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Acterys: How Writeback and Data Management Enhance Power BI and Excel for Business Analytics and Planning

Acterys enhances decision-making throughout the organization by integrating smoothly with Microsoft Power BI and Excel. The writeback and centralized data management capabilities of Acterys will extend the ability of even non–business analyst users to help with operational efficiency and financial planning.

Markets Served:

Acterys is a versatile platform that caters to a wide range of industries and business functions. Its core capabilities are tailored to serve the needs of:

• Finance and Accounting Teams: Enabling advanced financial planning, budgeting, and forecasting.
• Operations and Business Units: Providing real-time visibility and collaborative decision-making.
• IT and Data Management: Facilitating data consolidation, cleansing, and governance.

Key Features and Capabilities:

• Seamless Power BI and Excel Integration: Acterys leverages the familiarity and widespread adoption of Microsoft's business intelligence tools, enhancing them with powerful writeback and collaboration features.
• Sophisticated Writeback Functionality: The platform allows users to modify data, create scenarios, and input changes directly within Power BI and Excel, with real-time updates to the underlying data model.
• Consolidated Data Management: Acterys establishes a centralized SQL database to consolidate data from multiple sources, enabling a single source of truth for the organization.
• Workflow and Collaboration: The solution facilitates streamlined approval processes and enables users to add comments and annotations directly within reports and dashboards.
• Rapid Application Development: Acterys’ low-code/no-code approach empowers business users to build custom applications and reporting solutions within the Power BI and Excel ecosystem.

Proof Points and Customer Success:

• Operational Efficiency Gains: A propane company leveraged Acterys to provide real-time field data visibility, enabling better decision-making and cost savings.
• Improved Financial Planning and Analysis: Customers have reported enhanced collaboration, scenario planning, and data-driven insights within their finance and accounting functions.
• Consolidated Data Management: Organizations have successfully consolidated data from multiple sources, such as ERP systems and legacy applications, into a centralized, governed data platform.
• Rapid Solution Deployment: Acterys’ prebuilt Rapid Result Packs have allowed customers to quickly implement industry-specific solutions, reducing implementation timelines.

Source: SoftwareReviews’ Enterprise Performance Management (EPM) Software Data Quadrant Report, August 2024

Our Take

Acterys stands out in the market as a unique solution that seamlessly integrates with the widely adopted Microsoft Power BI and Excel platforms. By enhancing these tools with sophisticated writeback capabilities and a centralized data management approach, Acterys empowers organizations to make more informed, data-driven decisions across the enterprise.

The platform's ability to consolidate data from disparate sources and enable collaborative, scenario-based planning is particularly compelling. Acterys' focus on leveraging familiar tools like Power BI and Excel also reduces the learning curve for end users, facilitating faster adoption and broader utilization.

Beyond the typical financial planning and analysis (FP&A) function that this enterprise performance management (EPM) solution can serve, Acterys can be deployed beyond the FP&A team and build active models and scenarios through its writeback capabilities. The business can build applications with the confidence that data remains centralized in its SQL database and readily accessible.

As organizations continue to prioritize data-driven decision-making and the need for real-time insights, Acterys emerges as a compelling solution that can drive operational efficiency, financial planning, and overall business agility. Its versatility across industries and functions positions Acterys as a valuable partner for enterprises seeking to unlock the full potential of their data.

SoftwareReviews’ EPM Software Data Quadrant Report shows that customers give Acterys high scores across the board.