Vena is a distinct platform that has been constructed particularly for Microsoft365 with Power BI Embedded, made to enhance functionality with native Excel.
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There are several aspects of Vena that stand out: 1. The Excel-based interface made adoption very easy for us since we already work extensively in Excel. This allowed our team to maintain flexibility while benefitting from centralized data. 2. The platform provides structured workflows that made it easier for us to manage month-end, quarterly and year-end closings. 3. Vena also made it easier for us to generate reports and analyze actuals vs variance reports, enabling management to access financial insights more quickly.
I appreciate that all of Vena is online and I can access it across multiple devices. The log in process is easy and secure.
Automatically updating financial reports saves a lot of time each month. Budget templates with a workflow that can be directed to specific users have been great. Being able to continue to operate in excel had been a strength as well.
While Vena is a strong FP&A solution overall, there are a few areas where it could improve: 1. The initial implementation can be time-consuming, especially when building complex models and integrating multiple data sources. It requires proper planning and, in some cases, external support. 2. Although the Excel interface is user-friendly, some advanced features such as data modeling, template setup, and integrations can require additional training for new users. 3. While the reporting capabilities are solid, more flexibility in dashboards and visualization would be beneficial. In some cases, we still rely on Excel or external tools for more customized reporting.
1. I wish I could more easily lock rows/columns in Vena, so I can see what I'm working on after scrolling all the way to the left in a spreadsheet. 2. Between the current interface and the previous one. I believe in the change from integration to microsoft 365? They changed how to save your work completely. It used to be like any mircrosoft suite item file save and now its a small window that can be moved around or closed that you need to click save on. 3. Its not easy or intuitive to re open the small box window that has the save option after closing it.
The account reconciliation process isn't quite as functional as some other tools, but as a relatively low cost add-on it gets it done. Learning how the reporting works took a little time but after working on some reports you pick it up. Our primary dashboard refresh time is a bit slow.