard / Report / Visualization Interactivity on Mobile6.676 Ratings00 Ratings
    Budgeting, Planning, and Forecasting
    Comparison of Budgeting, Planning, and Forecasting features of IBM Planning Analytics and SAP BPC (Business Planning and Consolidation)
    Feature
    IBM Planning Analytics
    8.4
    131 Ratings
    4% above category average
    SAP BPC (Business Planning and Consolidation)
    7.8
    41 Ratings
    3% below category average
    Long-term financial planning8.0127 Ratings7.535 Ratings
    Financial budgeting8.4130 Ratings8.137 Ratings
    Forecasting8.7130 Ratings7.840 Ratings
    Scenario modeling8.6129 Ratings7.336 Ratings
    Management reporting8.6129 Ratings8.140 Ratings
    Consolidation and Close
    Comparison of Consolidation and Close features of IBM Planning Analytics and SAP BPC (Business Planning and Consolidation)
    Feature
    IBM Planning Analytics
    8.5
    122 Ratings
    9% above category average
    SAP BPC (Business Planning and Consolidation)
    7.3
    40 Ratings
    6% below category average
    Financial data consolidation9.1118 Ratings8.436 Ratings
    Journal entries and reports9.2108 Ratings7.330 Ratings
    Multi-currency management8.5110 Ratings6.928 Ratings
    Intercompany Eliminations8.4107 Ratings6.930 Ratings
    Minority Ownership8.6101 Ratings7.020 Ratings
    Local and consolidated reporting7.8114 Ratings6.433 Ratings
    Detailed Audit Trails8.1115 Ratings8.227 Ratings
    Financial Reporting and Compliance
    Comparison of Financial Reporting and Compliance features of IBM Planning Analytics and SAP BPC (Business Planning and Consolidation)
    Feature
    IBM Planning Analytics
    8.8
    123 Ratings
    8% above category average
    SAP BPC (Business Planning and Consolidation)
    7.3
    40 Ratings
    11% below category average
    Financial Statement Reporting8.2119 Ratings8.035 Ratings
    Management Reporting8.7120 Ratings7.240 Ratings
    Excel-based Reporting9.4122 Ratings7.539 Ratings
    Automated board and financial reporting9.1111 Ratings6.430 Ratings
    XBRL support for regulatory filing8.680 Ratings00 Ratings
    Analytics and Reporting
    Comparison of Analytics and Reporting features of IBM Planning Analytics and SAP BPC (Business Planning and Consolidation)
    Feature
    IBM Planning Analytics
    8.4
    125 Ratings
    11% above category average
    SAP BPC (Business Planning and Consolidation)
    5.6
    36 Ratings
    30% below category average
    Personalized dashboards8.7124 Ratings5.024 Ratings
    Color-coded scorecards8.4119 Ratings6.922 Ratings
    KPIs8.1122 Ratings3.031 Ratings
    Cost and profitability analysis8.2120 Ratings7.628 Ratings
    Key Performance Indicator setting8.5119 Ratings4.024 Ratings
    Benchmarking with external data8.590 Ratings7.018 Ratings
    Integration
    Comparison of Integration features of IBM Planning Analytics and SAP BPC (Business Planning and Consolidation)
    Feature
    IBM Planning Analytics
    8.7
    123 Ratings
    7% above category average
    SAP BPC (Business Planning and Consolidation)
    6.4
    39 Ratings
    23% below category average
    Flat file integration8.7120 Ratings6.935 Ratings
    Excel data integration9.0120 Ratings6.837 Ratings
    Direct links to 3rd-party data sources8.6112 Ratings5.425 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    IBM Planning AnalyticsSAP BPC (Business Planning and Consolidation)
    Small Businesses
    No answers on this topic
    No answers on this topic
    Medium-sized Companies
    Centage
    Score9.4 out of 10
    IBM Planning Analytics
    Score8.5 out of 10
    Enterprises
    Oracle Fusion Cloud Enterprise Performance Management
    Score7.2 out of 10
    Oracle Fusion Cloud Enterprise Performance Management
    Score7.2 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    IBM Planning AnalyticsSAP BPC (Business Planning and Consolidation)
    Likelihood to Recommend
    8.0
    (132 ratings)
    7.4
    (41 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    9.1
    (5 ratings)
    7.0
    (1 ratings)
    Usability
    7.8
    (69 ratings)
    9.0
    (2 ratings)
    Availability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    Performance
    -
    (0 ratings)
    7.0
    (1 ratings)
    Support Rating
    7.3
    (93 ratings)
    7.0
    (1 ratings)
    In-Person Training
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    Online Training
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.0
    (1 ratings)
    Configurability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.0
    (1 ratings)
    Data Sharing and Collaboration
    9.0
    (3 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Data Sources
    9.0
    (3 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Ease of integration
    -
    (0 ratings)
    6.7
    (39 ratings)
    Product Scalability
    9.1
    (1 ratings)
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    Vendor post-sale
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.0
    (1 ratings)
    Vendor pre-sale
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.0
    (1 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    IBM Planning AnalyticsSAP BPC (Business Planning and Consolidation)
    Likelihood to Recommend
    IBM
    Ideal for large organization with complex multi-dimensional data, large budgets and dedicated administrator support. The performance of the TM1 data base is unmatched. The PAW and PAX options providing planners to work in both Excel and workspace environment. Higher Implementation efforts due to the greenfield implementations. Visualization features are not up to the mark.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    SAP
    SAP BPC (Business Planning and Consolidation) overall is a good package and has helped improve our reporting a lot whilst also making it more efficient due to the reliability of data input / output. There are limitations like graphs being so limited in functionality and reports failing when too much data being processed however i would recommend to others.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Pros
    IBM
    • 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
    Read full review
    SAP
    • SAP BPC is real time data. You can send information into the system and see it reflected in your reports immediately. Other systems may require a manual push into a reporting system.
    • SAP BPC is a shared reporting tool, so multiple users can be working in a model/environment at the same time, real time. This is especially helpful if your workbooks incorporated multiple processes requiring multiple users to get into the same model.
    • SAP BPC is a powerful tool designed to help all facets of the company, from cash flow to capital expenditures to headcount management to financial planning to consolidation.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cons
    IBM
    • 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
    Read full review
    SAP
    • SAP should focus on delivering one single product for planning, consolidation and budgeting needs rather than providing a large list of options to choose from.
    • The product is not very user-friendly compared to other cloud competitors. There is a heavy dependency on IT teams.
    • SAP BPC should come up a pure cloud option.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Likelihood to Renew
    IBM
    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.
    Read full review
    SAP
    No answers on this topic
    Usability
    IBM
    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
    Read full review
    SAP
    Unlike other SAP traditional products, SAP BPC was meant to be simple and familiar to financial users
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Support Rating
    IBM
    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
    Read full review
    SAP
    We need a big support team with various skillset like BPC, ABAP, BW, HANA, FICO etc
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    In-Person Training
    IBM
    No answers on this topic
    SAP
    SAP BPC training content and trainers are very good. The training is structured and provides a very good understanding of the product features and functionalities. I attended 6 separate training sessions of week-long or more. I had very good experience in all the sessions. The training is organized very well.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Online Training
    IBM
    No answers on this topic
    SAP
    SAP Training contents are very good, informative and exhaustive.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Implementation Rating
    IBM
    No answers on this topic
    SAP
    The implementation was carried out in two phases spread over a period of 4 years with 2 upgrades in between. We also had multiple upgrades to HANA.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Alternatives Considered
    IBM
    For strong technical teams and flexibility IBM Planning Analytics is the way to go. For quicker adoption and less technical teams Anaplan is the best option. If consolidation, financials, and moving from legacy tools are main focus than OneStream will be a really good choice. If deeply invested into SAP already than the SAP BPC will be the best fit to maintain the investment.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    SAP
    With Hyperion we struggled as it didn’t have integrated planning and consolidation, whereas BPC does have it. BPC is easier for reporting as it is Excel-based. Also BPC has prepackaged business process flows that helped a lot. Hyperion on the other hand has a faster response time for user queries or report generation.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Return on Investment
    IBM
    • 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
    Read full review
    SAP
    • When originally implemented (as the predecessor product Outlooksoft) BPC took ASU from trying to budget and forecast for a 2B enterprise out of spreadsheets and into a far more consolidated tool. It has saved us considerable time over the years and paid for itself several times over.
    • BPC also allows us to present our budget in multiple different views to support management, board and departmental reporting.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    ScreenShots

    IBM Planning Analytics Screenshots

    Screenshot of Workflow managementScreenshot of Income statementScreenshot of Margin analysisScreenshot of Metrics managementScreenshot of Income statementScreenshot of Expense analysis

    SAP BPC (Business Planning and Consolidation) Screenshots

    Screenshot of SAP BPC Home ScreenScreenshot of SAP BPC Web ClientScreenshot of SAP BPC DashboardScreenshot of SAP BPC Web Report