Bill.com vs IBM Planning Analytics

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Our analysts compared Bill.com vs IBM Planning Analytics based on data from our 400+ point analysis of Accounting Software, user reviews and our own crowdsourced data from our free software selection platform.

Bill.com Software Tool
IBM Planning Analytics Software Tool

Product Basics

Bill.com is a cloud-based software solution provider that automates financial processes for small and medium-scale businesses. It streamlines accounts payable and receivable management and uses AI and machine learning to reduce tedious data entry and manual errors. As an end-to-end option, it connects businesses with suppliers and clients to assist them in managing cash inflows and outflows.
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IBM Planning Analytics is a multidimensional in-memory database for analytics and planning. Part of the IBM Analytics Suite and powered by TM1, it provides forecasting, budgeting and reporting at an enterprise scale through data compression. With all data connected to a central hub, it enables collaborative planning with workflow approvals and review protocols in place. Enterprises perform OLAP analysis faster through in-memory technology.

Integrating with Microsoft Excel, it gives businesses the ease and familiarity of working with spreadsheets with the power of an enterprise database. With automated time-series modeling, it enables self-service predictive analysis. The vendor offers a 30-day free trial.
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$25/User, Monthly
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Tailored to your specific needs
$825 Monthly
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Tailored to your specific needs
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Chromebook
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Mobile
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Mobile

Product Assistance

Documentation
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Live Online
Videos
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Videos
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Email
Phone
Chat
FAQ
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Knowledge Base
24/7 Live Support
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24/7 Live Support

Product Insights

  • Gain Control: Set up approval workflows and custom roles to suit the department and team. Check pending approvals, sent invoices and other payment activity from the dashboard. 
  • Everything is Synchronized: Connect with leading accounting and payment tools to speed up reconciliations and keep the books consistent. 
  • Conduct International Business: Pay vendors in multiple countries and log in multiple currencies with ACH payments, international wires, virtual cards or checks. 
  • Guaranteed Security: Ensure premium data integrity through Transport Layer Security for data encryption and transmission. 
  • Boost Efficiency: Automate manual work, minimizing the possibility of error or duplicate entry, thereby saving time and boosting efficiency. 
  • Quick Account Receivables: Pay clients two times faster with digital invoices, automatic reminders and electronic payments. Set alerts and speed up accounts receivable with electronic payments. 
  • Simplify Accounts Payable: Save half the time otherwise spent on getting paid from national and international vendors. Gain more control, flexibility and visibility with the variety of payment options. Direct bills and review the notes through pre-determined approval workflows 
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  • Maximize ROI: Save time for analysis of trends, business performance and results by creating project plans faster. Reallocate budget and resources by leveraging deep insights into business performance and market trends. Collaborate with others on a single, unified platform with total transparency and visibility into business data, available for all plans. 
  • Boost Sales: Win more business opportunities – boost annual sales quotas and deal sizes through end-to-end sales workflows. Grow revenue and reduce time to insight with robust sales analytics. Track campaigns for performance monitoring in real time and deep dive into data for buying behavior and customer churn analysis. 
  • Financial Planning and Analysis: Optimize the business’ performance through valuable financial insights. Ensure the business is on track by creating and managing plans, budgets and forecasts. Simplifies the budgeting process through real-time calculations with automatic application of business rules. 
  • Optimize Supply Chain: Create more accurate demand forecasts, get a clearer view of the resources and budget required to fulfill projected demand and update production plans accordingly. View historical data and drill down into summaries for deep-dive analysis and add visuals to spot key KPI trends. 
  • Workforce Planning: Increase the workforce’s efficiency by acquiring and retaining skilled employees at the right time. Effectively manage staff schedules, task assignment and performance tracking through workforce analytics and HR planning tools. 
  • Deploy Anywhere: Access the same data from everywhere with the flexibility to deploy on-premise, in the cloud or as a combination of both. 
  • Scalable: Build and change plans flexibly in real time to match business requirements. Scales with increasing data volumes, number of users and planning models, without impacting existing workflows and performance. 
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  • Automated Cleaning House Network: Get paid and receive payments faster with ACH payment processing that’s safe, speedy and cost-effective. Minimize the possibility of paper check theft with digital payments. 
  • International Payment: Send and receive payments from across the globe, and make workflows more efficient by processing domestic and international transactions for more than 130 countries. 
  • Automatically Sync the Data: Sync USD and local currency bills with leading accounting software packages like QuickBooks, Sage Intacct, Xero and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central. 
  • Software Integration: Connect with the existing accounting software and allow data to flow between systems to keep everything up to date. Export information through templates, import bills and invoices to keep them up to date. 
  • Accounts Payable: Import invoices without any manual intervention. Get control, flexibility and visibility by using multiple payment options and tracking facilities. 
  • Accounts Receivable: Create and customize professional invoice templates for regular customers. Automate account receivables with automatic charges and payments. Get quick information on the receivables by tracking the status. 
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  • Architecture: Leverage a three-tier client-server architecture that includes a database, application server and front end, with data stored centrally in the OLAP server. 
    • TM1: Employs an efficient data compression algorithm to enable faster planning and analytics. Create business models by combining multiple data sources with manual input for effective decision-making. 
  • Workspace: Create and access all plans and forecasts through its web-based interface. Grant role-based access to team members down to cell-level granularity. Collaborate on plans through chats and cell comments in the workspace. 
    • Data Visualizations: Choose from a rich library of visualizations to apply that includes bullet charts, waterfall charts, treemaps, word clouds and more. Input data intuitively to specific slots through drag-and-drop actions, and customize fonts and styles for personalized branding. 
    • Books and Views: Access related data in the form of web sheets, scorecards, videos and embedded web pages from a single interface. Leverage defined selections of a data cube — views — for analysis and data exploration, and export as an Excel worksheet. 
  • Performance Tracking: Compare targets with actual results, and with actual performance over time. Quickly find the desired metrics and create visually compelling scorecards such as impact diagrams, strategy maps and custom diagrams. Add existing scorecards to books and analyze data over different periods, metrics and dimensions. 
  • Data Modeling: Autonomously build a financial model by converting business requirements into cubes, dimensions, hierarchies and calculations. Transform and load data easily into a financial model, without the need to code. 
  • Sandbox Environments: Work in a sandbox to manipulate data as needed in real time without impacting actual data. Compare different scenarios and test assumptions to see the impact of potential decisions. 
  • Microsoft Excel Integration: Go beyond what spreadsheets can do – perform multi-dimensional analysis and big data exploration within the Excel interface, retaining its full functionality and formatting. Find answers to business questions by creating reports from Cognos TM1 through interactive drag-and-drop actions. 
  • AI-Based Automation: Speed up planning cycles and get more reliable results. Create plans, forecasts and budgets through automated model creation, natural language processing and cognitive analytics. 
  • On-Demand Module: Generate dynamic dashboards from existing Excel spreadsheets through autonomous data exploration. Move from annual planning to rolling forecasts based on real-time information by identifying variances in plans caused by external data. 
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Product Ranking

#42

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Accounting Software

#335

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Accounting Software

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User Sentiment Summary

Great User Sentiment 2020 reviews
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85%
of users recommend this product

Bill.com has a 'great' User Satisfaction Rating of 85% when considering 2020 user reviews from 5 recognized software review sites.

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4.3 (14)
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4.4 (1165)
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4.2 (523)
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4.4 (6)
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3.9 (312)
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Synopsis of User Ratings and Reviews

Automated Workflow: Streamlines invoice processing, approval, and payment, saving time and reducing errors.
Centralized Platform: Manages all accounts payable and accounts receivable functions in one place, providing a comprehensive view of cash flow.
Seamless Integrations: Connects with popular accounting software, banks, and payment gateways, eliminating manual data entry and reconciliation.
Robust Reporting: Provides detailed insights into spending, cash flow, and vendor performance, enabling informed decision-making.
Improved Vendor Relationships: Automates vendor payments, reduces late fees, and strengthens supplier relationships.
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Flexible Modeling: Users praise the software's ability to handle complex planning scenarios with ease, such as building detailed driver-based models for budgeting and forecasting.
Improved Collaboration: The platform facilitates better communication and data sharing among teams, streamlining the budgeting and forecasting process.
Powerful Reporting and Analytics: Users appreciate the robust reporting features, allowing them to generate insightful reports and dashboards for data visualization and analysis.
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Lack of Customization: Limited flexibility in customizing reports, workflows, and user permissions, making it difficult to adapt to specific business needs.
Limited Integration Options: Fewer pre-built integrations with other business applications compared to competitors, leading to manual data entry and potential errors.
Inconsistent User Interface: The user interface can be inconsistent across different modules, resulting in a steep learning curve and reduced efficiency.
Slow Response Times: Users have reported experiencing slow loading times and delays when processing large volumes of transactions or generating reports.
Limited Functionality for Complex Accounting: May not offer advanced features required for complex accounting needs, such as multi-entity consolidation or specialized industry-specific functions.
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Steep Learning Curve: Users have reported that IBM Planning Analytics can be difficult to learn, especially for those without prior experience with similar tools. Its interface and terminology can feel overwhelming initially.
Limited Reporting Capabilities: Some users have expressed frustration with the reporting functionality within Planning Analytics, finding it less intuitive and flexible compared to dedicated reporting tools. They desire more advanced formatting and customization options for presenting financial data.
Performance Issues: Users have occasionally encountered performance issues, particularly when dealing with large datasets or complex calculations. This can slow down budgeting and forecasting processes, impacting overall productivity.
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Users highly rate Bill.com's user-friendly interface, time-saving automation features, and excellent customer support. They appreciate the ability to easily track invoices, automate payments, and reconcile bank statements. Compared to other accounting software, Bill.com stands out for its seamless integration with popular business applications and its robust reporting capabilities. These strengths make it a valuable tool for businesses looking to streamline their financial operations and improve efficiency. While Bill.com excels in many areas, users have also noted some limitations. Some users find the software's pricing structure to be higher than competitors, and the lack of advanced inventory management features may be a drawback for businesses with complex inventory needs. Additionally, the software's reliance on an internet connection can be a concern for businesses that require offline access. Overall, Bill.com is an excellent choice for businesses seeking a user-friendly and efficient accounting solution. Its strengths in automation, integration, and reporting make it a valuable tool for streamlining financial operations. However, businesses with advanced inventory management needs or those requiring offline access may need to consider alternative options.

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User reviews from the past year suggest IBM Planning Analytics is a powerful tool for businesses seeking to streamline their financial planning and analysis processes. Users praise its robust features, particularly its budgeting, forecasting, and reporting capabilities. One standout feature is its ability to handle complex "what-if" scenarios, allowing businesses to model different outcomes based on various factors, which is crucial for making informed decisions in a volatile market. However, users also point out some drawbacks. The learning curve can be steep, especially for those unfamiliar with similar software. Some users find the interface less intuitive than competitors like Anaplan or Cube, and the pricing can be a significant investment for smaller businesses. Despite these weaknesses, users generally agree that IBM Planning Analytics offers a comprehensive solution for businesses needing advanced planning and analysis capabilities. Its ability to integrate with other IBM products and handle large datasets makes it particularly well-suited for larger enterprises with complex financial operations.

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