By John O'Rourke February 21, 2018
Well it's that time of year. The 2018 Winter Olympics are here, but it's also the time when IT industry analysts start publishing their reviews and evaluations of key vendors in the corporate performance management (CPM) software market. Last week, Nucleus Research published their 2018 CPM Technology Value Matrix, and recognized OneStream Software as one of the leaders in the market.
The Nucleus Approach
Nucleus Research takes a different approach to their vendor rankings vs. other IT analyst firms. Through the analysis of user experiences, Nucleus evaluates software vendors based on functionality and usability – key drivers of value - and places them into four categories: Leaders, Experts, Facilitators, and Core Providers.
According to Nucleus, customers can use the Value Matrix to create vendor shortlists as well as to make the case for maintaining existing applications. The Matrix is designed to be a complement to Gartner's Magic Quadrant by providing a view of the relative value of competing solutions that is aligned with the buying cycle.
The usability rating factors in end user ease of use (both for developers and casual users) and ease of deployment. The functionality rating spans a broad range of criteria from both the financial planning and analysis (FP&A) side and accounting side, including;
- Planning, budgeting, and forecasting (PBF)
- Modeling and what-if scenario generation
- Reporting
- Financial close and consolidation (FCC)
- Account reconciliation
- Risk and audit management
- Disclosure management
- Data integration with ERP, HCM, or other systems.
First Time Entrant OneStream Named a Leader
This was the first year OneStream Software was evaluated by Nucleus Research, so quite an accomplishment that the company was recognized as one of the Leaders. OneStream earned one of the top placements for both usability and functionality among the leaders in the CPM Value Matrix report.
Said Barbara Peck, principal analyst at Nucleus Research, "OneStream's breadth
of functionality across strategic and financial CPM solution processes competes well against top vendors in either of these camps. As such, the product offers a strong alternative to the robustness of on-premise Hyperion (or other legacy product) deployments which span a similar range of functions. On the usability side, customers consistently reported strong vendor support and a positive deployment experience.
In the Nucleus Research interviews of OneStream customers, one customer said: "Everything they have is built on one platform, and to me that is one of the differentiators. What it means is that nothing ever breaks. I've had them implemented for three years and there has been zero downtime, ever – even with the multiple upgrades that have taken place in that time." Customers found the "guided workflow" style interface easy to train on and use and remarked that upgrading is exceptionally easy.
Commenting on the report, OneStream CEO Tom Shea said, "This is our first year being covered by Nucleus Research, and our placement in the leader's quadrant is a testament to the power of our platform and strategy. A key measurement of the Nucleus Research Value Matrix is the ability to provide maximum value over time and our SmartCPM platform and XF MarketPlace solutions do just that. Our customers sought a solution that could not only meet their immediate needs in financial reporting and planning, but also easily be extended to address additional requirements and continually deliver more value without additional cost or complexity."
To learn more about the Nucleus Research point of view on the CPM market, and why OneStream was recognized as one of the leaders, download a free copy of the report. Contact OneStream if we can be of assistance in replacing legacy CPM solutions and improving your CPM processes.
John O'Rourke is Vice President of Product Marketing at OneStream Software. With a background in accounting and finance, John has over 30 years of experience in the software industry, including 20 years of experience in product marketing at Hyperion Solutions, Oracle and Host Analytics. He has worked with many customers and partners on financial reporting and planning initiatives and has spoken and written on many topics in corporate performance management. John has also held positions in strategic marketing and product marketing at Dun & Bradstreet Software, Kenan Systems and Decisyon. Find me on:
