Adaptive Planning (system)

Adaptive Planning - 'on-demand' a system or a system "on - to a request", available of any place in the world, not requiring installation on servers, technical administrators and long implementation.

The company the producer – the company Adaptive Planning of the same name. It is founded in 2003, currently is the world leader in the field of on-demand of products for financial planning, forecasting and the reporting and, according to Gartner, is one of the most dynamically developing companies in the field of BI and CPM.

The budgeting system is unrolled on the technology platform of the producer and any company having the park of personal computers and access to the network the Internet on any communication channels can get access to it.

It is possible to get acquainted with the main opportunities of Adaptive Planning in the free 30-day version. For this purpose it is enough to fill out the questionnaire on the website of Adaptive Planning company. There are also two paid versions of a product – Corporate and Enterprise. They differ on functionality, conditions of support and, respectively, cost. As well as in the free version, the interface language can be selected from several options, except Russian.

Adaptive Planning allows to get access to financial statements from every spot on the globe and to take part in processes of financial planning and forecasting of the company. The new version of Adaptive Planning 6.5 also provides integration with Netsuite. The cost of the solution - from $800 a year - in Corus Consulting call "extremely humane" for one user and are not tired to repeat that at the same time a system does not require any equipment, additional software and IT support, and its implementation and setup takes about 2 weeks.

At the Russian market a system is presented by Corus Consulting company.

As Adaptive Planning solves a budgeting task in the company

The main objective of all systems for automation of budgeting is to reduce duration and to reduce labor input of all these processes. The Adaptive Planning system copes with these tasks also well, as well as any system constructed on the central database. So in Adaptive Planning data are stored in the central database with all that it implies by advantages:

• the uniform place for input, storage and display excludes double entry and dead time on this process;
• the interrelation between elements of the budget is performed more logically, than use of cell references of files. It guarantees integrity of data;
• this multi-user system will give the chance to differentiate access rights on all information.

The beginning of work and setup in Adaptive Planning

Flexible mechanisms of creation and change of model convenient for initial setup and further development in Adaptive Planning are implemented for 100% since at a system there is a setup wizard allowing really quickly (the average project on setup - 2 weeks) to configure model.

For the description of your business is present at Adaptive Planning all necessary opportunities, namely:

• setup of a hierarchical structure of divisions (centers of responsibility);
• setup of versions of the budget;
• setup of articles and creation of formulas of different degree of complexity;
• setup of additional measurements or analytical cuts;
• setup of entry forms and report forms.

It should be noted separately important feature of Adaptive Planning which distinguishes this system from other systems of this class, namely auxiliary modules for detailed planning:

• staff costs;
• capital costs;
• sales.

Start of process of budgeting in Adaptive Planning

The following task after data of all data to one place and settings of model is divided into two, and they look as follows:

• Control over processes of budgeting, planning and reporting in Adaptive Planning is implemented using the Regulations mechanism allowing to keep track of the statuses of providing data on any division which participates in budgeting, i.e. provides or approves data. The statuses I can be the most different for all occasions (it is sent to a statement, is rejected, approved, blocked, etc.).
• Control of versions of the budget. This function in Adaptive Planning allows to create, compare, copy, keep in store different versions of the budget, at the same time always having an idea – what version is a worker and what are blocked and unavailable to work.

The plan fact in Adaptive Planning

Further after successful imposition of the budget using Adaptive Planning you can be accepted to one of the most disease processes - collecting of the fact and control of budget implementation. For this purpose there is a mechanism of import/export of data which allows to configure easily using templates compliance (or is not obligatory to execute a mepping) between budget items and data from the accounting systems (of one system). For this purpose intermediate files, for example, are most often used by Excel. But it is also possible to use connectors for some industrial systems: SAP, Oracle, Infor, Microsoft Dynamics NAV, JD Edwards, etc.

Reporting and the analysis in Adaptive Planning

When routines for imposition of the budget there is a minimum, a lot of time for the analysis is released. AdaptivePlanning solves problems of the analysis fully with the help of evident means of submission of the reporting [1].

Why "on-demand" the Adaptive Planning application - it is safe?

In practice such applications guarantee higher level of security, than placement of information systems in the company since on - demand - systems are placed in large specialized data centers which use the best instruments of security, namely:

• protection against the attacks and cracking, both on hardware, and at the programming layer;
• data protection by their transfer on the Internet of HTTPS, SSL;
• physical security of data centers and servers;
• always! Backup by several different methods – a recovery guarantee under force majeur circumstances;
• storage in base of personal information (the login and the password) only in encrypted form.

Adaptive Planning 7.0

In new release of the program ample opportunities for integration with enterprise information systems are provided – it is very important for an uskospetsializirovanny SaaS-application. Besides, in a system opportunities for report generation and additional settings are expanded.

Traditionally financial specialists use spreadsheets. In them it is necessary to process data manually, there are permanent errors, and, above all – spreadsheets do not support joint work of users that is critical in the conditions of large and medium-sized enterprises.

Unstable market situation of the last years revealed one more lack of spreadsheets – impossibility of fast formation of budgets and their operational review as required.

At the same time, despite all shortcomings of spreadsheets, many companies do not decide to implement specialized programs in the field of finance – fairly being afraid that traditional solutions will demand big investments of capital, forces and time for implementation and adaptation of new software products in the company.

What new features are offered by the system of version 7.0?

Reporting and analysis

The module of reports Adaptive Planning allows users to create reports of any complexity, using simple "drag & drop" the interface. New opportunities of creation of the reporting in Adaptive Planning 7.0:

Parameters of reports. Financial specialists can easily model reports, using different filters on different measurements – for example, versions, time frames, divisions, geography, products/service, suppliers/buyers, etc., without the addressing special programs for creation of reports. Now it is possible to create very easily exact and clear even not to specialists, evident reports.

Segments of the report. A possibility of creation of the report with flexible combination of measurements in lines and columns. Using this function, the user can easily create reports without additional unnecessary lines and columns and also to create difficult reports which contain data of different types, versions and the periods. For example, creation of the profit and loss statement in which the revenues are displayed by products, and an account part – by departments. Thin settings of time. Using these settings it is very easily possible to make data analysis in time (report generation for current date, the sliding budgets, etc.).

Setup and administration of the application

Administration of a system by the little is more complex, than work of the user: the main settings can be done in same "drag& drop" the interface, at the same time the change history which were made in a system is available to the administrator.

In Adaptive Planning 7.0 users can create new report models and budgets, using the built-in environment of business logic. The instrument of check which shows all incorrect formulas on all model is developed for simplification of settings of financial models.

Also in version 7.0 the formular mechanism is complemented with new features for calculation of NPV and IRR which are often used in financial models.

Integration into other applications

When using spreadsheets formation and data loading from the accounting system takes unfairly a lot of time. Possibilities of import of Adaptive Planning 7.0 allow financiers to load easily data, using the evident mechanism of comparison of accounts of the Ledger to budget items.

In Adaptive Planning 7.0 new features for integration through API which can be managed are added, using the web interface. This interface allows to get access directly to all data. At the same time all mechanisms of security existing in information systems are not compromised. Invariable are also user rights on access and change of data.

Ample opportunities of export which allow to use data from Adaptive Planning in the accounting systems or in BI-applications are also added.

Updating of fall of 2012

In the new version of a system attributes of articles are expanded, the module Adaptive Discovery is updated, the mechanism of the automated regulations of approval of budgets is improved, there was an opportunity to configure terms of the financial year which is not matching with calendar year in a system.

Attributes of articles allow to make classification and grouping of articles in reports, for example, to create alternative hierarchies of articles or to group related articles not as it is made in structure of articles. These attributes also allow to create reports which contain articles of one type, it can be used for fast creation of the reporting in different standards (IFRS, RAS).

Improvements in the module Adaptiv Diskaveri (Adaptive Discovery) give new opportunities of visual data analysis, for example, more options of possible settings on the temporary periods and parameters of reports "by default". Besides, diagrams for comparison of versions are improved, new schedule types are added.

Thanks to improvement of the mechanism of the automated Regulations of approval of budgets (Workflow Enhancements) managers can approve budgets of several divisions at once, administrators – to exclude certain divisions from an approval chain, and users at change of the status of budgets of the divisions to receive automatic notifications by e-mail.

The uniform portal on technical support and the knowledge base which provide to users a uniform point for creation and tracking of requests, access to documentation and video lessons, search of necessary information on the knowledge base and communication with other users at forums is also started. System performance is increased during the work of users with large and difficult budget models, at creation of difficult reports.

Besides, in functionality of a system the feature for removal of a logo of the client in the system interface on all HTML, PDF and Excel documents pages is added, printing options of Excel and PDF of reports are implemented. Users can configure orientation and the size of paper, to change scaling and fields, to save print settings. Abilities to manage are expanded the user subscription – users select events about which they want to receive notifications from Adaptive Planning company, for example, of the notification on updating of the version of software or on the next actions.

SaaS service for budgeting of Adaptive Planning expands an opportunity for work with reports

The Adaptive Planning company, vendor of software of the same name for process automation of budget management at the enterprises of medium and small business, released the first quarter update of 2012 in February, 2012.

In new release of the program opportunities for work with the reporting considerably extended. Developers paid special attention to a question of formation of necessary reports, processing, the analysis and comparison of data retrieveds, discussion of the received results. For this purpose several modules were created at once and the functionality of the financial data existing, considerably facilitating the analysis and their further use in decision making is expanded.

What new features appeared in a budgeting system?

The module of the analytical reporting (Transaction Reporting & Analysis) which allows to carry out detailed data analysis, loaded from external systems, with a depth before specific wiring is added. Information can be imported both using the connector Adaptive Planning, and through the MS Excel templates.

Thanks to a new feature of the note in reports (Report Annotations) it is possible to create notes in matrix reports: leave comments, notes, explanations and questions for colleagues. Notes can be added both to the report in general, and to a specific document line. Service allows to conduct a branch of a discussion and to complete it final explanation / answer. All left comments can be exported in one of convenient formats: together with the report, in the form of text inserts in the document, or separate footnotes.

Multilevel calculations in reports (In-Tier Report Calculations) are developed. The new functionality allows to create local estimates, just adding calculated members to the report. For example, using this function it is possible to create the form of calculation of EBITDA or any other analytics without the need for adding of additional clauses and metrics.

The storage of documents (Document Repository) where it is possible to hold all documents connected with a budget campaign (methodology, orders, instructions) in all popular formats is created: doc, ppt, xls, pdf. Thanks to the useful Snapshot Reports function it is possible to make "copy" of the report in real time, with all comments and notes now. Further it can be used as the archive copy of the report to which if necessary it is possible to appoint the general access.

Emailing Reports allows to exchange reports with colleagues. For this purpose it is enough to send the link to the document by e-mail, without quitting the Adaptive Planning system.

Will help to group reports and save them in one book the module Report Books. The book of reports can be sent by mail entirely one link, without specifying the link for each separate report. Also it can be exported and used easily in financial reports or the presentations.

In the program there was a new type of the working panels containing the separate report (Reports on Dashboards). In combination with conditional formatting of the document this functionality significantly simplifies carrying out such important work as variance analysis.

The equation editor (Formula Assistant) is improved. Developers created more user-friendly interface and improved check of syntax and contents in all applications, including writing of formulas from the Formulas tab. Using the Archive Instance function it is possible to create the archive copy of budget model of the company together with data in the mode at the moment now "only for reading". It allows to carry out comparison of the reporting for different time frames if there were changes in a financial structure of the organization. Also on the archive copy it is possible to refer as to child model in relation to parent if to use the module of the multimodel application (Multiple Instance).

2013: New version 2013.2.1

On October 25, 2013 the Adaptive Planning company announced a release of the new version of SaaS product.

Key changes

The new version of a system differs in the improved interface of forms updated the module Adaptive Discovery and Adaptive Consolidation raised by quality of the mechanism of the automated regulations of approval of budgets. The range of instruments of creation of templates by means of a planning feature of scenarios and opportunities for work with formulas and accounts is expanded.

Within work with the updated module Adaptive Consolidation new options appeared: Process tracker (the tool for integrated management of collective accomplishment of tasks), the Registry (allows to trace up-to-date data about financial transactions), Reclassification (allows to perform repeated account classification).

In the new version of the solution well one-time data mapping from Adaptive Planning and Adaptive Consolidation along with other operational data and metrics - even under a working condition with large volumes of data.

The main characteristics of the updated solution SaaS of Adaptive Planning:

• Convenient visual representation of data by all organization
• Emphasis on data analysis
• Improvement of efficiency of action of a system by means of setup of planning on the basis of operational metrics
• Possibility of receiving complete idea of data thanks to the tools scanning information on different requests
• Quality improvement of elimination of influence of collateral factors in corporate environment.