A powerful and accessible solution to build financial planning models
April 20, 2018
A powerful and accessible solution to build financial planning models
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Overall Satisfaction with Quantrix
I have been using Quantrix at the University of Trento for more than 10 years. Quantrix is used as a financial modeling tool and for teaching and research in corporate finance. It has been adopted in my Department (Dept of Management) by my research team (6 users) and by undergraduate students attending our Financial planning lab class (about 120 students per year since 2012).
- Building complex financial planning model availing of a multidimensional data structure coupled with a powerful formula language, with the immediacy and intuitiveness typical of spreadsheets
- Implement quickly model modifications (new products, new scenarios, new time periods) simply adding new "items" to "categories" (corresponding to dimensions in a multidimensional data model)
- Scale up models to very large datasets with very fast computation times
- Easily import data from text files, other Quantrix models and external databases via DataLink and DataNAV
- Save snapshots of tables computed in Quantrix to external databases via DataPush
- The user can develop user defined functions and automated tasks via the scripting language based on Groovy. Such functionality has room for further development both in terms of what a user can achieve, and the ease of use of the tools for script editing and debugging
- Charting is available. Typical business charts are easily obtained from data in Quantrix matrices but configuration could be simpler and chart modifications more predictable in their effects
- Users can designed composite views of model elements (tables, charts, text, images) via "Canvas" objects. Canvas features have greatly improved over time, but editing remains a bit complicated
- I work in a not for profit organization, so the ROI concept isn't applicable to us. However, Quantrix has allowed us to become more productive in modeling and data management activities related to research
- The adoption of Quantrix Modeler in our classes has become a major factor of innovation and differentiation of our undergraduate programmes
- Microsoft Excel and Apple Numbers
In our setting the typical alternative to Quantrix is represented by traditional bi-dimensional spreadsheet applications. We have no experience with business performance management and business analytics solutions aimed at the corporate market that can be considered another group of alternatives to the Enterprise version of Quantrix.
Vis-à-vis spreadsheets, Quantrix has much better functionalities for designing complex models with a transparent business logic and substantial computational power. Model extension/modification is much much easier and controllable activity. Still Quantrix retains the immediacy and intuitiveness of a spreadsheet application.
The more mature spreadsheet applications, apart from the gentler learning curve, may offer more accessible data analytics functionalities (such as pivot tables) and features for producing charts and reports.
Vis-à-vis spreadsheets, Quantrix has much better functionalities for designing complex models with a transparent business logic and substantial computational power. Model extension/modification is much much easier and controllable activity. Still Quantrix retains the immediacy and intuitiveness of a spreadsheet application.
The more mature spreadsheet applications, apart from the gentler learning curve, may offer more accessible data analytics functionalities (such as pivot tables) and features for producing charts and reports.