At Acterys, we believe in fair competition, and we welcome comparisons that allow potential clients to make informed decisions. However, when competitors resort to spreading misinformation and misleading claims, it’s essential to address these inaccuracies head-on. Recently, we’ve encountered false narratives about our solution from some competitors. So, we’re here to set the record straight and assist interested parties to form an unbiased opinion based on factual information.
Modern vs. ‘Legacy’: Debunking the Philosophy Myth
Some competitors claim Acterys follows a ‘legacy, model-first’ approach, requiring complex setups and heavy IT involvement. This couldn’t be further from the truth.
Reality: Acterys offers a no-code, user-friendly interface that empowers both business users and IT teams. Our platform enables:
- Drag-and-drop plan creation directly in our web-based Acterys Modeller.
- Instant integration with your existing data without complex setups.
- Real-time planning and forecasting without data silos.
Unlike these competitors, Acterys delivers true flexibility for both structured and ad-hoc planning, seamlessly blending self-service ease with enterprise-grade robustness.
“A data model is not necessary – you can do planning/write-back in your operational tables.”
This assertion is not only misinformed but also carries significant risks. Every enterprise grade planning system (and likely every analytics system, like data warehouse, lake house, etc.) in general requires an appropriately structured data model.
Apart from severe performance and governance problems, no responsible IT administrator would enable access to operational tables for ungoverned write-back purposes. Not to mention, severe structural issues could arise when introducing new model elements or modifying planned hierarchies for future periods. Acterys ensures the best modeling approach—either a fully automated process for major ERP (Dynamics, SAP, Oracle, Workday among others) /CRM (HubSpot, Salesforce, etc.) and billing solutions or a near-automated process from Power BI. In addition, users are empowered to build their own models, as needed, in likely one of the most end-user-friendly environments with the Acterys Modeller.
You Can Do all your Planning in a Single Power BI Visual
Competitors claim that an entire planning system only requires a single Power BI visual. This approach might work for editing a shopping list but is inadequate for any serious enterprise requirement. A Power BI visual is a memory-restricted container built predominantly for displaying data and insufficient in use cases where you are dealing with potentially thousands of concurrent users, complex logic and workflows. For that reason, the 9 Acterys visuals and Excel Add-in connect via a super secure, SOC2-certified API to the Acterys Planning engine. It is an extremely powerful cloud, hybrid, or locally installed server platform built for handling the most complex scenarios where millions of transactions need to be processed in seconds while considering complex governance conditions.
Competitors claim their solutions allow you to go live in minutes, while Acterys takes days or even weeks.
Reality: With Acterys’ ready-made or drag-and-drop planning models and pre-built templates, you can deploy your first planning solution in under an hour. Our platform is designed for both speed and scalability, offering:
- Models exactly as needed in the preferred environment of the user, not just Power BI but the most powerful Excel integration and standalone web environments.
- Unparalleled planning capabilities from top-down/bottom-up, relative changes to smart goal seek and optimizations with real-time updates.
- Easiest possible, flexible reporting and dashboards that cater to both casual users and advanced users.
Acterys doesn’t just promise speed—we deliver it without compromising on power.
Advanced Features That Competitors Can’t Match
While competitors tout a range of features, many of them are either basic or require additional tools. Here’s how Acterys surpasses them:
- Audit Trail & Security: Acterys provides a comprehensive, interactive audit trail with user tracking and advanced security roles for precise control—not just raw data dumps.
- Flexible Write-back Options: Acterys supports multi-destination write-back, scheduled write-backs, and error validation, far beyond the limited options of competitors.
- Scenario Management & What-If Simulations: Acterys enables on-the-fly scenario creation and advanced what-if simulations within Power BI and Excel, without the need for additional visuals.
- Goal-Seeking & Forecasting: Acterys offers hierarchical goal-seek functionality and rolling forecasts integrated with DAX formulas, features often missing from other solutions.
- Best-of-Breed Data Governance: Acterys ensures that your data management processes are secure, efficient, and compliant with industry standards.
- SOC2 Compliance: Acterys is fully SOC2 compliant, ensuring that your data is protected with the highest security standards.
- AI-Based Planning & Data Augmentation: Acterys leverages AI to enhance decision-making, predict trends, and optimize resource allocation, enabling more accurate financial and operational planning.
- Flexible Cell-Based Reporting: Acterys provides fully interactive, customizable reporting at the cell level, allowing real-time data adjustments and tailored reports without rigid formatting constraints.
Scalability & Extensibility: Built for Enterprises
Some competitors claim to serve large enterprises but lack the enterprise-ready scalability Acterys offers.
Reality: Acterys is trusted by over 1000 clients globally, from SMBs to large enterprises, thanks to our:
- Scalable architecture that supports large data volumes and complex models.
- Seamless Microsoft integration for enterprise-wide adoption.
- Machine learning & intelligence capabilities for predictive analytics.
Trusted by Microsoft and other OEM partners: Microsoft evaluated the major planning vendors and chose to embed Acterys into its Dynamics ecosystem. If Microsoft can trust Acterys, so can you.
Customizable Solutions: Customize Acterys to build your own applications. Acterys is the first and last platform you’ll need to solve all your business challenges.
Whether you’re a growing business or a global enterprise, Acterys grows with you.
Transparent Pricing & Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)
Competitors suggest that Acterys has hidden costs due to implementation efforts.
Reality: Acterys offers transparent pricing with a lower total cost of ownership. Our no-code solutions reduce the need for costly consultants and IT support, and our flexible licensing ensures you only pay for what you use. Plus, with faster deployment, you see quicker ROI.
Trusted by Industry Leaders
While competitors list large companies, Acterys boasts a diverse, satisfied client base, including:
- Global enterprises leveraging our advanced planning capabilities, such as Pepsi Co, Baskin Robins, Disney, Puma, Heineken, and many others.
- SMBs achieving rapid growth through Acterys’ flexible, scalable platform.
- Professional services and technology partners integrating Acterys for tailored solutions.
Proven Performance: We work with some of the largest companies in the world due to our unmatched write-back and planning speeds. We encourage you to test Acterys against any competitor—our performance speaks for itself.
Glowing Reviews: Acterys has received top ratings on Gartner, G2, Software Reviews, Nucleus Research, Forrester, Microsoft AppSource, and more. These are real people using real technology—not just marketing claims.
Acterys Smart XL: Bringing Excel to Power BI
Acterys offers Smart XL, a visual that brings Excel directly into Power BI. Imagine having your exact Excel template in Power BI, connected to the world’s leading databases and infrastructure.
- Excel-like Ease: Smart XL empowers users to create dynamically updating reports and planning forms with the ease of a spreadsheet. Unlike current Power BI visuals, which are limited to simple row/column layouts, Smart XL provides:
- Cell-based reports with adaptable layouts and charting.
- Wizard-generated smart formulas for dynamic content rendering.
- The most powerful planning features in the industry.
- Instant Excel Migration: Convert existing Excel reports into smart business apps in minutes, enhancing usability and efficiency.
- Secure & Standardized Data Storage: Replace insecure Excel-based storage with a governed, single-version-of-truth data repository.
- Advanced Reporting Beyond Pivots: Overcome the limitations of pivot-based reporting with flexible, smart cell-based formulas, dynamic reporting, and custom charts.
- Enterprise-Grade Planning Engine: A real-time, high-performance planning engine designed for large-scale, concurrent use with standardized business logic.
- Efficient Planning & Workflow Support: Enhance planning with advanced data entry options (relative inputs, autofill, goal-seeking) and integrated workflows.
- Smart XL for Ultimate Flexibility: Leverage a truly cell-based approach that goes beyond pivot table constraints, enabling dynamic, fully customizable reporting and planning.
Convert existing Excel documents into advanced planning applications or add flexible reporting that’s otherwise impossible in Power BI.
Seamless Deployment & Integration
- Deploy Instantly: Deploy Acterys in your own Microsoft Fabric instance. We bring technology to you and solve challenges others can’t comprehend.
- Seamless Sync: Sync data effortlessly with automated models from major SaaS platforms, Power BI, or inbuilt integrations to any system.
- Office & Teams Integration: Acterys seamlessly integrates into your existing productivity tools—Office, Power BI, Teams—and governance frameworks.
- AI-Driven Insights: Generate smart, AI-driven plans with real-time what-if scenarios, adaptive forecasting, and actionable advice.
Conclusion: Why Acterys is the Superior Solution
At Acterys, we focus on delivering real value through innovation, integration, and ease of use. While we respect fair competition, we won’t stand by as competitors spread misinformation. The facts speak for themselves: Acterys offers superior features, unmatched flexibility, and proven results.
When organizations seek a truly robust and scalable solution, Acterys stands apart from the competition. We go beyond basic writeback functionality, offering enterprise-grade security and advanced planning capabilities. Don’t let misinformation lead to the wrong decision—evaluate all vendors rigorously to determine the best fit for your needs. The most effective way to navigate industry claims is to test solutions firsthand and ask the critical questions that matter.
We focus on what we know best—our own solution. We don’t comment on competitors’ products, but if you hear anything in the market about Acterys, we encourage you to reach out to us directly. We’ll be happy to provide the facts and demonstrate the reality, often proving the opposite of any misconceptions.
Ready to experience the Acterys difference? Contact us today for a demo and see why more businesses are choosing Acterys for their planning and write-back needs.
We appreciate fair competition and believe that informed clients make the best decisions. Let’s keep the focus on delivering value—because when it comes to planning, Acterys wins on merit.
