The data held within all organisations has tell-tale signs of change hidden within it.

Analysis is the key to exploiting this information and using it to make beneficial decisions for the future of the business.

Performance

Data can be fed into IBM® Planning Analytics to create key performance indicators (KPIs), triggering managers into remedial action. Underperformance can be investigated using built-in features such as drillback; sandboxing and what-if scenario modelling. Rather than maintaining a short-term view of the situation, these activities form the basis of crucial long-term performance analysis.

Changing boundaries

A rapidly shifting environment makes achieving a return on investment harder. Analysis of the external changes which are impacting on your business in a real-time application allows for variance of the internal and external fundamentals of a financial model, leading to a more balanced view. Spitfire Analytics have created models within IBM® Planning Analytics for customers who need to better understand their portfolios; the ability to reassess assets and investments can be critical in maintaining value.

Strategic shift

The decision-makers within an organization rarely remain constant; promotions, departures and changes in leadership impact upon the nature of performance targets and KPIs set. One favoured strategy may be to focus on costs and how to control them. If the team driving that approach changes and is replaced by one focusing on sales, the required reports will not be well established in that area. IBM® Planning Analytics is fast to use when developing and implementing new reports and indicators, further enhanced by Workspace and the BI visualization available.

Build on success

Businesses cannot ignore the areas of the portfolio doing well; attention is required here to make sure success is transferred and built on if possible. With IBM® Planning Analytics, variance analysis, drilling into success versus failure and sending findings to stakeholders is all at your fingertips and virtually instantaneous.

Internal and external factors

By importing external factors into the company data, department strategists can reach a balanced assessment of what may lie ahead for the organization. A current cash cow may be flagged as struggling down the road and remedial scenario modelling can be used as a decision-making tool. Poorly performing parts of the business may well demonstrate a positive future trajectory once multiple versions of the future have been modelled, analysed and incorporated into the bigger picture.

View of your organization

Contact Spitfire Analytics to see how your business can make better use of all the data available to propel it forward; we will give you a clearer picture of the present and a brighter vision of the future.

Simon Bradshaw

I have worked in finance and business systems development since 2001 and am an associate member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants. In 2016 I became a founding member of Spitfire Analytics, a consultancy specialising in IBM Planning Analytics. We are committed to building long-term relationships across all industries. I focus on my CPD through CIMA and IBM badges, ensuring I am always abreast of best practice and developments within the industry.

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Spitfire have a depth of understanding not only in Cognos/TM1 technologies, but also in finance and accounting. It is this combination of expertise and their ability to get to the heart of business problems that has resulted in such confidence in their delivery and capabilities. The insight and value-add they have brought is evident.

- Peter Smith, Head of Solution Delivery, Edrington

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