Planful Review Insights

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Insights from Planful Reviewers

Based on 18 verified reviews published in the last 18 months

What other products like Planful have you used or evaluated?

18 answered

Reviewers frequently cited alternative products they have used or evaluated in comparison to Planful, indicating a diverse background in enterprise performance management and financial planning tools. The most commonly mentioned alternatives, each appearing in 3 of 18 reviews, were Oracle Hyperion and Workday Adaptive Planning. Other products that reviewers noted using or evaluating include OneStream and Vena, each mentioned by 2 of 18 reviewers. While these products were identified as comparable solutions, the provided feedback primarily focused on their names rather than detailed comparative advantages or disadvantages. This suggests that users have experience with a range of financial software platforms, and they consider multiple options for their business needs. However, specific reasons for choosing or evaluating these alternatives were not elaborated upon in the provided data, limiting insights into direct comparisons.

Oracle Hyperion

3 mentions

Oracle Hyperion was mentioned by 3 of 18 reviewers as a product they have used or evaluated in a similar capacity to Pl…

Oracle Hyperion was mentioned by 3 of 18 reviewers as a product they have used or evaluated in a similar capacity to Planful. Reviewers simply listed the product name, with one specifically noting it as a "legacy" system. The provided data does not elaborate on specific reasons for its use or evaluation, nor does it offer comparative feedback.

Workday Adaptive Planning

3 mentions

Workday Adaptive Planning was also cited by 3 of 18 reviewers as an alternative product they have experience with. Revi…

Workday Adaptive Planning was also cited by 3 of 18 reviewers as an alternative product they have experience with. Reviewers listed this product when asked about other solutions they have used or evaluated. The provided quotes do not contain details regarding the nature of their experience or specific comparative insights.

OneStream

2 mentions

Two reviewers mentioned OneStream as a product they have used or evaluated in a similar context. These mentions indicat…

Two reviewers mentioned OneStream as a product they have used or evaluated in a similar context. These mentions indicate that OneStream is another solution considered by users in the financial planning and analysis space. However, the provided data does not offer any specific details or comparative analysis from these reviewers.

Vena

2 mentions

Vena was identified by 2 of 18 reviewers as another product they have experience with, similar to Planful. Reviewers si…

Vena was identified by 2 of 18 reviewers as another product they have experience with, similar to Planful. Reviewers simply listed the name of this product as an alternative. The available information does not include any specific feedback or reasons for their use or evaluation of Vena.

What positive or negative impact (i.e. Return on Investment or ROI) has Planful had on your overall business objectives?

18 answered

Planful has primarily delivered significant positive returns on investment for businesses, with reviewers consistently highlighting efficiency gains and enhanced financial capabilities. A substantial majority of reviewers, 18 out of 18, reported considerable time savings, often quantifying these benefits in hours or days saved monthly on tasks like financial reporting, consolidations, and data management. This reduction in manual effort has allowed finance teams to reallocate resources and focus on more strategic activities. Furthermore, 13 of 18 reviewers noted a marked improvement in reporting capabilities, enabling more dynamic, accurate, and trustworthy financial insights. These improvements in reporting, coupled with the platform's analytical features, have also contributed to better decision-making and more effective resource allocation, as observed by 7 of 18 reviewers. The platform's impact extends to improved planning and forecasting accuracy, cited by 5 of 18 reviewers, and its ease of use, which facilitates broader adoption across organizations. Overall, Planful appears to streamline core financial processes, leading to measurable efficiency gains and more robust financial intelligence.

Time Savings

20 mentions

Reviewers consistently reported that Planful significantly reduces the time spent on various financial processes, inclu…

Reviewers consistently reported that Planful significantly reduces the time spent on various financial processes, including reporting, month-end close, and data management. This automation and streamlining of tasks often translates into substantial monthly hour savings and, in some cases, the freeing up of full-time equivalent (FTE) resources.

Improved Reporting

13 mentions

The platform enhances reporting capabilities by providing more dynamic and accurate financial insights. Reviewers appre…

The platform enhances reporting capabilities by providing more dynamic and accurate financial insights. Reviewers appreciate the ability to generate automated reports, perform consolidations, and gain deeper visibility into business units, which ultimately increases trust in the finance organization's outputs.

Enhanced Analysis & Decision Making

7 mentions

Planful enables finance teams to shift from data gathering to more value-added analysis, leading to better-informed bus…

Planful enables finance teams to shift from data gathering to more value-added analysis, leading to better-informed business decisions. The platform's drill-down capabilities and increased visibility into variances help identify cost savings and optimize resource allocation.

Improved Planning & Forecasting

5 mentions

Reviewers indicate that Planful significantly improves the accuracy and robustness of financial planning and forecastin…

Reviewers indicate that Planful significantly improves the accuracy and robustness of financial planning and forecasting processes. The system facilitates self-serve forecasting, allows for more controlled planning, and supports the creation of various scenarios more rapidly.

Ease of Use

5 mentions

The platform is frequently described as user-friendly, featuring a clean and intuitive interface. This ease of use cont…

The platform is frequently described as user-friendly, featuring a clean and intuitive interface. This ease of use contributes to higher adoption rates, including by non-finance team members, and simplifies the generation of automated reports.

Besides Planful, what other software do you regularly use? How likely would you be to recommend it to a friend or colleague?

18 answered

Reviewers frequently integrate a variety of software applications alongside Planful, suggesting a common practice of leveraging multiple specialized tools to support financial planning and operational processes. NetSuite ERP is the most commonly cited complementary software, mentioned by 7 of 18 reviewers, indicating its prevalent use within these organizations. Microsoft Power BI and Sage Intacct also feature prominently, each noted by 4 reviewers, highlighting their roles in business intelligence and financial management, respectively. Beyond these core systems, a diverse array of other specialized software is also regularly utilized, as mentioned by 3 reviewers, pointing to varied operational requirements across different user environments. While these tools are consistently part of the users' technology stacks, the overall sentiment regarding their use is mixed across the sample, suggesting that experiences with their functionality, integration, or performance can vary significantly among users.

NetSuite ERP

7 mentions

NetSuite ERP is regularly used by a significant portion of reviewers, with 7 of 18 reviewers citing its use alongside P…

NetSuite ERP is regularly used by a significant portion of reviewers, with 7 of 18 reviewers citing its use alongside Planful. This suggests its common integration into financial and operational workflows. The mixed sentiment indicates that while it is a prevalent tool, user experiences with its features or performance can vary.

Microsoft Power BI

4 mentions

Microsoft Power BI is another frequently used application, mentioned by 4 of 18 reviewers. Its regular inclusion sugges…

Microsoft Power BI is another frequently used application, mentioned by 4 of 18 reviewers. Its regular inclusion suggests its role in data analysis and visualization within organizations that also use Planful. The mixed sentiment implies that users have had varied experiences with its capabilities or integration.

Sage Intacct

4 mentions

Sage Intacct is regularly employed by 4 of 18 reviewers, indicating its common use as a financial management software a…

Sage Intacct is regularly employed by 4 of 18 reviewers, indicating its common use as a financial management software alongside Planful. Its presence highlights its role in supporting accounting and planning functions. The mixed sentiment suggests a range of user experiences, from positive to challenging.

Other Software Used

3 mentions

Beyond the more frequently mentioned platforms, 3 of 18 reviewers also utilize a variety of other specialized software,…

Beyond the more frequently mentioned platforms, 3 of 18 reviewers also utilize a variety of other specialized software, such as BILL, Avalara, and Dayforce. This indicates diverse operational needs and a broad ecosystem of complementary tools. The mixed sentiment across these varied applications suggests that individual experiences with these specific tools differ.

Workiva

2 mentions

Workiva is mentioned by 2 of 18 reviewers as another software regularly used in conjunction with Planful. This suggests…

Workiva is mentioned by 2 of 18 reviewers as another software regularly used in conjunction with Planful. This suggests its role in financial reporting and compliance processes for some organizations. The mixed sentiment indicates that user satisfaction and experiences with Workiva are not uniformly positive or negative.

Planful is designed to help finance departments aggregate data from across the business and report back to individual departments. How has Planful impacted your ability to collaborate on financial plans within the finance department and with other business units?

18 answered

Planful significantly enhances collaboration on financial plans, primarily by centralizing data and streamlining reporting processes. Reviewers frequently highlight the platform's ability to aggregate data from multiple sources, which 13 of 18 reviewers reported creates a single source of truth and enables more efficient report generation. This capability directly supports improved collaboration, with 10 reviewers noting better interactions both within finance and with other business units, fostering a deeper understanding of financial processes across the organization. The system also facilitates more detailed and accurate forecasting and budgeting, a benefit cited by 7 of 18 reviewers, by providing planning modules that are easier to manage than traditional spreadsheets. These improvements contribute to notable efficiency gains and time savings, as reported by 5 of 18 reviewers, allowing finance teams to focus more on analysis rather than manual consolidation. While most feedback is positive, 2 of 18 reviewers indicated that some organizations have not yet fully expanded Planful's collaborative functions to all departments, suggesting a mixed experience in the initial rollout phase for a small segment of users.

Data Aggregation and Reporting

13 mentions

Planful is widely praised for its ability to aggregate data from disparate sources, establishing a single source of tru…

Planful is widely praised for its ability to aggregate data from disparate sources, establishing a single source of truth for financial information. This centralization, noted by 13 of 18 reviewers, allows for the creation of automated, customizable reports and dashboards, significantly improving the speed and accuracy of financial reporting and decision-making.

Collaboration with Other Departments

10 mentions

The platform significantly improves collaboration between the finance department and other business units by providing…

The platform significantly improves collaboration between the finance department and other business units by providing clear, accessible financial data and reports. This enhanced transparency and shared understanding, cited by 10 of 18 reviewers, helps departments better grasp their budgets and financial performance, leading to stronger partnerships and more informed decisions.

Forecasting and Budgeting

7 mentions

Planful streamlines and enhances the forecasting and budgeting process, enabling more detailed and accurate financial p…

Planful streamlines and enhances the forecasting and budgeting process, enabling more detailed and accurate financial planning. Seven of 18 reviewers highlighted that the system's planning modules simplify the creation of detailed, bottom-up plans, making it easier to iterate on performance and provide executive leadership with timely data.

Efficiency and Time Savings

5 mentions

Reviewers frequently commend Planful for the significant efficiency gains and time savings it delivers, a benefit menti…

Reviewers frequently commend Planful for the significant efficiency gains and time savings it delivers, a benefit mentioned by 5 of 18 reviewers. By automating data aggregation and reporting, the platform reduces the need for manual Excel consolidations and tie-outs, allowing finance professionals to dedicate more time to strategic analysis.

Departmental Self-Service

3 mentions

Planful empowers department leaders to access and manage their own financial data and dashboards, fostering a self-serv…

Planful empowers department leaders to access and manage their own financial data and dashboards, fostering a self-service model. This capability, cited by 3 of 18 reviewers, reduces the number of ad-hoc requests to the finance function and strengthens departmental ownership of financial insights.

Planful provides the office of the CFO with a unified suite of financial and accounting tools (e.g. financial planning, operational planning, consolidation, reporting, etc.). How have you benefited, if at all, from being able to take care of all your finance needs from within one platform?

18 answered

Reviewers largely report significant benefits from using Planful as a unified platform for financial and accounting needs, with 17 of 18 reviewers (94%) highlighting improved efficiency. The consolidation of various financial processes into a single system has notably streamlined operations, reduced the time spent switching between tools, and fostered better collaboration across departments. A key advantage frequently cited by 12 reviewers (67%) is enhanced reporting and analysis capabilities, enabling quicker responses to stakeholder inquiries and more consistent financial performance tracking. Furthermore, the unified nature of the platform contributes to better data quality and consistency, a benefit noted by 6 reviewers (33%), by establishing a single source of truth and mitigating version control issues. While the platform offers broad integration with other systems, mentioned by 3 reviewers (17%), some users, also 3 reviewers (17%), indicate they have not yet fully utilized all available functionalities, suggesting potential for further optimization and adoption within their organizations.

Unified Platform Efficiency

17 mentions

The primary benefit reported by nearly all reviewers (94%) is the significant streamlining of finance operations throug…

The primary benefit reported by nearly all reviewers (94%) is the significant streamlining of finance operations through a single, unified platform. This consolidation reduces the need to switch between multiple applications, leading to time savings and improved data consistency, which in turn supports faster and more informed decision-making. The platform also facilitates better inter-departmental understanding and involvement in financial processes.

Reporting and Analysis

12 mentions

A substantial majority of reviewers (67%) emphasize the enhanced reporting and analysis capabilities provided by Planfu…

A substantial majority of reviewers (67%) emphasize the enhanced reporting and analysis capabilities provided by Planful's unified platform. The ability to generate detailed, timely responses to financial performance questions and create new reports quickly is a significant advantage. This integration allows for seamless budget versus actual reporting and facilitates the consolidation of intercompany transactions, leading to improved visibility and control.

Data Accuracy and Consistency

6 mentions

Six reviewers (33%) specifically highlighted improvements in data accuracy and consistency as a direct result of using…

Six reviewers (33%) specifically highlighted improvements in data accuracy and consistency as a direct result of using Planful's unified platform. By centralizing planning, consolidation, and reporting, the system helps reduce manual processes and establishes a single source of truth, thereby eliminating version control issues commonly associated with disparate systems and improving the reliability of financial data.

Integration with Other Systems

3 mentions

The platform's ability to integrate with other core systems, such as ERPs, was noted by 3 of 18 reviewers (17%). This i…

The platform's ability to integrate with other core systems, such as ERPs, was noted by 3 of 18 reviewers (17%). This integration is crucial for pulling in actual data, ensuring up-to-date information for decision-making, and enabling users to run comprehensive reports across legal entities without needing to switch between different financial reporting tools.

Unused Functionality

3 mentions

A minority of reviewers, 3 of 18 (17%), indicated that their organizations are not yet fully leveraging all the functio…

A minority of reviewers, 3 of 18 (17%), indicated that their organizations are not yet fully leveraging all the functionalities available within Planful. This suggests that while the platform offers a comprehensive suite of tools, some users are still in the process of implementing or adopting its full capabilities, particularly for advanced features like dynamic budgeting and forecasting.

Describe how you use Planful in your organization. What are the business problems the product addresses and what is the scope of your use case?

18 answered

Planful is primarily utilized by organizations as a comprehensive platform for financial planning and analysis, addressing critical business problems related to budgeting, forecasting, reporting, and data consolidation. Reviewers consistently highlight its role in streamlining these core finance functions, with all 18 reviewers indicating its use for budgeting and forecasting. The product serves to automate and enhance reporting processes, a benefit noted by 14 of 18 reviewers, by aggregating financial data and key performance metrics to provide insights for operational efficiency and business health. Furthermore, Planful functions as a central consolidation tool for financial data across various legal entities and ERP systems, a use case cited by 14 reviewers. This capability establishes Planful as a 'single source of truth' for finance, a point emphasized by 4 reviewers, which contributes to improved data consistency and accuracy. The transition from manual, spreadsheet-based processes to Planful is also a significant driver for adoption, with 3 reviewers specifically mentioning the reduction of manual work and migration away from Excel for budgeting and forecasting.

Budgeting and Forecasting

18 mentions

Planful is extensively used for budgeting and forecasting across organizations, enabling users to create detailed model…

Planful is extensively used for budgeting and forecasting across organizations, enabling users to create detailed models based on historical data and key inputs. It helps expedite these processes, allowing for granular sales forecasting down to the retailer and SKU level, and integrates actuals from ERP systems. This functionality supports both strategic planning and ongoing financial projections.

Reporting Automation and Efficiency

14 mentions

Reviewers frequently commend Planful for its ability to automate and enhance financial reporting, leading to increased…

Reviewers frequently commend Planful for its ability to automate and enhance financial reporting, leading to increased efficiency and better decision-making. The platform allows for the creation of dedicated reports, automates monthly reporting for accounting teams, and facilitates ad-hoc reporting for finance teams. This automation frees up time for analysis rather than manual report creation and formatting, providing executives with timely and accurate data.

Consolidation

14 mentions

Planful serves as a primary consolidation tool for financial data, enabling organizations to bring together information…

Planful serves as a primary consolidation tool for financial data, enabling organizations to bring together information from various sources and legal entities. This capability is crucial for streamlining financial reporting and FP&A processes, particularly for companies with complex structures and multiple ERP systems. The consolidation feature ensures a unified view of financial performance.

Single Source of Truth

4 mentions

Planful is valued for establishing a 'single source of truth' for financial data within organizations. This centralized…

Planful is valued for establishing a 'single source of truth' for financial data within organizations. This centralized approach helps resolve issues of data and mapping inconsistency, ensuring that all financial information is consistent and reliable. By providing a unified data source, it simplifies processes and enhances the accuracy of financial insights.

Reduced Manual Work/Excel Migration

3 mentions

A notable benefit of Planful is its role in reducing manual work and facilitating the migration away from cumbersome sp…

A notable benefit of Planful is its role in reducing manual work and facilitating the migration away from cumbersome spreadsheet-based processes, particularly Excel. By integrating GL data and managing planning scenarios within the platform, organizations can significantly decrease the time and effort previously spent on manual data manipulation. This shift provides a more consistent and efficient experience for users.