IBM Planning Analytics
October 15, 2025

IBM Planning Analytics

Anonymous | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 6 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User

Overall Satisfaction with IBM Planning Analytics

We use it to build dimensions for our product SKUs, locations within our warehouse, customer, shipping lanes etc. We can track inventory turns, cost by SKUs and inbound vs outbound costs. It helps to feed data into our ERP, as shock levels change and shipments go out. We can also create scenarios to hand 3PL fluctuations in demand and shipping volumes.

Pros

  • Driver based and rolling forecasts.
  • Near real time data updates.
  • Multidimensional modeling.
  • Planning scenarios.

Cons

  • Steep learning curve, so making it more user friendly.
  • Degraded performance for large or complex models.
  • Cost for licensing, integration and ongoing maintenance.
  • Limited reporting and integration flexibilities.
  • Overhead cost is a negative
  • User friendliness is a negative
  • Inventory optimization is a positive
  • Capacity planning is a positive
  • Costing & margin analysis is a positive
  • Order & demand forecasting is a positive
  • What if planning for disruptions is a positive
  • Performance monitoring & continuous improvements is a positive
  • Financial & operational alignment is a positive
  • Handing large or complex models is a negative
Advanced forecasting and sharing data externally. Integration options to deploy on prem or cloud. Dashboarding to track scorecards and KPIs. Automation of routine tasks and data consolidation. Excel integration. Near real time data updates. Ability to create and manage rolling forecasts. Capability to create what if scenarios for planning purposes. Lastly the in memory of the OLAP.
Test scenarios in system. This is critical for our 3PL to handle fluctuations in demand or shipping volumes. Also when delays happen we can see the impact on inventory, labor and margins. For our Manufactuing side we can monitor raw material price changes, production schedule shifts and capacity constraints. So the what if scenario planning is a powerful tool for us.
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.

Do you think IBM Planning Analytics delivers good value for the price?

Not sure

Are you happy with IBM Planning Analytics's feature set?

Yes

Did IBM Planning Analytics live up to sales and marketing promises?

I wasn't involved with the selection/purchase process

Did implementation of IBM Planning Analytics go as expected?

I wasn't involved with the implementation phase

Would you buy IBM Planning Analytics again?

Yes

Anaplan, SAP BPC (Business Planning and Consolidation), OneStream
Very powerful modeling capabilities. It has a really good OLAP engine memory. Strong scenario planning for what if analysis. Flexibility of integration with ERPs or WM systems for both cloud and on premises. Centralized planning and alignment of governance is also a plus. Having one single system for many different functions.

IBM Planning Analytics Feature Ratings

6.4
Long-term financial planning
8
Financial budgeting
6
Forecasting
7
Scenario modeling
8
Management reporting
3
5.0
Financial data consolidation
5
Journal entries and reports
3
Multi-currency management
6
Intercompany Eliminations
6
Minority Ownership
7
Local and consolidated reporting
3
Detailed Audit Trails
5
4.8
Financial Statement Reporting
4
Management Reporting
3
Excel-based Reporting
7
Automated board and financial reporting
4
XBRL support for regulatory filing
6
6.0
Personalized dashboards
6
Color-coded scorecards
5
KPIs
7
Cost and profitability analysis
6
Key Performance Indicator setting
6
Benchmarking with external data
6
7.0
Flat file integration
7
Excel data integration
8
Direct links to 3rd-party data sources
6
4.7
Pixel Perfect reports
4
Customizable dashboards
6
Report Formatting Templates
4
3.8
Drill-down analysis
3
Formatting capabilities
3
Integration with R or other statistical packages
5
Report sharing and collaboration
4
4.5
Publish to Web
5
Publish to PDF
5
Report Versioning
3
Report Delivery Scheduling
5
6.3
Pre-built visualization formats (heatmaps, scatter plots etc.)
6
Location Analytics / Geographic Visualization
6
Predictive Analytics
7
Pattern Recognition and Data Mining
6
6.4
Multi-User Support (named login)
6
Role-Based Security Model
6
Multiple Access Permission Levels (Create, Read, Delete)
7
Report-Level Access Control
7
Single Sign-On (SSO)
6
6.0
Responsive Design for Web Access
7
Mobile Application
6
Dashboard / Report / Visualization Interactivity on Mobile
5

Comments

More Reviews of IBM Planning Analytics

  1. Home
  2. Corporate Performance Management (CPM) Software
  3. IBM Planning Analytics Reviews
  4. User Review of IBM Planning Analytics