No company is protected from unforeseen situations, as the coronavirus pandemic has impressively demonstrated. Working conditions can change at a moment's notice and supply chains can collapse. What was planned weeks or months in advance suddenly becomes obsolete. Financial and liquidity planning must be adapted to the new circumstances - and quickly. Companies that use flexible financial planning have a clear advantage in such situations. We at Caleo provide support in selecting the right planning software.
With modern software-supported planning tools, companies always stay ahead of the game - even in times of global crisis. This is because they can provide answers to very specific questions and produce up-to-date sales, liquidity and earnings figures at the touch of a button.
SAP offers four reliable planning solutions
The following four financial planning solutions from SAP have proven their worth:
With these, all planning-relevant data can be merged into one system. All four solutions can be used to make quick and well-founded decisions, as they work with up-to-date and reliable key figures. However, there are relevant differences in terms of data consistency and evaluation flexibility.
Flexible systems pay off in times of crisis
In times of crisis, the BPC Standard and Analytics Cloud solutions have stood out in particular, as both systems can be adapted quickly. BPC Standard, for example, has a separate data model and a lower level of integration, making it very flexible. However, the system has the disadvantage of data duplication, as master data, transaction data and hierarchies are replicated in its own BPC environment. SAC is very flexible due to its own database, but has the disadvantage that the front end is only possible on the web.
Although flexibility is an immense advantage in times of crisis, it is not the only criterion when selecting a suitable planning solution. In companies with a system landscape with several ERP systems, central data storage is essential anyway. BPC Embedded on BW offers such a solution. However, the embedded system only uses existing BW features. Changes in planning models must therefore always be implemented by IT.
Software selection depends on individual circumstances
It is therefore not possible to give a general answer as to which software is suitable for a company. The choice depends on the individual conditions and requirements of the company. Even the question of how the financial planning software is connected to existing ERP systems is decisive for how quickly adjustments can be made afterwards. The desired system features should therefore be prioritized in advance.
Certain questions must also be answered before selection, for example What ERP strategy is being pursued? Is flexibility needed when implementing your own data models? Is it necessary to use data from other processes? Should the software only handle financial planning or also enable consolidation?
Make a decision with experts
The general rule for selecting the right planning software is: companies with heterogeneous source systems should use BPC Standard. Companies with standardized data warehousing through central IT are better advised to use BPC Embedded. Financial planning with S/4HANA is suitable for companies with a standardized ERP structure and standardized planning processes. SAC is much more than just a planning tool and can evaluate all types of business data as a business intelligence solution. Our experts at Caleo provide support with the analysis and facilitate the decision-making process.