smart FAQ

FAQ about the smartPM controlling solutions

There is a lot of practice-tested “out of the box” content of the smartPM solutions that arose from numerous projects. Nevertheless, the solutions are very flexible and easily adaptable to specific company requirements. The advantage of this combination is that users are able to work with the existing module content during the implementation phase, while the adjustments in the system are carried out together with our consulting team.
Yes, there are standard connectors to more than 50 pre-systems on the market. This affects ERP and CRM systems like SAP, Microsoft, ProAlpha, BMD, Salesforce, HubSpot etc.
Yes, exactly. smartPM solutions are database-based, use latest, market-leading CPM (“Corporate Performance Management”) technologies with access via mobile devices and a variety of market-leading browsers.
Yes, there is a continuous update of the data form all relevant data sources. The data is therefore 100% reliable and up-to-date. A department or management sees, for example, the changes made by another department immediately.
Yes, they can. Dashboards and reports can be adapted to the corporate CI (colors, fonts, etc.) and to different roles. The roles and responsibilities are defined in advance. For example, a CFO dashboard can contain the most important decision-relevant KPIs and scenario simulations.
Yes, e.g. for P&L, balance sheet, cash flow, commitment monitoring, personnel costs, project status, sales forecasts, (production) capacities, purchase prices, expenses etc.
Yes, all partial plans are linked automatically in a way that makes business sense as part of integrated planning.
Yes. It allows the reporting of risks with qualitative and quantitative data, as well as risk aggregation, risk avoidance measures and corresponding reporting.
Yes. The type (e.g. email, push messages) and time of the notifications can be defined individually.
Yes, there are different user roles that are pre-defined. These roles have different access rights and authorizations. The role concepts are part of the smartPM workflow which, starting with the company strategy through to operational implementation, includes all responsibilities, analysis and planning steps.
Yes. As part of the integrated planning, scenario/what-if simulations offer the best basis for decision-making for management. Thanks to the connected data, ad-hoc simulations requested by management can be carried out at any times. We get feedback from our customers that scenario simulations changed the employees’ way of thinking to be more “entrepreneurial” and increase the speed of decision-making. See e.g. case study List GC
We use machine learning algorithms (especially neural networks) in our solutions for our forecasts and get very precise forecasts through the self-learning AI. Our customers often include external market developments into their forecasts, which can be ideally taken into account using artificial intelligence. Artificial Intelligence also helps with data preparation and improves the data basis of analyzes. We have our own data scientists who are specialized in optimization problems and AI and take care of further development in the AI area.
Yes. There is a group consolidation solution from smartPM.solutions that takes current legal standards (IRFS, HGB, US-GAAP) into account and we have experts with a lot of know-how and project experience in this area.
Both is technically possible. However, we recommend cloud solutions for many reasons (security, maintainability, response/downtimes etc.), i.e. the subscription model.
Yes, a practice-proven workflow is integrated into the smartPM solutions, which leads from the definition of company goals to the operational implementation. Roles and responsibilities are assigned to each phase. Scenario analyzes can also be very helpful for strategy planning and goal setting.
Yes, users can add any language content to the module contents in addition to the standard languages.
It is best to arrange an expert meeting with us and we will discuss your requirements. In the course of this discussion, we will then show you the right solution in the software and answer all your questions.

We have a suitable planning solution for every area in the company. We offer Sales Performance Management, Marketing, Procurement, Product and Project Performance Management, S&OP, Risk, Consulting team and HR Performance Management solutions. All solutions can be used individually or connected. They all merge into a fully integrated planning and corporate management system. Which solution to start with depends on your preferences. Usually, it is the area with the biggest pain point. In any case, the smartPM product family is extendable step by step.
System support typically requires no more than 0,25-0,5 FTE of resources.
A medium-sized project takes about 3-6 months. The implementation of MS Power BI can be much faster – from approx. 10 days.
smartPM’s planning solutions can be implemented independently of the ERP system. The introduction of an ERP system often takes a long time and it makes no sense to wait for it. Our planning systems draw the data from various sources using standard connectors and can easily and quickly be connected to new systems at any time.
You should assign employees to implement the planning solution and relieve them of other activities for the implementation process. As a result, not only is the implementation done more quickly, but the users are also happier afterwards because they have time to get themselves familiar with the system. The better your requirements are defined in advance and the higher the motivation of the employees, the better the project will be in our experience.

FAQ for smartPM consulting

We have a project experienced team that mainly consists of (former) controller. If you make an online appointment for an expert discussion, we will take care of providing you with the right expert for the meeting. You will of course be notified who is speaking to you before the discussions.
We have a very experienced team with a lot of business and technological know-how. Right at the start – already at the proof of value, where we solve your use case – you get a dedicated contact person who is an expert in exactly this area. These experts are responsible for your entire project and work with you on an equal footing. Almost all of our consultants originally worked in the controlling department and therefore know the requirements. We don't have consultants, we have controller.
That’s exactly what we want. Your in-house team should be able to plan, budget, consolidate, forecast and analyze independently. In the implementation phase we work intensively with you and are always there for you afterwards, also within the framework of SLAs (“Service Level Agreements”) with guaranteed response times. That’s what we are known for.

We asked one of our customer and he said: With the proof of value/proof of concept, the company’s own requirements have to be solved by the respective providers using use cases. Dedicated teams, that will later carry out the project should also be introduced. You can then see very clearly whether the providers of the planning solutions “make an effort” and solve the use cases well or not. If you see that your requirements are already covered in the software in this pre-project phase, then that is definitely a good sign. You can tell right away whether the chemistry and know-how are right.
smartPM.solutions works on the basis of several market leading software technologies: Unit4 FP&A, Jedox and MS Power BI (with Acterys Connector). We chose these solutions with care and a lot of project experience, as we think that they cover all requirements from controller point of view. We recommend interested parties the technologies that is better suited to the existing system landscape and requirements. If, for example, MS Power BI is already used in the company, it can now be used with the market leading Acterys connection for integrated planning. You then plan directly in Power BI and no additional infrastructure is required.
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