IBM Planning Analytics

Budgeting and Forecasting

Includes financial information access, budget projections, assessment and analysis, tax planning, and scenario planning.

Governance Risk and Compliance

Includes governance, risk management, compliance, security management, controls and audit.

Collaboration

Includes ability to view, share and direct work between co-workers in real or near real-time.

Process Simulation and Execution

Includes ability to test and optimize the performance of a process using historical data.

Planning and Scheduling

Includes milestones, tasks and resource assignments (can also include WBS and CPM).

BI and Performance Management

Includes all aspects of reporting and BI analytics, as well as planning and optimization.

Business Application Integration

APIs available for straightforward integration with multiple business systems such as ERP or CRM.

Data Visualization

Visualize customer data in configurable dashboards or reports, and easily share these visualizations with decision makers.

Financial Reporting and Consolidation

Timely access to financial data and financial information in the forms of reports or online. Financial reporting is generated in specific periods.

Marketing Analytics

Predictive analytics, machine learning, data ingestion and visualization; data segmentation; assign attributes to unstructured data; work from segmented data.

Ease of Implementation

Successfully implementing new software is necessary to realize its full value and promote end user adoption. This data indicates whether or not the product is easy to implement.

Ease of Data Integration

Use this data to determine whether the product will cause headaches or make data integration easy.

Product Strategy and Rate of Improvement

Vendors who don't stay on top of emerging needs and trends won't enable you to meet your business goals. Use this data to separate innovators from imposters.

Vendor Support

The importance of vendor support will vary for each organization depending on internal capabilities, but there will always be issues that only the vendor can resolve.

Ease of Customization

Don't get bogged down in a difficult customization; use this data to make sure you can easily achieve the functionality you need for your particular situation.

Quality of Features

Feature quality is just as important as quantity. Use this data to determine if this product will do what you're purchasing it to do, easily, intuitively, reliably, and effectively.

Breadth of Features

Users prefer feature rich software that enables them to perform diverse series of tasks. This data expresses user satisfaction with the product's breadth of features.

Ease of IT Administration

This data indicates whether IT personnel will be able to resolve issues and perform configurations efficiently and effectively.

Availability and Quality of Training

Effective and readily available training enables users to get the most out of the software you've chosen. Use this section to make sure your vendor's training programs and materials measure up.

Usability and Intuitiveness

End user learning curves cost the organization money. Pay attention to your end users' technical ability to determine how important UX is in your purchase.

Business Value Created

Software needs to create value for employees, customers, partners, and, ultimately, shareholders. This data expresses user satisfaction - or lack thereof - with the product's business value.