IBM Planning Analytics vs MicroStrategy comparison

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IBM Planning Analytics

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between IBM Planning Analytics and MicroStrategy based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

ROI

Sentiment score

6.8

IBM Planning Analytics boosts budgeting productivity but faces challenges from rising costs, prompting some companies to explore alternatives.

Sentiment score

7.7

MicroStrategy enhances reporting and visualization, boosts efficiency, reduces costs, yet quantifying ROI remains challenging for some users.

No quotes available

For more quotes and insights, download the IBM Planning Analytics report

No quotes available

For more quotes and insights, download the MicroStrategy report

Customer Service

Sentiment score

6.0

IBM Planning Analytics support is positive, yet response times vary; documentation, training, and multi-level support are valued.

Sentiment score

5.2

MicroStrategy offers generally responsive customer service, though pricing, technical support expertise, and response times, especially after hours, need improvement.

Instead, we rely on third-party partners recognized by IBM, who provide cost-effective support.

Financial Performance Manager at a retailer with 1,001-5,000 employees

We have a multi-level support system, with the initial level handled by the company we bought the license from and subsequent support from IBM.

For more quotes and insights, download the IBM Planning Analytics report

Responsable B.I at a retailer with 51-200 employees

I would rate the technical support from MicroStrategy as nine out of 10.

For more quotes and insights, download the MicroStrategy report

Lead Software Engineer at Momentus

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score

7.5

IBM Planning Analytics excels in scalability and real-time data, though complexity and pricing pose challenges for some users.

Sentiment score

7.6

MicroStrategy offers effective scalability, though challenges with large data volumes or architecture can require robust infrastructure and support.

Scalability is straightforward but it is pricey since it's a SaaS model priced per user.

Financial Performance Manager at a retailer with 1,001-5,000 employees

Scalability is quite hard to implement in TM1, largely since the on-premise installation chosen back in 2014.

For more quotes and insights, download the IBM Planning Analytics report

Responsable B.I at a retailer with 51-200 employees

MicroStrategy's scalability is good, as it has the possibility to read a lot of data and works fine with all the information that we have.

reviewer2772093

Analyst - IM at a healthcare company with 10,001+ employees

For more quotes and insights, download the MicroStrategy report

Stability Issues

Sentiment score

7.7

IBM Planning Analytics is stable and reliable, praised for robustness, supporting budgeting in various industries with few issues.

Sentiment score

7.3

MicroStrategy is stable and reliable, with most issues resolved through updates or proper setup, garnering positive feedback.

A stable platform prevents loss of time during this process.

For more quotes and insights, download the IBM Planning Analytics report

Responsable B.I at a retailer with 51-200 employees

I would rate the stability of MicroStrategy as nine out of 10.

For more quotes and insights, download the MicroStrategy report

Lead Software Engineer at Momentus

Room For Improvement

IBM Planning Analytics needs improved integration, pricing, visualization, user interface, functionality, automation, design, speed, and predictive analytics support.

MicroStrategy needs enhancements in usability, integration, and support, while addressing costly licensing and slow feature releases.

The abundance of features results in complexity, requiring strict guidelines for developers to ensure simplistic approaches are adhered to.

Responsable B.I at a retailer with 51-200 employees

IBM's visualization needs significant improvement.

For more quotes and insights, download the IBM Planning Analytics report

Financial Performance Manager at a retailer with 1,001-5,000 employees

Organizations that are well-established and have more money can afford MicroStrategy, but startups and mid-level organizations who do not have this much budget have to opt for other cheaper tools.

For more quotes and insights, download the MicroStrategy report

Lead Software Engineer at Momentus

I would appreciate improvements in MicroStrategy related to integration or sharing features with Power BI.

reviewer2772093

Analyst - IM at a healthcare company with 10,001+ employees

MicroStrategy could learn from Power BI's user-friendly interface.

AJIN S L

Technical Analyst at Allianz

Setup Cost

Enterprise IBM Planning Analytics has setup costs from consulting fees and varied licensing, offering market-standard ROI and compatibility.

MicroStrategy offers powerful features for large enterprises but is costly, with flexible licensing and competitive long-term ownership costs.

TM1 is quite expensive, and I'd rate the pricing as an eight out of ten.

Responsable B.I at a retailer with 51-200 employees

While IBM's solutions were costly before, the introduction of SaaS models has reduced prices significantly.

For more quotes and insights, download the IBM Planning Analytics report

Financial Performance Manager at a retailer with 1,001-5,000 employees

No quotes available

For more quotes and insights, download the MicroStrategy report

Valuable Features

IBM Planning Analytics enhances planning with flexible design, Excel integration, sandbox testing, machine learning, and user-friendly interface.

MicroStrategy provides scalable BI solutions with advanced visualization, mobile integration, robust security, and extensive SDK/API for customization.

Its stability helps controllers win time in their planning processes.

Responsable B.I at a retailer with 51-200 employees

It also integrates machine learning and AI engines, enabling us to use algorithms for inventory forecasting which optimizes our inventory and replenishment rates.

For more quotes and insights, download the IBM Planning Analytics report

Financial Performance Manager at a retailer with 1,001-5,000 employees

It's important because with MicroStrategy we can manage all our cubes and show data to our clients.

reviewer2772093

Analyst - IM at a healthcare company with 10,001+ employees

The MicroStrategy interface is not as good as Power BI, especially concerning the user-friendly aspects.

AJIN S L

Technical Analyst at Allianz

The most effective features of MicroStrategy for data analysis in my experience are the security, the metadata management, and the administration, along with the options of different workarounds available to accommodate different types of requirements.

For more quotes and insights, download the MicroStrategy report

Lead Software Engineer at Momentus

Categories and Ranking

IBM Planning Analytics

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Business Performance Management (6th)

MicroStrategy

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.5

Number of Reviews

162

Ranking in other categories

BI (Business Intelligence) Tools (8th), Embedded BI (2nd)

Mindshare comparison

While both are Business Intelligence solutions, they serve different purposes. IBM Planning Analytics is designed for Business Performance Management and holds a mindshare of 5.3%, down 9.2% compared to last year.
MicroStrategy, on the other hand, focuses on BI (Business Intelligence) Tools, holds 1.5% mindshare, down 3.4% since last year.

Business Performance Management Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
IBM Planning Analytics	5.3%
Anaplan	8.0%
Oracle Hyperion	6.2%
Other	80.5%

Business Performance Management

BI (Business Intelligence) Tools Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
MicroStrategy	1.5%
Microsoft Power BI	10.8%
Tableau Enterprise	7.6%
Other	80.1%

BI (Business Intelligence) Tools

Featured Reviews

Ensured functionality meets user needs, yet complexity remains a challenge

Responsable B.I at a retailer with 51-200 employees

Since I'm using TM1 as an old version of Planning Analytics, it wouldn't be fair to specify what needs improvement because it's possible these issues have already been addressed in newer versions. If we talk only about the TM1 engine, it's quite rich and possibly too rich, making it complex to perform simple tasks. The abundance of features results in complexity, requiring strict guidelines for developers to ensure simplistic approaches are adhered to. This complexity makes it hard to maintain and evolve developments.

Read full review

Provides strong data visualization and security while easing deployment across multiple sectors

Lead Software Engineer at Momentus

Read full review

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Comparison Review

it_user6330

Product Manager at a retailer with 10,001+ employees

May 2, 2013

MicroStrategy vs. Tableau

After a recent presentation, several attendees asked me about the applications of Visual Insights and Tableau. Many companies are investing in both tools and are trying to figure out the right tool for specific applications Tableau has found its sweet-spot as an agile discovery tool that analysts…

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

15%

Manufacturing Company

11%

Retailer

Educational Organization

Financial Services Firm

13%

Computer Software Company

Retailer

Healthcare Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	16
Midsize Enterprise	4
Large Enterprise	9

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	37
Midsize Enterprise	26
Large Enterprise	100

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about IBM Planning Analytics?

The most valuable features of IBM Planning Analytics for streamlining planning processes include a unified database where all data are centralized.

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for IBM Planning Analytics?

While IBM's solutions were costly before, the introduction of SaaS models has reduced prices significantly. Comparatively, IBM rates may be better than those of competitors, such as Hyperion ( /pro...

What needs improvement with IBM Planning Analytics?

IBM is behind competitors like Tableau ( /products/tableau-reviews ) and Power BI in terms of visualization. Their visuals are less innovative and practical with fewer varieties. IBM's visualizatio...

What do you like most about MicroStrategy?

The stability of the product is good.

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for MicroStrategy?

My company has many licenses for MicroStrategy because we can build reports in this tool. I don't know what the cost is for these licenses.

What needs improvement with MicroStrategy?

I don't have any issues with MicroStrategy and would not suggest how it can be improved. I would not change anything because it's a great tool to build reports. I would appreciate improvements in M...

Microsoft Power BI vs IBM Planning Analytics

Comparisons

Compared 18% of the time

SAP Analytics Cloud vs IBM Planning Analytics

Compared 14% of the time

Anaplan vs IBM Planning Analytics

Compared 9% of the time

IBM Cognos vs IBM Planning Analytics

Compared 7% of the time

Oracle Hyperion vs IBM Planning Analytics

Compared 7% of the time

More IBM Planning Analytics Competitors

Microsoft Power BI vs MicroStrategy

Compared 14% of the time

Tableau Enterprise vs MicroStrategy

Compared 12% of the time

QlikView vs MicroStrategy

Compared 7% of the time

SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence Platform vs MicroStrategy

Compared 7% of the time

Databricks vs MicroStrategy

Compared 6% of the time

More MicroStrategy Competitors

Product Reports

IBM Planning Analytics

Download IBM Planning Analytics product report

Download MicroStrategy product report

Also Known As

Cognos TM1, IBM Cognos TM1

No data available

Overview

IBM Planning Analytics is an integrated planning solution that uses AI to automate planning, budgeting, and forecasting and drive more intelligent workflows.

Built on TM1, IBM’s powerful calculation engine, this enterprise performance management tool allows you to transcend the limits of manual planning and become the Analytics Hero your business needs. Quickly and easily drive faster, more accurate plans for FP&A, sales, supply chain and beyond.

IBM

Company: Founded in 1989, MicroStrategy (Nasdaq: MSTR) is a leading worldwide provider of enterprise software platforms. With direct operations in 26 countries worldwide and approximately 2,000 employees, our mission is to provide enterprise analytics, mobility, and security platforms that are flexible, powerful, scalable and user-friendly. To learn more, visit MicroStrategy online, and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Product portfoilio:

MicroStrategy 10 Secure Enterprise™ empowers leading organizations to analyze vast amounts of data and distribute actionable business insight throughout an enterprise through two distinct offerings: MicroStrategy Analytics™ and MicroStrategy Desktop™. MicroStrategy Analytics delivers reports and dashboards, and enables users to conduct ad hoc analysis and share insights anywhere, anytime, via mobile devices or the Web. It also combines the agility and productivity of self-service visual data discovery with the security, scalability, and governance features of enterprise-grade business intelligence. MicroStrategy Desktop is a standalone, on-premise visual data discovery tool designed to enable business users to analyze and understand their data. MicroStrategy Mobile™ enables organizations to rapidly build custom business applications that deliver analytics combined with transactions, multimedia, and custom workflows to mobile devices. MicroStrategy Secure Cloud™ combines all of the enterprise analytics, mobile, and security features in MicroStrategy 10 Secure Enterprise with powerful and scalable data integration, validation, and warehousing services — all delivered in an environment where organizations can deploy transformational analytics applications in minutes.

Usher, MicroStrategy’s breakthrough security solution, is a powerful mobile security platform designed to dematerialize traditional forms of identity verification (such as passwords, tokens, and physical badges) and replace them with a single mobile identity badge that is cryptographically linked to its owner’s smartphone and dynamically linked to an enterprise’s existing identity repositories. Usher works on standard Android and iOS smartphones, and also boasts an Apple Watch™ integration.

Sample Customers

ManpowerGroup, Convergys, AIG, Orchard Brands, Citibank, InterGen, Northwestern University, EF Education First, Ironside, Bazan Group, CSOB Insurance, Macquarie Group, Charles Stanley, SATO, Government of Sint Maarten, BMW Financial Services

Allstate Insurance, Barneys New York, Boston Children's Hospital, Buenos Aires Department of the Treasury, Campbell Soup Company, DHL, eBay, eHarmony, Facebook, Four Seasons Hotels Inc., Godiva, Hard Rock International, LinkedIn, Netflix, Pfizer, SECO (Swiss Government Unemployment Agency), Starbucks, Texas A&M University, Thomson Reuters Markets, US House of Representatives, and the US Postal Service.

Business Performance Management