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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    IBM Planning Analytics

    Score8.8 out of 10
    N/AIBM Planning Analytics, powered by IBM TM1®, is an integrated planning solution designed to promote collaboration across the organization and help keep pace with the speed of modern business. With its calculation engine, this enterprise performance management solution is designed to help users move beyond the limits of spreadsheets, automating the planning process to drive faster, more accurate results. Use it to unify data sources into one single repository, enabling users to build…

    $825

    per month 5 users

    Vena

    Score8.8 out of 10
    Mid-Size Companies (51-1,000 employees)
    Vena Solutions provides a financial process automation solution to automate Corporate Performance Management, accounting and budgeting, Regulatory & Compliance, and other finance-related processes. It is scaled for medium to large-sized organizations.N/A
    Pricing
    IBM Planning AnalyticsVena
    Editions & Modules
    Essentials
    $825
    per month 5 users
    Standard
    $1,650
    per month 10 users
    Professional
    N/A
    Complete
    N/A
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    IBM Planning AnalyticsVena
    Free Trial
    YesNo
    Free/Freemium Version
    YesNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    YesYes
    Entry-level Setup FeeOptionalOptional
    Additional Details—The Professional Plan is the most flexible way to get started quickly and can be added onto as a company grows. The plan includes: Vena Platform, Customer Success Manager, Standard Support and Customer Portal. Complete Plan includes everything in Professional, plus: Vena Insights, Premium Support, Sandbox Environment, and Expert Managed Services. For a limited time, new customers who use Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central (Online) as their primary ERP can get a free year of Vena and 40% off implementation costs. Vena also offers special pricing for not for profit organizations. To learn more, speak to an expert.
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    IBM Planning AnalyticsVena
    Considered Both Products
    IBM
    No answer on this topic
    Vena Solutions
    No answer on this topic
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    99%
    Would buy again
    95 Answers
    95%
    Would buy again
    226 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    98%
    Delivers good value for the price
    86 Answers
    98%
    Delivers good value for the price
    200 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    97%
    Happy with the feature set
    93 Answers
    97%
    Happy with the feature set
    230 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    97%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    70 Answers
    91%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    148 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    93%
    Implementation went as expected
    80 Answers
    84%
    Implementation went as expected
    158 Answers
    Features
    IBM Planning AnalyticsVena
    BI Standard Reporting
    Comparison of BI Standard Reporting features of IBM Planning Analytics and Vena
    Feature
    IBM Planning Analytics
    9.7
    90 Ratings
    24% above category average
    Vena
    7.2
    112 Ratings
    6% below category average
    Pixel Perfect reports9.879 Ratings6.571 Ratings
    Customizable dashboards9.790 Ratings7.6100 Ratings
    Report Formatting Templates9.784 Ratings7.5108 Ratings
    Ad-hoc Reporting
    Comparison of Ad-hoc Reporting features of IBM Planning Analytics and Vena
    Feature
    IBM Planning Analytics
    9.7
    96 Ratings
    17% above category average
    Vena
    7.6
    202 Ratings
    7% below category average
    Drill-down analysis9.893 Ratings8.3196 Ratings
    Formatting capabilities9.795 Ratings8.4194 Ratings
    Integration with R or other statistical packages9.871 Ratings5.470 Ratings
    Report sharing and collaboration9.792 Ratings8.4171 Ratings
    Report Output and Scheduling
    Comparison of Report Output and Scheduling features of IBM Planning Analytics and Vena
    Feature
    IBM Planning Analytics
    9.5
    90 Ratings
    14% above category average
    Vena
    8.3
    159 Ratings
    1% above category average
    Publish to Web9.985 Ratings7.783 Ratings
    Publish to PDF9.984 Ratings9.0115 Ratings
    Report Versioning9.983 Ratings8.1134 Ratings
    Report Delivery Scheduling8.475 Ratings8.5120 Ratings
    Data Discovery and Visualization
    Comparison of Data Discovery and Visualization features of IBM Planning Analytics and Vena
    Feature
    IBM Planning Analytics
    9.3
    92 Ratings
    20% above category average
    Vena
    7.7
    104 Ratings
    1% above category average
    Pre-built visualization formats (heatmaps, scatter plots etc.)9.892 Ratings8.094 Ratings
    Location Analytics / Geographic Visualization9.886 Ratings7.577 Ratings
    Predictive Analytics9.882 Ratings7.383 Ratings
    Pattern Recognition and Data Mining7.815 Ratings8.129 Ratings
    Access Control and Security
    Comparison of Access Control and Security features of IBM Planning Analytics and Vena
    Feature
    IBM Planning Analytics
    9.5
    96 Ratings
    9% above category average
    Vena
    8.3
    196 Ratings
    5% below category average
    Multi-User Support (named login)9.894 Ratings9.1184 Ratings
    Role-Based Security Model9.895 Ratings7.9183 Ratings
    Multiple Access Permission Levels (Create, Read, Delete)9.896 Ratings8.3186 Ratings
    Report-Level Access Control8.420 Ratings8.550 Ratings
    Single Sign-On (SSO)9.888 Ratings7.9142 Ratings
    Mobile Capabilities
    Comparison of Mobile Capabilities features of IBM Planning Analytics and Vena
    Feature
    IBM Planning Analytics
    7.6
    83 Ratings
    3% below category average
    Vena
    7.3
    102 Ratings
    7% below category average
    Responsive Design for Web Access6.182 Ratings7.799 Ratings
    Mobile Application8.046 Ratings00 Ratings
    Dashboard / Report / Visualization Interactivity on Mobile7.855 Ratings7.087 Ratings
    Budgeting, Planning, and Forecasting
    Comparison of Budgeting, Planning, and Forecasting features of IBM Planning Analytics and Vena
    Feature
    IBM Planning Analytics
    9.8
    102 Ratings
    17% above category average
    Vena
    8.1
    242 Ratings
    2% below category average
    Long-term financial planning9.898 Ratings8.1218 Ratings
    Financial budgeting9.8101 Ratings8.3233 Ratings
    Forecasting9.8102 Ratings7.2224 Ratings
    Scenario modeling9.7101 Ratings7.6203 Ratings
    Management reporting9.7101 Ratings9.1230 Ratings
    Consolidation and Close
    Comparison of Consolidation and Close features of IBM Planning Analytics and Vena
    Feature
    IBM Planning Analytics
    9.8
    95 Ratings
    21% above category average
    Vena
    7.6
    211 Ratings
    5% below category average
    Financial data consolidation9.791 Ratings9.0182 Ratings
    Journal entries and reports9.883 Ratings7.4133 Ratings
    Multi-currency management9.884 Ratings6.2128 Ratings
    Intercompany Eliminations9.883 Ratings7.8126 Ratings
    Minority Ownership9.875 Ratings6.589 Ratings
    Local and consolidated reporting9.887 Ratings8.0160 Ratings
    Detailed Audit Trails9.789 Ratings8.2186 Ratings
    Financial Reporting and Compliance
    Comparison of Financial Reporting and Compliance features of IBM Planning Analytics and Vena
    Feature
    IBM Planning Analytics
    9.4
    96 Ratings
    15% above category average
    Vena
    8.0
    231 Ratings
    1% below category average
    Financial Statement Reporting9.892 Ratings8.4206 Ratings
    Management Reporting9.893 Ratings8.4216 Ratings
    Excel-based Reporting9.895 Ratings9.1225 Ratings
    Automated board and financial reporting9.785 Ratings7.6168 Ratings
    XBRL support for regulatory filing8.161 Ratings6.565 Ratings
    Analytics and Reporting
    Comparison of Analytics and Reporting features of IBM Planning Analytics and Vena
    Feature
    IBM Planning Analytics
    9.5
    98 Ratings
    18% above category average
    Vena
    7.5
    178 Ratings
    5% below category average
    Personalized dashboards9.797 Ratings8.4151 Ratings
    Color-coded scorecards9.892 Ratings8.6115 Ratings
    KPIs9.895 Ratings6.2131 Ratings
    Cost and profitability analysis9.893 Ratings7.7142 Ratings
    Key Performance Indicator setting9.894 Ratings7.1128 Ratings
    Benchmarking with external data8.165 Ratings6.8100 Ratings
    Integration
    Comparison of Integration features of IBM Planning Analytics and Vena
    Feature
    IBM Planning Analytics
    9.8
    97 Ratings
    16% above category average
    Vena
    8.7
    227 Ratings
    4% above category average
    Flat file integration9.894 Ratings8.4185 Ratings
    Excel data integration9.895 Ratings9.1211 Ratings
    Direct links to 3rd-party data sources9.886 Ratings8.8169 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    IBM Planning AnalyticsVena
    Small Businesses
    No answers on this topic
    No answers on this topic
    Medium-sized Companies
    Centage
    Score9.4 out of 10
    IBM Planning Analytics
    Score8.8 out of 10
    Enterprises
    Oracle Fusion Cloud Enterprise Performance Management
    Score10 out of 10
    Oracle Fusion Cloud Enterprise Performance Management
    Score10 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    IBM Planning AnalyticsVena
    Likelihood to Recommend
    8.9
    (108 ratings)
    8.2
    (246 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    9.1
    (5 ratings)
    8.4
    (20 ratings)
    Usability
    9.7
    (73 ratings)
    8.4
    (31 ratings)
    Availability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    7.3
    (7 ratings)
    Performance
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.2
    (7 ratings)
    Support Rating
    9.7
    (97 ratings)
    8.6
    (100 ratings)
    In-Person Training
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.1
    (3 ratings)
    Online Training
    -
    (0 ratings)
    7.7
    (5 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.5
    (7 ratings)
    Configurability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    7.3
    (4 ratings)
    Data Sharing and Collaboration
    9.0
    (3 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Data Sources
    9.0
    (3 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Ease of integration
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.1
    (3 ratings)
    Product Scalability
    9.1
    (1 ratings)
    9.0
    (6 ratings)
    Vendor post-sale
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.0
    (3 ratings)
    Vendor pre-sale
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.2
    (4 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    IBM Planning AnalyticsVena
    Likelihood to Recommend
    IBM
    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.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Vena Solutions
    Whether you have processes you are looking to make more efficient or starting from scratch, Vena is a great tool to handle both. When we started with Vena all of reporting was either very manual or frankly nonexistent. Vena was pivotal in bringing us from zero to 10 in a short time. it helped us streamline the process of gathering data to the end reporting
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Pros
    IBM
    • Handle very large data volumes.
    • Scale to a large number of users.
    • Not having to compromise on business complexity.
    • It can be run by business users.
    • Availability of highly qualified consultants to support businesses.
    • REST API allows for an open eco system and a variety of solutions to extend the product.
    • Vast integration possibilities.
    • AI-infused engine with IBM Watson.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Vena Solutions
    • What i like best about Vena is that it is very seamless Excel integration.
    • Vena fosters collabs across teams, helping multiple members to work together on financial planning in real-time enhancing overall efficiency.
    • We now also can automate manual processes like budgeting, consolidation of data and reporting saves my valuable time and also reducing the risk of errors.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cons
    IBM
    • sometimes it is hard to produce pixel perfect reports from the Web UI. I know it is not made for this, but still, it'll be great
    • getting in e.g. an Excel file just by drag and drop, and the AI should "understand" what the data is all around
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Vena Solutions
    • It could improve the ease of implementation; it could take a long for an inexperienced IT team.
    • From the ERP system perspective, it can be linked easily, but it has room for improvement when you make core changes and require a Vena specialist again.
    • Some administrators can get confused while working on Excel implementation; it has complicated technical requirements.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Likelihood to Renew
    IBM
    Since IBM Cognos Express is suitable only for medium data warehouse environment, we are not sure if this tool solves the long term need as the business keeps growing rapidly. So its a 50/50 ratio to renew Express license. But having said that, the components of IBM Cognos Express are also available in other Cognos BI suites like Cognos 10.x version. So we will probably upgrade our environment to IBM Cognos 10.x which comes with more new features.
    Read full review
    Vena Solutions
    Vena has been a huge win for us as an organization, as it vastly improved our budgeting process by removing manual consolidation that was incredibly time consuming, and it allows us to see a multi-year view of our organizational budget across all of our funding sources. We've seen Vena's platform grow over the years and we've not yet fully adopted some of them so it feels like there's still potential to get even more value out of the platform.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Usability
    IBM
    IBM Planning Analytics is generally good in terms of functionalities. It can be used reduce time for budget planning, resource planning, demand forecasting, etc. The performance of IBM Planning Analytics is acceptable, but user interface can be improved. It would be good to see new features that allow users to customise the dashboard.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Vena Solutions
    Vena allows any solution to be built the way you need it to work, and there are many different ways of going about what you need it to do. It may require time to build, test, and rebuild and retest, before the best solution to what you are trying to accomplish is reached. It is best for those who are Excel proficient because Vena utilizes and enhances the usage of existing Excel functions. For those who are not Excel proficient, the journey may be more challenging, however, with help of EMS, you can get your planning and reporting to a dynamic state.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Reliability and Availability
    IBM
    No answers on this topic
    Vena Solutions
    Contact with Vena Solutions technical support is quick and experts in the field always respond. It is not necessary to go through a large form to explain the problems and then answer more questions to receive a direct answer, we simply send a message indicating the specific problem and they are immediately there to actively help us
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Performance
    IBM
    No answers on this topic
    Vena Solutions
    Vena Solutions pages load quickly and only a few times does it get a bit slow, only when there are many integrations and the reports are long. But in general it is always fast and honestly I am very satisfied with the speed in the generation of statistical reports and the pages
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Support Rating
    IBM
    IBM support has been very quick to respond and handle the very few issues we've had. We've had a third-party who partners with IBM to be our consulting team which has helped greatly reduce the need for us to contact IBM directly. I highly recommend researching and selecting a well-respected partner to help with an implementation as well as ongoing support as needed.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Vena Solutions
    They are very quick to respond when you submit a ticket and typically fix issues quickly as well. I only didn't give this a 10 because there is still an open issue with our Salesforce connection that we've been waiting on now for a few months.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    In-Person Training
    IBM
    No answers on this topic
    Vena Solutions
    Our initial in person training was a little rough b/c I felt like our trainer wanted to focus on maximizing Vena rather than understanding what we were needing for our organization. He was very responsive and added insights, but could have worked to understand our needs a little better.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Online Training
    IBM
    No answers on this topic
    Vena Solutions
    The training was structured as a group training to learn the basics of creating a data model and mapping a template. While we had nearly 10 participants, I was the only actual implementer so we probably didn't actually need the training and could have just learned the initial skills from the implementation consultant. Two years later, when we hired a new team member, they completed several modules in Vena Academy (a self paced learning course) which allowed them to get up to speed on the basics with just a bit of supplemental guidance from me as our existing admin.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Implementation Rating
    IBM
    No answers on this topic
    Vena Solutions
    The Vena consultant had great knowledge of both the Vena solution and Excel and Excel functions. He was able to help suggest ways to build our templates that met our requirements using Excel functions we had not previously considered using. And we have been able to use the Excel information he provided in other ways outside of Vena. He was very patient and flexible as we learned the Vena tool and created templates
    Read full review
    Alternatives Considered
    IBM
    As it is related to MS Excel, IBM Planning Analytics is a much more robust and complete solution for the CFO or COO in mind. Oracle Hyperion stacks up nicely against IBM Planning Analytics. However, IBM's investment in AI allows Planning Analytics users more options and speed.
    Read full review
    Vena Solutions
    Vena Solutions stands out due to its familiar Excel-based interface, making it easy for our team to adopt without extensive training. Compared to alternatives like Anaplan and Oracle Hyperion, Vena's strong customer support and efficient automation have significantly reduced our budgeting cycle time. We chose Vena for its seamless integration with our existing systems and substantial time-saving benefits, ultimately enhancing our decision-making process.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Scalability
    IBM
    No answers on this topic
    Vena Solutions
    We onboarded the entire company in a very short time frame to complete the full company budget cycle the first year out of the gate. Now we are looking to add more data and the ETL tool makes it easy to backload data into the cube as if was always there. Vena has been very scalable for our needs.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Return on Investment
    IBM
    • Automate direct data connections to multiple data sources
    • One secured version of the the truth (for data and formulas)
    • Ability to scale to much more detailed planning with option to create predictive forecasts at detail
    • Business user friendly with powerful Excel integration
    • Very flexible and powerful modeling, can handle custom modeling needs at scale
    • Can make the same data available across finance and ops, but at the level of details and timeline that makes sense for them
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Vena Solutions
    • Eliminated the necessity to manually combine multiple Excel budget worksheets into one file in order to compile an org-wide budget
    • Allows end-users to be self-sufficient by having the ability to drill into transaction-level detail and conduct ad-hoc analyses
    • Created more bandwidth in the FP&A team to spend more time on more meaningful analysis
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    ScreenShots

    IBM Planning Analytics Screenshots

    Screenshot of Workflow managementScreenshot of Income statementScreenshot of Margin analysisScreenshot of Metrics managementScreenshot of Income statementScreenshot of Expense analysis

    Vena Screenshots

    Screenshot of Operation Expenses - Predictive AnalysisScreenshot of Allocations DashboardScreenshot of Vena Add InScreenshot of Power BI DashboardScreenshot of Operational Expenses - Drill through analysisScreenshot of Process Status Dashboard