Latest research from BARC’s analyst team

BARC Data, BI and Analytics Trend Monitor 2024

Infographic: “BARC Data, BI & Analytics Trend Monitor 2024”

The BARC Data, BI & Analytics Trend Monitor 2024 is the latest edition of BARC’s annual review of the trends shaping the market.

Based on a worldwide survey of 2,398 people from companies of various sizes and industries, this infographic highlights some of the key findings from the study.

Click here to find out more and download the full study.

 

 

Boost Finance Productivity with Unified Performance Management

Infographic: “Boost Finance Productivity with Unified Performance Management”

“Boost Finance Productivity with Unified Performance Management” is a Topical Survey published by BARC in October 2023. Our study examines the following questions:

  • –– What paths are companies taking to unify performance management, and how far have they come?
  • –– What are their goals and what challenges do they face in implementing them?
  • –– What sets apart the most successful companies in this endeavor?

Based on a worldwide survey of 198 practitioners and leaders from companies of various sizes and industries, this infographic highlights some of the key findings from the study.

Click here to find out more and download the full study.

Infographic: Boost Finance Productivity with Unified Performance Management

Data Mesh study

Infographic: “Data Mesh: Game Changer or Just Hot Air?”

“Data Mesh: Game Changer or Just Hot Air?” is a Topical Survey published by BARC in May 2023. Our study examines the following questions:

  • – Is data mesh being applied in practice and how is it understood?
  • – What functional, technical and organizational measures are companies taking to introduce data mesh and how far have they come so far?
  • – Does data mesh place special demands on the technology?
  • – Is it possible to implement it in an established data landscape, or is it necessary to start from scratch?

Based on a worldwide survey of 345 practitioners and leaders from companies of various sizes and industries, this infographic highlights some of the key findings from the study.

Click here to find out more and download the full study.

Data Mesh infographic

Data Warehouse and Data Vault Adoption Trends

Infographic: “Data Warehouse and Data Vault Adoption Trends”

Data Warehouse and Data Vault Adoption Trends – Modeling, Modernization, and Automation” is a market research study jointly published by BARC and Eckerson Group. This global survey-based report examines data warehouse and data vault adoption trends in modern analytics environments, including architecture types, priorities, and automation.

Based on a worldwide survey of 238 data and analytics practitioners and leaders from companies of various sizes and industries, this infographic highlights some of the key findings from the study.

Click here to find out more and download the full study.

Data Warehouse and Data Vault Adoption Trends infographic

 

BARC Score Integrated Planning and Analytics 2023

BARC Score Integrated Planning & Analytics 2023

Senior Analyst Christian Fuchs discusses the new edition of BARC Score Integrated Planning & Analytics (IP&A). Published at the end of March 2023, it assesses the market for integrated planning and analytics solutions and portfolios, helping readers to find the right software solution to meet their needs.

The market and competition remain dynamic and complex for many companies and industries. The future is characterized by cost pressure, resource scarcity and volatility. In particular, satisfying customer needs and securing liquidity in volatile markets require quick decisions and decisive action.

These increasing dynamics require adjustments in corporate management and planning in order to meet growing demands. Flexible decision support and the short-term updating of targets and forecasts are becoming increasingly important. Corporate planning and forecasting must be done efficiently and in shorter cycles and must be updated quickly to promote sound decision-making. This cannot be achieved without the proper software support.

Modern corporate management focuses on increasing the organization’s own performance (performance management). Decision-makers need up-to-date and high-quality information in order to make the right decisions quickly. For this, plans and forecasts must be regularly updated and interlinked with data analytics. The integration of corporate planning and analytics is therefore of particular importance.

To help you find the right software solution for your needs, BARC Score Integrated Planning & Analytics evaluates the market for integrated planning and analytics solutions and portfolios.

The software market for integrated planning & analytics

The market comprises a wide range of offerings. In addition to globally active providers, many local specialists are thriving.

Solutions considered in this BARC Score must meet a number of requirements. Comprehensive functionality for planning, budgeting and forecasting is essential to be included in the analysis. Relevant core functions focus on the entire planning process (creation of planning models and masks, handling of the planning process, supporting planning functions). Here, the planning of financial topics is every bit as important as operational planning (e.g., sales, production, resources, etc.).

In addition, solutions must have comprehensive functions for analytics and business intelligence (e.g., for reporting, analysis and dashboards). A high degree of user-friendliness and seamless integration between all solution components is a decisive feature of market-leading solutions.

This BARC Score focuses on the market-leading providers with widespread product portfolios. For this reason, vendors must also meet general criteria in addition to their functional capabilities. These include a minimum licence and maintenance turnover as well as their geographical distribution and reach. Since there are two editions of BARC Score Integrated Planning & Analytics – a global edition and one that focuses specifically on the DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) – providers must be able to demonstrate a significant number of implementations as well as licence and maintenance sales in the respective regions.

The vendors that met our criteria this year are:

Vendor Included in BARC Score IP&A Global Included in BARC Score IP&A DACH
Anaplan
Board International
Corporate Planning
IBM
insightsoftware
Jedox
OneStream
Oracle
Planful
Prophix
SAP
Serviceware
Unit4
Wolters Kluwer
Workday

Figure 1: Products featured in BARC Score Integrated Planning & Analytics 2023

In addition to the providers listed above, there are numerous other interesting and emerging players that were not included in our analysis because they do not yet meet the aforementioned inclusion criteria.

The results of BARC Score Integrated Planning & Analytics 2023

Many of the solution offerings evaluated have now reached a high degree of maturity. Six “Challengers” are now hot on the heels of the seven “Market Leaders”. We classify well-established providers that achieve strong market penetration as “Market Leaders”. Their product portfolio enjoys a high degree of recognition in the market and covers an extensive range of integrated technologies and requirements. They have a solid product strategy and financial position, convincing sales and marketing programs, and a strong partner network and ecosystem. The “Challengers” segment often includes smaller, innovative providers with a promising product portfolio but lower global penetration, as well as some larger providers that either pursue a specific product and application focus or face the challenge of seamless portfolio integration following acquisitions.

Some vendors have posted impressive growth figures over the past year. At the same time, there is still plenty of demand for commercial software solutions on the user side, despite concerns about the economic future. Many providers therefore expect further growth in 2023 and plan to expand their portfolios.

BARC Score Integrated Planning & Analytics 2023 chart

Figure 2: BARC Score Integrated Planning & Analytics (Global) 2023
(The unredacted graph is available in the full report)
© BARC 2023

Support for your software selection process

BARC Score Integrated Planning & Analytics was published on March 30, 2023. The analysis we present can help you to drive your own software selection process. Well-founded descriptions of the providers and their solution portfolios, including a strengths/weaknesses analysis, allow you to compare them with your own requirements.

Related reading:

BARC Score Integrated Planning & Analytics

BARC Score Financial Performance Management 2023

The State of ESG & Sustainability Reporting featured image

Infographic: “The State of ESG & Sustainability Reporting”

“The State of ESG & Sustainability Reporting – Challenges Tools and Outlook” is a BARC market research study that examines the major hurdles on the road to smooth and trusted ESG reporting and how leading organizations tackle these challenges, their motivation, approaches and the tools they use to ensure the flow of trusted data.

Based on a worldwide survey of 283 companies of various sizes and industries, this infographic highlights some of the key findings from the study.

Click here to find out more and download the full study.

The State of ESG & Sustainability Reporting infographic

 

BARC Score 2023

BARC Score Financial Performance Management 2023

Senior Analyst Christian Fuchs offers his thoughts on the new edition of BARC Score Financial Performance Management (FPM). Published in March 2023, it provides support in the selection of a suitable software solution for FPM requirements and processes. It analyzes the strengths and challenges of all leading providers and gives an up-to-date, independent and reliable summary of the software market.

The monitoring, management and control of financial performance is essential to ensure survival, especially in economically uncertain times. Market dynamics, fueled by current crises, disrupted supply chains, scarcity of resources and high costs, currently pose challenges for many companies. These include not only transparency in financial processes but, above all, securing liquidity.

The support of modern and requirements-oriented software solutions is an essential element in facing these challenges head on. In this context, the integration of various FPM processes in uniform software platforms creates a central source of information for decision-making. The core processes here include group consolidation and financial statement management, financial planning and forecasting as well as reporting and the analysis of financial data.

The software market for financial performance management

The vendors evaluated in this BARC Score focus on group consolidation, financial planning, financial reporting and related areas. They must cover a good range of FPM functions with the evaluated product portfolio and achieve a minimum level of license and maintenance revenue with the solutions under consideration. In addition, criteria such as the geographical distribution and reach of a provider must also be met.

This BARC Score is published in two versions – a global version and a version that concentrates on the DACH region (Germany, Austria and Switzerland).

The providers that met our criteria this year are:

Vendor Included in BARC Score FPM Global Included in BARC Score FPM DACH
Anaplan
Board International
Corporate Planning
IBM
insightsoftware
Jedox
LucaNet
OneStream
Oracle
Planful
Prophix
SAP
Serviceware
Unit4
Wolters Kluwer
Workday

Figure 1: Products featured in BARC Score Financial Performance Management 2023

In addition to the providers listed above, the appendix contains a short summary of many of the other interesting and emerging players in this competitive market.

The results of the BARC Score Financial Performance Management 2023

The global FPM software market offers numerous powerful and mature products.

While the market-leading providers have expanded their leading positions in 2023, many others are emerging as challengers. Products in the “Challengers” segment are often corporate performance management tools that also focus on topics such as group consolidation and financial statement preparation, financial planning and financial reporting. Other vendors have strengthened through acquisition and face the challenge of seamless portfolio integration.

In comparison, the “Market Leaders” offer a comprehensive portfolio for FPM. In addition to established market penetration, they enjoy strong brand recognition and convince with a solid product strategy and financial position, sales and marketing programs, and a strong partner network and ecosystem.

Many providers are working on broadening their own offering. Those that come from areas such as corporate consolidation and financial planning have a strong focus on expanding their capabilities for reporting and operational planning, while those from the areas of corporate planning and analytics are rounding out their offerings with solutions and functions for group consolidation.

The current high demand for commercial software solutions is reflected in particular in the area of market execution (y-axis). Several providers experienced growth in 2022, which is reflected in a strong gain in new customers and significant revenue growth.

BARC Score FPM Global 2023 graphic

Figure 2: BARC Score Financial Performance Management Global 2023
(The unredacted graph is available in the full report)
© BARC 2023

Support for your software selection process

You can find more information about the current edition of BARC Score Financial Performance Management here. The detailed market analysis offers well-founded descriptions of the providers and their solution portfolios including a strengths/weaknesses analysis. This will help you drive your own software selection process and allow you to compare the solution offerings with your own requirements.

Related reading:

BARC Score Financial Performance Management

BARC Score Integrated Planning & Analytics 2023

 

Trend Monitor 2023

Infographic: “BARC Data, BI & Analytics Trend Monitor 2023”

The BARC Data, BI & Analytics Trend Monitor 2023 is the latest edition of BARC’s annual review of the trends shaping the market.

Based on a worldwide survey of 1,823 people from companies of various sizes and industries, this infographic highlights some of the key findings from the study.

Click here to find out more and download the full study.

BARC Trend Monitor infographic

 

 

Infographic: “BARC Data Culture Survey 23”

“BARC Data Culture Survey 23 – How To Liberalize Data Access To Empower Data Users” is a BARC market research study that examines how companies can improve their data culture and the obstacles they are likely to face along the way.

Based on a worldwide survey of 384 companies of various sizes and industries, this infographic highlights some of the key findings from the study.

Click here to find out more and download the full study.

Data Culture Survey 23 infographic

 

Predictive Planning and Forecasting On The Rise

Infographic: “Predictive Planning and Forecasting on the Rise – Hype or Reality?”

Predictive Planning and Forecasting on the Rise – Hype or Reality?” is a 2022 BARC report based on a survey of 295 companies.

It examines the nature and current level of use of predictive planning and forecasting and draws comparisons with the results of past BARC studies.

This infographic highlights some of the key findings from the study.

Click here to find out more and download the full study.

Predictive Planning & Forecasting infographic