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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    MasterControl Quality Excellence

    Score8.4 out of 10
    N/AMasterControl Quality Excellence is a Quality Management System (QMS) for the life sciences. It enables life-sciences companies to enable flexible quality event management, simplified document management, and automated training management that work together to close the loop on quality.

    $25,000

    per year

    Planful

    Score8.4 out of 10
    Enterprise companies (1,001+ employees)
    Planful is a cloud-based enterprise performance management (EPM) suite. It includes financial applications for modeling, planning, consolidation, reporting and analytics.N/A
    Pricing
    MasterControl Quality ExcellencePlanful
    Editions & Modules
    No answers on this topic
    No answers on this topic
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    MasterControl Quality ExcellencePlanful
    Free Trial
    NoNo
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoYes
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeRequired
    Additional Details—Pricing is highly dependent on the complexity and scope of the implementation.
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    MasterControl Quality ExcellencePlanful
    Considered Both Products
    MasterControl
    No answer on this topic
    Planful
    No answer on this topic
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    96%
    Would buy again
    158 Answers
    97%
    Would buy again
    101 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    95%
    Delivers good value for the price
    123 Answers
    99%
    Delivers good value for the price
    90 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    96%
    Happy with the feature set
    157 Answers
    98%
    Happy with the feature set
    102 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    90%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    72 Answers
    90%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    60 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    75%
    Implementation went as expected
    80 Answers
    84%
    Implementation went as expected
    67 Answers
    Features
    MasterControl Quality ExcellencePlanful
    BI Standard Reporting
    Comparison of BI Standard Reporting features of MasterControl Quality Excellence and Planful
    Feature
    MasterControl Quality Excellence
    -
    Ratings
    Planful
    6.1
    64 Ratings
    21% below category average
    Pixel Perfect reports00 Ratings6.933 Ratings
    Customizable dashboards00 Ratings5.057 Ratings
    Report Formatting Templates00 Ratings6.555 Ratings
    Ad-hoc Reporting
    Comparison of Ad-hoc Reporting features of MasterControl Quality Excellence and Planful
    Feature
    MasterControl Quality Excellence
    -
    Ratings
    Planful
    7.5
    104 Ratings
    3% below category average
    Drill-down analysis00 Ratings8.4103 Ratings
    Formatting capabilities00 Ratings7.0104 Ratings
    Report sharing and collaboration00 Ratings7.197 Ratings
    Report Output and Scheduling
    Comparison of Report Output and Scheduling features of MasterControl Quality Excellence and Planful
    Feature
    MasterControl Quality Excellence
    -
    Ratings
    Planful
    7.4
    86 Ratings
    7% below category average
    Publish to Web00 Ratings8.433 Ratings
    Publish to PDF00 Ratings6.477 Ratings
    Report Versioning00 Ratings6.555 Ratings
    Report Delivery Scheduling00 Ratings8.566 Ratings
    Data Discovery and Visualization
    Comparison of Data Discovery and Visualization features of MasterControl Quality Excellence and Planful
    Feature
    MasterControl Quality Excellence
    -
    Ratings
    Planful
    6.1
    51 Ratings
    19% below category average
    Pre-built visualization formats (heatmaps, scatter plots etc.)00 Ratings5.040 Ratings
    Location Analytics / Geographic Visualization00 Ratings6.42 Ratings
    Predictive Analytics00 Ratings6.044 Ratings
    Pattern Recognition and Data Mining00 Ratings7.33 Ratings
    Access Control and Security
    Comparison of Access Control and Security features of MasterControl Quality Excellence and Planful
    Feature
    MasterControl Quality Excellence
    -
    Ratings
    Planful
    8.9
    103 Ratings
    6% above category average
    Multi-User Support (named login)00 Ratings8.496 Ratings
    Role-Based Security Model00 Ratings8.894 Ratings
    Multiple Access Permission Levels (Create, Read, Delete)00 Ratings8.595 Ratings
    Report-Level Access Control00 Ratings8.855 Ratings
    Single Sign-On (SSO)00 Ratings9.778 Ratings
    Mobile Capabilities
    Comparison of Mobile Capabilities features of MasterControl Quality Excellence and Planful
    Feature
    MasterControl Quality Excellence
    -
    Ratings
    Planful
    2.3
    42 Ratings
    105% below category average
    Responsive Design for Web Access00 Ratings2.540 Ratings
    Dashboard / Report / Visualization Interactivity on Mobile00 Ratings2.230 Ratings
    Budgeting, Planning, and Forecasting
    Comparison of Budgeting, Planning, and Forecasting features of MasterControl Quality Excellence and Planful
    Feature
    MasterControl Quality Excellence
    -
    Ratings
    Planful
    8.7
    156 Ratings
    8% above category average
    Long-term financial planning00 Ratings8.7139 Ratings
    Financial budgeting00 Ratings9.0155 Ratings
    Forecasting00 Ratings9.0146 Ratings
    Scenario modeling00 Ratings7.8131 Ratings
    Management reporting00 Ratings9.0149 Ratings
    Consolidation and Close
    Comparison of Consolidation and Close features of MasterControl Quality Excellence and Planful
    Feature
    MasterControl Quality Excellence
    -
    Ratings
    Planful
    8.0
    118 Ratings
    3% above category average
    Financial data consolidation00 Ratings9.3107 Ratings
    Journal entries and reports00 Ratings7.886 Ratings
    Multi-currency management00 Ratings7.470 Ratings
    Intercompany Eliminations00 Ratings7.673 Ratings
    Minority Ownership00 Ratings6.939 Ratings
    Local and consolidated reporting00 Ratings7.789 Ratings
    Detailed Audit Trails00 Ratings9.187 Ratings
    Financial Reporting and Compliance
    Comparison of Financial Reporting and Compliance features of MasterControl Quality Excellence and Planful
    Feature
    MasterControl Quality Excellence
    -
    Ratings
    Planful
    7.6
    152 Ratings
    7% below category average
    Financial Statement Reporting00 Ratings8.8133 Ratings
    Management Reporting00 Ratings8.8143 Ratings
    Excel-based Reporting00 Ratings7.0141 Ratings
    Automated board and financial reporting00 Ratings6.5114 Ratings
    XBRL support for regulatory filing00 Ratings7.13 Ratings
    Analytics and Reporting
    Comparison of Analytics and Reporting features of MasterControl Quality Excellence and Planful
    Feature
    MasterControl Quality Excellence
    -
    Ratings
    Planful
    5.9
    104 Ratings
    24% below category average
    Personalized dashboards00 Ratings5.191 Ratings
    Color-coded scorecards00 Ratings2.555 Ratings
    KPIs00 Ratings7.476 Ratings
    Cost and profitability analysis00 Ratings6.975 Ratings
    Key Performance Indicator setting00 Ratings6.963 Ratings
    Benchmarking with external data00 Ratings6.410 Ratings
    Integration
    Comparison of Integration features of MasterControl Quality Excellence and Planful
    Feature
    MasterControl Quality Excellence
    -
    Ratings
    Planful
    8.9
    140 Ratings
    10% above category average
    Flat file integration00 Ratings9.5105 Ratings
    Excel data integration00 Ratings7.8130 Ratings
    Direct links to 3rd-party data sources00 Ratings9.596 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    MasterControl Quality ExcellencePlanful
    Small Businesses
    No answers on this topic
    No answers on this topic
    Medium-sized Companies
    No answers on this topic
    IBM Planning Analytics
    Score8.5 out of 10
    Enterprises
    No answers on this topic
    Oracle Fusion Cloud Enterprise Performance Management
    Score7.2 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    MasterControl Quality ExcellencePlanful
    Likelihood to Recommend
    7.9
    (166 ratings)
    8.8
    (164 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    8.2
    (11 ratings)
    8.7
    (23 ratings)
    Usability
    7.2
    (161 ratings)
    8.2
    (21 ratings)
    Availability
    9.1
    (1 ratings)
    8.2
    (4 ratings)
    Performance
    7.3
    (1 ratings)
    9.1
    (3 ratings)
    Support Rating
    6.3
    (6 ratings)
    9.0
    (22 ratings)
    In-Person Training
    9.1
    (1 ratings)
    9.1
    (3 ratings)
    Online Training
    9.1
    (1 ratings)
    9.1
    (3 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    7.3
    (1 ratings)
    7.3
    (9 ratings)
    Configurability
    9.1
    (1 ratings)
    8.2
    (2 ratings)
    Contract Terms and Pricing Model
    9.1
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    CPA Rating
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.1
    (1 ratings)
    Ease of integration
    9.1
    (1 ratings)
    5.3
    (4 ratings)
    Product Scalability
    9.1
    (1 ratings)
    8.2
    (2 ratings)
    Professional Services
    9.1
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Vendor post-sale
    9.1
    (1 ratings)
    7.4
    (4 ratings)
    Vendor pre-sale
    9.1
    (1 ratings)
    9.1
    (2 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    MasterControl Quality ExcellencePlanful
    Likelihood to Recommend
    MasterControl
    The MasterControl Quality Excellence suite is well suited for the life sciences and biotechnology as well as manufacturing companies that could benefit from the regulatory compliance that this suite of products offer. This product is highly recommended for industries that want to reduce paper overhead and digitally transform their QMS into a singular location
    Read full review
    Planful
    Planful is initially easy to setup and if a company is already using a mid layer to transform and standardise GL data, management reports can be set up in days, not weeks or months. Budgeting template setup does get some getting used to but the training provided by Planful is sufficient to get going and learn along the way. Building custom reports is straightforward and the interface is user-friendly, therefore the accounting team can get going without the need for technical specialists getting involved. Budget and forecasting is flexible and drivers of revenue and cost can be created in Planful and customised by Unit or Geography.
    Read full review
    Pros
    MasterControl
    • Organization - the layout and idea behind how the website is displayed and functions.
    • Compliance - ensuring our documents are kept up to date and accurate.
    • Quality - by having a platform with all documents with all standards set out at once, quality standards are easily accessed.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Planful
    • It aggregates data from different sources well, allowing me to report on a wide variety of metrics that interrelate.
    • I can build detailed reports so that my monthly and weekly reporting is done more efficiently
    • I like the tools that I am using to create dedicated models for forecasting and budgeting purposes
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cons
    MasterControl
    • License model can become very expensive for small startup businesses.
    • More development with validation and more transparent information on how the improvements and or fixes may impact the current configuration. Currently, everything is listed, but it is not tailored to my system.
    • More information regarding the transition of previous processes to new processes. i.e., FBS to AQEM. I am currently working on the ADV/FBS forms and will eventually transition to AQEM/ADAPT. Still, I would like more information regarding the transition to inform current stakeholders about the improvements on the horizon.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Planful
    • Dashboarding could be more flexible and easier to use.
    • Dynamic Reporting has room for flexibility with nesting, dimension names showing up instead of “All,” and overall flexibility.
    • Make Analyze view in Spotlight more intuitive.
    • A high-level onboarding guide to understanding the different components of Planful, data flows, and tips & tricks.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Likelihood to Renew
    MasterControl
    would rate MasterControl Quality Excellence a 7 out of 10 because, while it offers strong compliance tools, centralized document control, and effective audit readiness features, there are still areas that could be improved to enhance the overall user experience. The platform can sometimes feel complex and unintuitive, especially for new users, and customizing workflows to fit specific organizational needs can be challenging. Additionally, integration with other enterprise systems isn't always seamless, which can slow down processes. Despite these drawbacks, the system remains a reliable and valuable tool for maintaining quality and regulatory compliance.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Planful
    Our new Comptroller understands the value of Planful, and we plan to utilize it further in the organization to enhance external reporting. Strangely enough, Planful had not previously been embraced by the former CFO, who argued that we were running two sets of books (of course, we were not). Fortunately, the before mentioned reconciliation of EBITDA to Net Income demonstrated that to the banks.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Usability
    MasterControl
    Some tasks require the users and SysAdmin to access multiple modules at a time. For example: to create a training course and an exam for a document in the system, the user needs to finish creating the document in the doc module, then go to the training module to create a course and an exam separately. Ideally, from the document page we should be able to access the training course, which could have some fields auto-populated. And from there, also create and link an exam, all without leaving the document page.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Planful
    The tool is extremely adaptable, and it enables very quick querying to give us opportunity to gain live insights into the business. Given its adaptability, we are also able to create scenario analyses very quickly in rapidly changing environments. The formatting also enables us to provide this information in a very consumable manner.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Reliability and Availability
    MasterControl
    they are good about keeping it running
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Planful
    I only give a 9 rating rather than a 10 rating because it seems that every day around 2pm we see a slowdown in the use of Planful. I have requested our internal IT department verify that it is not an internal issue and have been assured it is the tool. We have not yet reached out to Planful to do extensive research to solve this issue.
    Read full review
    Performance
    MasterControl
    some reports take time to filter and to get them to give the correct information. This is usually because of inputs.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Planful
    Again, the system is very reliable and, for the most part, runs very quick and smooth. When running larger queries, it does take some time, and during budgeting season our users experienced slower loading times, but nothing that raises concerns outside of normal network issues. Occasionally, as with any software we use, it will crash and you have to restart, but that does not happen very often.
    Read full review
    Support Rating
    MasterControl
    The Technical Support team has grown exponentially over the last couple years. Some front line support staff are new to the system and so know less than the clients do. Back line staff are more seasoned and provide immediate assistance to the front line staff. They have an extensive knowledge bank to assist them as well as client access to most KB articles. Annual user group conference gives us chance to meet the support staff an also to resolve any outstanding issues. Any critical vendor notices are emailed immediately when found and a patch offered at the same time. These are rare, but quickly resolved.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Planful
    Sometimes we get great help when using Planful's support team and other times we don't. In particular, there is one person that often responds to our support tickets who is less than helpful, hence the reason for the 5 out of 10 rating. As a result, most of the time we reach out to our Planful consulting group as they provide faster and better support
    Read full review
    In-Person Training
    MasterControl
    I rated the MasterControl in-person training a 10 because it was clear, practical, and well-paced. The trainer explained concepts thoroughly and answered questions effectively. I appreciated the hands-on walkthroughs, which made it easier to understand how to apply the system in real scenarios. Overall, it was a valuable learning experience that boosted my confidence in using MasterControl.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Planful
    My team has attended training offered several times before/during the Planful Perform conference. This training has been extremely useful and we always learn something we didn't know prior to the training. The trainers are always very knowledgeable and more than willing to help each and every user after the training with specific questions regarding their environment. Planful also offers training and certifications on their training hub. I have completed a couple of the certifications. The courses are easy to follow along with and very informative. Additionally, Planful schedules webinars pretty regularly. They'll email their customers and allow you to register to participate live. They also record these sessions so you can refer back to them at a later date or if you are unable to attend at the time the webinar is offered, you can register anyway and get access to the recording. Their training has improved year over year!
    Incentivized
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    Online Training
    MasterControl
    transparent and immediate when the documents are updated. Easy to check on training and customizable to the company's expectations. Allows easy exam creation with GXP assist and the correlation between job codes and courses has proven reliable. What i would advocate is that you see who has trained on the course in the Course Infocard, to the document infocard
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Planful
    Planful provides a lot of online training support. There's so many options for training. Admin Learning Courses, User Learning Courses. Plus they have several webinars devoted to the tool and the new features they release. New Releases can be practiced in a Sandbox Environment prior to going live in Production
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Implementation Rating
    MasterControl
    The implementation of MasterControl Quality Excellence was largely successful, earning an 8 out of 10. The project was well-structured, and the implementation team provided solid guidance throughout the process. Key milestones were met on time, and the system was configured to meet most of our core requirements. One of the most valuable aspects was the hands-on training and support during go-live, which helped ensure user adoption. However, there were some challenges around data migration and aligning the system’s capabilities with our existing workflows, which required more time and effort than anticipated. Overall, the experience was positive, and the lessons learned have positioned us well for future system enhancements.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Planful
    After going through the initial implementation with Host Analytics and a re-implementation with Cervello (due to an ERP change, not due to a poor initial implementation), I've learned that you really must rely on your internal staff to bear most of the implementation burden. Use the vendor or partners for ideas and best-practice suggestions, and some of the easy-but-time-consuming work. Since you will ultimately be using and maintaining the application, you should be able to do most of it yourself.
    Incentivized
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    Alternatives Considered
    MasterControl
    The products we evaluated were considered as potential replacements for MasterControl Quality Excellence. At this time, we continue using MasterControl Quality Excellence primarily due to the significant volume of data in our system and the operational impact of a platform transition. Intellect QMS emerged as a strong alternative, offering extensive, intuitive business process development tools and a wide range of built-in QMS processes out of the box. MasterControl Quality Excellence currently maintains the advantage solely because of the logistical and business burden associated with migrating to a new system.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Planful
    Prior to joining the company, we tried to implement Vena but were unsuccessful. There we're a few reasons it didn't work out, but a lot of it related to the implementation team they provided. In just the first week with Planful, we achieved more progress than we did in several months with Vena.
    Incentivized
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    Scalability
    MasterControl
    there are many updates
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Planful
    From our experience, Planful is only used in 2 overhead departments in our organization. We easily added another overhead department, but they decided against using Planful for their workforce and financial planning. Removing them from our environment was extremely easy.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Professional Services
    MasterControl
    they are excellent
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Planful
    No answers on this topic
    Return on Investment
    MasterControl
    • Helped me keep up to date on any knowledge pertaining to my workflow.
    • Sometimes, using it for lesson plans with minor adjustments to review it again can be repetitive.
    • Helped with scheduling classes and keeping up to date with when they occur.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Planful
    • Has allowed users to view a real-time P&L in a way they weren't able to do with Qlik.
    • Budget to Actual analysis has become much more streamlined and actionable
    • Long-range plan process has been significantly streamlined and a lot of time has been cut out of the process.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    ScreenShots

    Planful Screenshots

    Screenshot of the Planful Planform DashboardScreenshot of Planful for FinanceScreenshot of Planful for MarketingScreenshot of ReportsScreenshot of a Capacity Planning TemplateScreenshot of Integrations