Cloud xP&A is a platform-centric enterprise planning strategy to extend financial planning and analysis (FP&A) with multidiscipline planning capabilities that are packaged, marketed and sold as an integrated operational planning solution. xP&A solutions must include a cohesive, composable, data-harmonized vendor platform that can accommodate emerging technologies, horizontal functional and vertical-specific solutions for their target market(s)
Gartner defines financial close and consolidation solutions (FCCS) as applications that enable CFOs and their teams to manage the organization’s group close, consolidation and reporting processes. The FCCS market equips organizations to (1) manage and drive financial control across their close cycles through configurable workflows and dashboards that support collaboration and provide a centralized auditable view; (2) execute financial consolidation across multiple legal entities (LEs) and geographies; (3) meet accounting standards for currency translation, intercompany elimination and top-side adjustments; and (4) generate reporting that adheres to generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and regional compliance.
Gartner defines financial planning software as the key tool that enables better decision making and resource allocation by supporting planning, budgeting and forecasting processes. It connects relevant operational and driver data to profit and loss, balance sheet and cash-flow financial statements. The software offers enhanced decision support and analytics that can be customized to unique planning requirements through data integration, data modeling, workflow and reporting capabilities. These capabilities all enhance a user’s ability to effectively manage the planning process and financial performance.
Retail assortment management applications (RAMAs) are a foundational component of modern category management solutions for long life cycle products. Using data & analytics and AI technology, RAMAs can curate targeted assortments to create compelling customer experiences, leading to an increase in sales conversion. Long life cycle products in retail include categories such as grocery, consumables and hard goods. The long life cycle retailers’ traditionally broad approach to assortments is not satisfying customers’ demands for more curated assortments to match their lifestyles. Local trends mean that even more granular store-specific assortments are necessary. Advanced analytics, algorithms, AI and automation will play pivotal roles in driving this transformation through better customer understanding and alignment.
Gartner defines the retail merchandise financial planning (MFP) solution market as the planning and analysis of pre- and in-season merchandising strategy that enables merchandisers to optimize sales, profit and inventory, and effectively communicate KPIs to stakeholders across the organization. Modern MFP solutions automate data processing and workflow and leverage AI data analytics and machine learning to create statistical modeling. MFP is a vital component of retail business planning. It involves merchandisers initiating the strategic planning process for an upcoming season or period and managing its execution during the season. MFP encompasses sales forecasting, inventory receipts, margin and stock-level projections across the product hierarchy, channels, and various product and business attributes. MFP solutions can bridge and facilitate a seamless “talk to finance” working relationship to formulate short- and long-term strategic plans. MFP solution implementations have proven use cases that have delivered direct improvements to KPIs such as reducing inventory levels and increasing profitability.
Gartner defines sales performance management (SPM) as a suite of applications that enable the implementation and administration of commission-based incentive plans for sellers and other revenue producers, with variable short-term incentives. Vendors typically offer seat-based platform access for sales operations leaders, frontline sales leaders, territory managers and finance roles. Clients may integrate SPM applications with their customer relationship management toolset for workflow and data connectivity, and for opportunity estimation to drive seller behavior.
Gartner defines supply chain planning (SCP) solutions as platforms that provide technological support to enable a company to manage, link, align, collaborate and share its planning data across an extended supply chain. An SCP solution supports planning, ranging from demand planning through detailed supply-side response planning, and from strategic planning to execution-level planning. It is the planning decision repository for a defined end-to-end supply chain. It is also the environment in which end-to-end-integrated supply chain decisions are managed. It establishes a single version of the truth for planning data and decisions, regardless of the underlying execution technology environment.
A talent management (TM) suite is an integrated set of modules that supports an organization’s need to plan, attract, develop, reward, engage and retain talent. The modules offer functionality that includes the areas of workforce planning, recruiting and onboarding, performance appraisal, goal management, learning management, competency management, career development, succession and compensation. The functional modules align with the key human capital management (HCM) processes of: • Plan to source • Acquire to onboard • Perform to reward • Assess to develop A boost to demand in the TM suite market has resulted from the delivery of functionality to improve workforce engagement and collaboration. Further, growing demand for greater analytical capabilities and predictive insights to improve decision making in relation to workforce actions has improved the market’s general health.
Trade promotion management (TPM) and trade promotion optimization (TPO) are the processes and technologies that consumer goods manufacturers leverage to plan, manage and execute the activities that require collaborative promotional activity from their retail partners. Collectively, we refer to them as 'trade promotion execution' (TPx). The solutions in the market are currently offered either separately or as part of a combined package, and to date, have largely been used to deliver promotional activity in brick-and-mortar locations.