Anaplan vs. SAP BPC (Business Planning and Consolidation)

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Anaplan
Score 8.6 out of 10
Enterprise companies (1,001+ employees)
Anaplan is a transformative way to see, plan, and run your business. Using its proprietary Hyperblock™ technology, Anaplan lets you contextualize real-time performance, and forecast future outcomes for faster, confident decisions. Anaplan enables connected strategy and planning across your enterprise to move your business forward. Based in San Francisco, Anaplan has over 200 partners and more than 2,000 customers worldwide.N/A
SAP BPC (Business Planning and Consolidation)
Score 7.6 out of 10
N/A
The 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
AnaplanSAP BPC (Business Planning and Consolidation)
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
AnaplanSAP BPC (Business Planning and Consolidation)
Free Trial
NoNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
YesYes
Entry-level Setup FeeOptionalNo setup fee
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
AnaplanSAP BPC (Business Planning and Consolidation)
Considered Both Products
Anaplan
Chose Anaplan
Ease of use, intuitive design, business user friendly, quick implementation time
Chose Anaplan

  • Better end user interface
Chose Anaplan
Anaplan is more flexible and can adapt to any business scenario.
It is very cost effective compared to other platforms in the market.
Time to implement a solution is very short depending on use case.
Chose Anaplan
Anaplan has the advantage of multidimensionality and fast calculation engine which is lacking in most of the above. Scenario planning is easier using Anaplan. Anaplan is not an off the shelf tool like most softwares that have been prebuilt to address specific problems/ issues. …
Chose Anaplan
Anaplan provides the capability to do enhanced scenario modelling almost realtime and has wide range of integration options available to integrate the application with a wide variety of third-party systems. Anaplan UX is very intuitive which drives greater end user adoption. …
Chose Anaplan
Easy to implement Easy functions and scripting easy access to any plan more structured learning experience ( self-learning especially, good certification program ( also free unlike SAP ) Handling data inbox sizes is better in SAP No issues of size or data sparsity SAP is …
Chose Anaplan
Anaplan is cheaper, more flexible, and easier to develop than BPC. In particular, the ability to plan different parts of the business at different levels of granularity (e.g. planning fixed staff costs at the company level, travel & expenses at the regional level and executive …
Chose Anaplan
I was an admin also in SAP BPC (Business Planning and Consolidation). But, I can say that it's somehow hard to implement. It is not as flexible as Anaplan. I am using Anaplan for years already. This is a game-changer i.e. for Finance people. We were able to easily implement it …
Chose Anaplan
Planful offers a great solution, however, they have significantly underperformed on their annual growth rate. The solution has a lot to offer, however, it is split across two solutions and is not True connected planning.
OneStream is growing on a fast trajectory and has an …
Chose Anaplan
I have used SAP BPC and SAC. With relation to BPC, it is more user friendly and easier to maintain. For SAC, it similar but varies when it comes to utilizing the data and setting up for charts
Chose Anaplan
I've used other products in the past, but I came into this company knowing I would be using Anaplan specifically. Thus far I am still fine with that decision.
SAP BPC (Business Planning and Consolidation)
Chose SAP BPC (Business Planning and Consolidation)
Anaplan UI is much better than SAP BPC. Anaplan is user-friendly and upgrades are handled automatically as it is in the cloud.
Chose SAP BPC (Business Planning and Consolidation)
SAP SAC ranks higher then SAP BPC due to its cloud offering nature. Anaplan has its own merits due to handling the complex planning scenarios.
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, …
Top Pros
Top Cons
Features
AnaplanSAP BPC (Business Planning and Consolidation)
BI Standard Reporting
Comparison of BI Standard Reporting features of Product A and Product B
Anaplan
7.7
181 Ratings
5% below category average
SAP BPC (Business Planning and Consolidation)
-
Ratings
Pixel Perfect reports6.41 Ratings00 Ratings
Customizable dashboards9.1181 Ratings00 Ratings
Ad-hoc Reporting
Comparison of Ad-hoc Reporting features of Product A and Product B
Anaplan
9.1
2 Ratings
9% above category average
SAP BPC (Business Planning and Consolidation)
-
Ratings
Drill-down analysis9.12 Ratings00 Ratings
Formatting capabilities9.12 Ratings00 Ratings
Report sharing and collaboration9.12 Ratings00 Ratings
Report Output and Scheduling
Comparison of Report Output and Scheduling features of Product A and Product B
Anaplan
8.8
188 Ratings
7% above category average
SAP BPC (Business Planning and Consolidation)
-
Ratings
Publish to Web9.11 Ratings00 Ratings
Publish to PDF8.8187 Ratings00 Ratings
Report Versioning9.1162 Ratings00 Ratings
Report Delivery Scheduling8.33 Ratings00 Ratings
Data Discovery and Visualization
Comparison of Data Discovery and Visualization features of Product A and Product B
Anaplan
8.2
2 Ratings
7% above category average
SAP BPC (Business Planning and Consolidation)
-
Ratings
Pre-built visualization formats (heatmaps, scatter plots etc.)9.12 Ratings00 Ratings
Location Analytics / Geographic Visualization9.12 Ratings00 Ratings
Predictive Analytics6.42 Ratings00 Ratings
Access Control and Security
Comparison of Access Control and Security features of Product A and Product B
Anaplan
9.2
191 Ratings
5% above category average
SAP BPC (Business Planning and Consolidation)
-
Ratings
Multi-User Support (named login)9.12 Ratings00 Ratings
Role-Based Security Model9.4191 Ratings00 Ratings
Multiple Access Permission Levels (Create, Read, Delete)9.12 Ratings00 Ratings
Report-Level Access Control9.444 Ratings00 Ratings
Single Sign-On (SSO)9.12 Ratings00 Ratings
Mobile Capabilities
Comparison of Mobile Capabilities features of Product A and Product B
Anaplan
7.9
181 Ratings
1% below category average
SAP BPC (Business Planning and Consolidation)
-
Ratings
Responsive Design for Web Access8.6172 Ratings00 Ratings
Mobile Application8.2161 Ratings00 Ratings
Dashboard / Report / Visualization Interactivity on Mobile8.2168 Ratings00 Ratings
Budgeting, Planning, and Forecasting
Comparison of Budgeting, Planning, and Forecasting features of Product A and Product B
Anaplan
9.1
293 Ratings
9% above category average
SAP BPC (Business Planning and Consolidation)
7.6
37 Ratings
9% below category average
Long-term financial planning9.4267 Ratings8.132 Ratings
Financial budgeting9.6272 Ratings8.033 Ratings
Forecasting9.2281 Ratings7.736 Ratings
Scenario modeling9.1283 Ratings6.632 Ratings
Management reporting8.3282 Ratings7.536 Ratings
Consolidation and Close
Comparison of Consolidation and Close features of Product A and Product B
Anaplan
7.2
248 Ratings
12% below category average
SAP BPC (Business Planning and Consolidation)
7.8
36 Ratings
4% below category average
Financial data consolidation8.6228 Ratings8.033 Ratings
Journal entries and reports7.0186 Ratings7.828 Ratings
Multi-currency management6.211 Ratings8.325 Ratings
Intercompany Eliminations6.08 Ratings7.828 Ratings
Minority Ownership6.07 Ratings6.820 Ratings
Local and consolidated reporting8.5215 Ratings7.930 Ratings
Detailed Audit Trails8.1228 Ratings8.227 Ratings
Financial Reporting and Compliance
Comparison of Financial Reporting and Compliance features of Product A and Product B
Anaplan
8.6
265 Ratings
4% above category average
SAP BPC (Business Planning and Consolidation)
8.0
36 Ratings
3% below category average
Financial Statement Reporting8.7244 Ratings8.132 Ratings
Management Reporting8.4256 Ratings8.036 Ratings
Excel-based Reporting8.1235 Ratings7.635 Ratings
Automated board and financial reporting9.013 Ratings8.027 Ratings
Analytics and Reporting
Comparison of Analytics and Reporting features of Product A and Product B
Anaplan
9.0
284 Ratings
11% above category average
SAP BPC (Business Planning and Consolidation)
8.4
32 Ratings
4% above category average
Personalized dashboards8.6279 Ratings8.921 Ratings
Color-coded scorecards8.7263 Ratings8.919 Ratings
KPIs9.119 Ratings8.430 Ratings
Cost and profitability analysis9.2241 Ratings8.726 Ratings
Key Performance Indicator setting9.4252 Ratings8.723 Ratings
Benchmarking with external data9.113 Ratings7.018 Ratings
Integration
Comparison of Integration features of Product A and Product B
Anaplan
8.8
290 Ratings
5% above category average
SAP BPC (Business Planning and Consolidation)
7.0
35 Ratings
17% below category average
Flat file integration9.4280 Ratings7.132 Ratings
Excel data integration8.4262 Ratings7.834 Ratings
Direct links to 3rd-party data sources8.6241 Ratings6.022 Ratings
Best Alternatives
AnaplanSAP BPC (Business Planning and Consolidation)
Small Businesses
IBM Planning Analytics
IBM Planning Analytics
Score 8.4 out of 10
IBM Planning Analytics
IBM Planning Analytics
Score 8.4 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Centage
Centage
Score 9.6 out of 10
Centage
Centage
Score 9.6 out of 10
Enterprises
Oracle Fusion Cloud ERP
Oracle Fusion Cloud ERP
Score 8.2 out of 10
Oracle Fusion Cloud ERP
Oracle Fusion Cloud ERP
Score 8.2 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
AnaplanSAP BPC (Business Planning and Consolidation)
Likelihood to Recommend
9.3
(302 ratings)
7.8
(37 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
9.4
(25 ratings)
7.0
(1 ratings)
Usability
8.0
(16 ratings)
9.0
(2 ratings)
Availability
8.7
(6 ratings)
9.0
(1 ratings)
Performance
9.0
(6 ratings)
7.0
(1 ratings)
Support Rating
7.8
(18 ratings)
7.0
(1 ratings)
In-Person Training
8.4
(4 ratings)
9.0
(1 ratings)
Online Training
9.0
(4 ratings)
9.0
(1 ratings)
Implementation Rating
8.5
(21 ratings)
8.0
(1 ratings)
Configurability
9.0
(4 ratings)
8.0
(1 ratings)
Ease of integration
9.1
(2 ratings)
7.6
(36 ratings)
Product Scalability
9.3
(6 ratings)
9.0
(1 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
7.4
(3 ratings)
8.0
(1 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
4.8
(3 ratings)
8.0
(1 ratings)
User Testimonials
AnaplanSAP BPC (Business Planning and Consolidation)
Likelihood to Recommend
Anaplan
Anaplan revolutionizes the planning process by standardizing it, creating transparency in data, particularly in showcasing results to the management team. By replacing Excel-centric planning methods, Anaplan not only opens the door to handling larger datasets but also enables a more intricate level of data granularity at an accelerated pace. What sets it apart is its capacity to facilitate a seamless collaboration within a cross-functional model, accommodating diverse departments and business functions in a dynamic, real-time environment.
Read full review
SAP
SAP BPC is well suited for complex planning and consolidations needs where the underlying transactional system is SAP ECC. It suits well if the organization has separate teams with BPC, ABAP, BW, Basis, Hana skillset. SAP BPC is less appropriate for organizations using Agile methodology. It is not suitable for organizations in a hyper-growth cycle as the installation and implementation is time-consuming. It will not work for organizations where the planning and budgeting needs keep changing frequently. The UI of SAP BPC is not very intuitive and very difficult to set up a dynamic dashboard for senior executives and officials of CxO.
Read full review
Pros
Anaplan
  • Forcing structure and auditability to processes that used to exist in spreadsheets
  • Strong calculation engine that can account for many dimensions
  • Formula Syntax that is not overly complicated and can be learned by the business in order to have ownership of their models internally
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.
Read full review
Cons
Anaplan
  • The "new" UX front-end offers a lot of modern and intuitive features, but it lacks the ability to view multiple "tabs" of dashboards and reports. The "classic" dashboard had this feature but now with the UX, you need to be really smart about how to design a single page where the users won't get "lost".
  • Lacks the ability to "wrap text" (similar to excel) and auto-size grid rows
Read full review
SAP
  • Being from a law firm, the system needed a lot of custom tailoring in order to fit our full needs (although many companies could say the same thing). Although the ability to highly customize the system to the company's needs is a positive, it frequently results in the system responding in unexplainable and unrepeatable ways which negatively impacts and slows the budget process. Because of the sporadic nature and variety of the issues, we are unable to repeat them on cue and therefore cannot nail down a solution.
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Likelihood to Renew
Anaplan
In any line of work, a tool that is flexible and would allow different departments of your company to easily interact and exchange valuable insights, is highly anticipated and needed. For me, what Anaplan provides to a business, be it a smaller one or an enterprise customer, is an easily scaling, agile planning and modeling platform that can meet almost any need and give a high-end solution to the problems any company faces on a daily basis.
Read full review
SAP
No answers on this topic
Usability
Anaplan
There is a dependency in this rating - in that I find Anaplan extremely easy to use, but I've spent the necessary time developing a strong understanding of the platform. Once you understand how to use it, the platform is flexible, easy to use, and fun to use.
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SAP
Unlike other SAP traditional products, SAP BPC was meant to be simple and familiar to financial users
Read full review
Reliability and Availability
Anaplan
There are very few outages. Maintenance is scheduled on two or three Saturdays per month, so as not to affect businesses. When there is an outage, users are kept informed of progress to restore the platform and typically this takes no more than an hour. Anaplan customer support is very responsive if we ever have questions about platform issues
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SAP
No answers on this topic
Performance
Anaplan
Everything is calculated in memory in the cloud. It's nearly instantaneous updates when you make changes. The only time things get a little slow is when you have a massive model with very intricate calculations...but "slow" for Anaplan is not what I would call "slow" for something like Hyperion. We used to have Hyperion calcs that ran for 60 mins before you could use data. The equivalent would be 60 seconds in Anaplan.
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SAP
No answers on this topic
Support Rating
Anaplan
1. Anaplan has separate 24/7 customer support channel to help with queries, 2. Customer Partner from Anaplan to support vendor with their queries like license purchase, use case implementation support, customer advocacy 3. Anaplan Learning Platform to help learning new product features free of cost and Yearly Anaplan connect across globe to share success stories of various companies.
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SAP
We need a big support team with various skillset like BPC, ABAP, BW, HANA, FICO etc
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In-Person Training
Anaplan
The in-person training is simply not worth the cost. After a few weeks of playing in Anaplan, I went to the basic training and knew more than the person teaching it. a year down the road, I was the first person to complete the advance training, and again could have been teaching the class better than the person running the session. Spend some time on your own trying out different things and you will get all the understanding you need to be successful.
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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.
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Online Training
Anaplan
Anaplan training materials are clear, simple, easy to understand and to follow. Visuals are excellent. The vendor is good at updating training materials in a timely manner and encouraging users and administrators to keep coming back to Academy site for refresher courses or new feature courses. I really like their interactive diagrams
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SAP
SAP Training contents are very good, informative and exhaustive.
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Implementation Rating
Anaplan
Agile methodology and breaking the work down into sprints was very helpful. Implementation required a deeper dive into our data than expected for the consultants to be able to construct the data model. But once it was in place, the focus on knowledge transfer enabled us to be able to use the product effectively after the team rolled off.
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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.
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Alternatives Considered
Anaplan
Anaplan is what I would consider a modeling platform. It excels at taking a forecasting or planning process and systematizing it - and allowing for whatever nuances and granularity you need to perform that modeling. It is not positioned as "data collection" platform - which are typically designed to take data uploads from Excel to calculate basic opex and revenue models. It's much more customizable and flexible.
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.
Read full review
Scalability
Anaplan
We have managed to leverage Anaplan for financial planning and forecasting across the business. It is now used by almost every department, with more than 50 users (but I know of companies that have hundreds of users) and still the platform is quick and reliable. It is easy to make changes to divisions and departments or add users and apply different user settings - the core part of the model is not affected and end users can continue their work without any disruption
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SAP
No answers on this topic
Return on Investment
Anaplan
  • Speeding up the process of closing and updating the current month forecast
  • Reduced work on the preparation of reports and presentations. We used different Anaplan approaches with varying success, but the overall result was there.
  • It's hard to gauge, but the overall increase in process and algorithm transparency, along with data protection, has given an excellent platform for scaling up the company's processes.
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SAP
  • Office administrators are able to enter data directly, freeing up accounting staff.
  • Dependent expenses such as taxes and benefits are automatically calculated, saving time for accounting staff.
  • Single source of data for budget information ensures consistency of information when reporting to senior management.
Read full review
ScreenShots

Anaplan Screenshots

Screenshot of Platform: The Anaplan platform is a unified cloud-based solution that connects people, data and plans to enable complex scenario modeling and drive growthScreenshot of OpEx Planning: Review revenue-target-setting goals by brand, season, and capacity all on one, unified, highly-visual dashboardScreenshot of Supply Planning: Break down costs across assembly production to project profitability and align your supply chain to market opportunitiesScreenshot of Territory and Quota Planning: Keep track of sales goals and quotas across territories and industries to optimize sales performanceScreenshot of Headcount Planning: Easily align workforce plans with your strategic plans and quickly see where the best qualified talent resides to fit your organization’s staffing needsScreenshot of Marketing: Eliminate spreadsheets to drive efficiency across planning and manage budget against planned activity

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