EPM & BPC Training: Addressing the Needs of Adult Learners

Posted by Jennifer Harlan on Thu, Mar 07, 2013 @ 11:03 AM

No single model of training will be the best for all situations, and different learners have different learning styles. Many educators have only recently started to recognize using multiple learning styles when developing educational materials.

Topics: Enterprise Performance Management (EPM), Training, BPC (Business Planning & Consolidation)

Are you Ready for a BPC Upgrade?

Posted by David Meharry on Thu, Feb 28, 2013 @ 11:02 AM

At some point all software will be upgraded to take advantage of new features, new technology, and/or to keep in synchronization with other software which has been upgraded. I’ve assisted a number of companies with BPC software upgrades.  Some have been very quick and efficient while others were not as efficient as they could have been. 

Topics: Process Improvement, Enterprise Performance Management (EPM), Performance, BPC (Business Planning & Consolidation)

A lot of people use the terms dashboard and scorecard interchangeably, believing that the two are really one and the same. The reality is that they are quite different and are used for different Enterprise Performance Management (EPM) purposes. When discussing the differences, it is easy to make an analogy with two things that we are very familiar with: the dashboards in our cars, and the scorecards or report cards we all received in school. Like the dashboard in your car--which monitors speed, fuel level, and distance traveled.   

Topics: Process Improvement, Enterprise Performance Management (EPM)

Adding Value Through the Consolidation Process - Part One

Posted by Mike Sullivan on Wed, Feb 06, 2013 @ 09:02 AM

If you have recently evaluated replacing your consolidation system, you were undoubtedly faced with justifying the value of the solution. While a new solution will have a plenty of new features and performance benefits, at the end of the day, the accounting rules that need to be followed and the results being generated are the same. Today, we are seeing more consolidation system evaluations based not only on adding value, but more importantly their ability to integrate with and add value to the overall enterprise performance management (EPM) processes. Implementing SAP Business Planning and Consolidation (BPC) is one way of accomplishing that, particularly through the use of business process flows (BPFs).

Topics: Process Improvement, Enterprise Performance Management (EPM), Consolidation, Value, Data, BPC (Business Planning & Consolidation)

What's in a name? – A history lesson on the many name changes of what is now known as BPC.

Topics: Enterprise Performance Management (EPM), Value, BPC (Business Planning & Consolidation)

What is an EPM Installation Consultant? – Part 3: Post Implementation

Posted by Charles Dagaev on Fri, Jan 11, 2013 @ 09:01 AM

In Part 1 of this series, I discussed the differences between installation consultants and technical consultants. In Part 2, we dug into the details of technical landscape design. In this third and final post of the series, I'll outline some of the Column5 Technical Services that can help ensure your project keeps moving forward in the post implementation environment.

Topics: Process Improvement, Enterprise Performance Management (EPM), Performance, Implementation

What is an Installation Consultant? – Part 2: Landscape Design

Posted by Charles Dagaev on Wed, Jan 09, 2013 @ 09:01 AM

In Part 1 of this series, I discussed the differences between installation consultants and technical consultants. In Part 2, let's dig into the details of technical landscape design.

Topics: Process Improvement, Enterprise Performance Management (EPM), Performance, Implementation, BPC (Business Planning & Consolidation)

What is an Installation Consultant? – Part 1: Installation vs. Technical Consultants

Posted by Charles Dagaev on Mon, Jan 07, 2013 @ 09:01 AM

Column5 is the premier partner of SAP in the enterprise performance management (EPM) space, and in the Technical Services team, we often come across competitors' proposals and RFPs that refer to installation consultants as distinguished from a technical consultant role.

Topics: Enterprise Performance Management (EPM), Project Management, Performance, Implementation, BPC (Business Planning & Consolidation)

Death of the Budget – Long Live the Rolling Forecast

Posted by Martin Lloyd on Thu, Dec 27, 2012 @ 09:12 AM

I've been implementing planning solutions for many years. One of the areas that we often find on the agenda for a planning application design meeting -- or, if it's not on the agenda, something we will bring up -- is the question of whether the organisation has a separate budgeting cycle or whether the budget has been subsumed into a rolling forecast process.

Topics: Process Improvement, Excel, Enterprise Performance Management (EPM), Project Management, Innovation, Performance, Roadmap, Forecasting

Planning and Forecasting: Category Set-Up for SAP BPC

Posted by David Meharry on Tue, Dec 18, 2012 @ 09:12 AM

Whether you are just getting started with your Business Planning & Consolidation (BPC) implementation or looking for improvements to your existing implementation, best practices are often simple concepts that improve user satisfaction and reduce chances for errors.

Issue: Untrustworthy Data
One of the most frustrating things for users when it comes to planning and forecasting is data that they cannot trust. I recall one example where, after publishing executive reports, an analyst realized that their prior forecast had unexpectedly changed. The bad data was an accidental result of input templates, logic, and security being open for a prior forecast. Fortunately, the data was recovered, but not before a costly loss of time and resources. The error was the result of many manual steps in a process where all steps had to be done in exactly the right order. Prior to the forecast, there was a change in personnel. Even though proper knowledge transfer was done, the error still occurred.

Topics: BPC (Business Planning & Consolidation), Forecasting