What if I told you that a planning software exists today that has: - Reporting, visualization, and BI capabilities superior to Tableau and Looker - Flexible Excel-like modeling, along with native integrations to PowerPoint and Word - Full-fledged ETL capabilities with hundreds of native connectors - Capacity to handle virtually unlimited amounts of data and metadata, both structured and unstructured - The ability to save and run any number of scenarios - Fully customizable security at the database, table, and app-level - Tailored web and mobile apps built on a low-code platform rated higher than ServiceNow and Salesforce - Robust workflow orchestration - Industry-leading AI capabilities - Free training resources and a massive community Would you believe that this exists today, and all for $20-$70 per license with no annual contract? The answer is Microsoft. While Microsoft is not listed as a direct competitor in the EPM space, the reality now is that with M365, Power Platform, and Fabric, all the pieces for a compelling planning solution already exist. This platform strategy is only now coming into full view and therefore will not be obvious to IT teams and FP&A teams who have been accustomed to seeking standalone EPM solutions or paid Excel add-ons. If like most FP&A teams, you are already using Excel, you are already on this path. But Excel is now only the tip of the iceberg in terms of Microsoft’s planning capabilities. While this route won’t be right for every organization, it should be considered as a real alternative going forward. Exploring the entire platform can be daunting - although each piece is accessible, use cases are virtually limitless and go well beyond planning into execution and strategy. If you’re interested in exploring this path, our OVG team would love to hear from you. #financialplanning #lowcode #EPM
