A growing number of enterprises are turning to dedicated business planning software to unify their planning processes and align them with overall business strategies, according to recent research from global AI-focused technology advisory firm Information Services Group (ISG).
Businesses increasingly require continuous planning that incorporates input from every department to anticipate market changes, manage resources effectively, and drive growth. Enterprises that adopt business planning tools leverage technology to overcome the constraints of siloed planning processes.
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The ISG Buyers Guide for Business Planning, produced by ISG Software Research, evaluates 17 software providers and their products, highlighting solutions that support connected and coordinated planning. The research finds that organizations are complementing traditional financial budgeting, which emphasizes control and stability, with proactive business planning practices that identify opportunities and paths to improvement. Moreover, AI-powered features are making these platforms more powerful and adaptable. The Buyers Guide for Financial Planning Emerging Providers assesses 10 innovative providers that enhance financial management while reducing complexity.
“Companies need continuous planning with input from all departments to anticipate change, manage resources and pursue growth,” said Robert Kugel, executive director, Business Research, ISG Software Research. “Enterprises adopting business planning tools are using technology to overcome the limitations of siloed planning.”
The research reveals that dedicated software platforms can improve forecasting, planning, analysis, and decision-making cycles while boosting the effectiveness of executives, managers, and FP&A teams. With emerging generative AI and agentic AI capabilities, these platforms accelerate planning cycles and encourage broader participation. ISG predicts that by 2028, one in four FP&A organizations will adopt this integrated approach.
Modern business operates in multiple dimensions products, customers, currencies, and business units beyond the two or three dimensions traditional financial planning accommodates. Multidimensional modeling enables companies to adjust assumptions globally and instantly calculate impacts, allowing leaders to explore scenarios interactively.
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AI further enhances planning by enabling faster forecasting, reducing bias, simplifying budgeting, and automating analytics, decision recommendations, and report commentaries. Advanced data management features also allow seamless integration with ERP, CRM, and supply chain systems, minimizing manual effort and enabling planners to focus on strategy.
ISG evaluated software providers in four categories: Business Planning, Financial Planning, Revenue Planning, and Workforce Planning. Overall Leaders in all four categories were consistently OneStream, Anaplan, and Oracle. Among emerging financial planning providers, Sage, Abacum, and insightsoftware led the rankings.
“Rapid advances in software, especially with AI, are turning business planning from an operational burden into an asset for decision-making and action that lets executives and managers anticipate change rather than react to it,” said Mark Smith, partner and chief software analyst, ISG Software Research. “This comprehensive research rates and ranks business planning software so enterprises can assess each option and determine which products best serve their general and specific business needs.”
The ISG Buyers Guides for Business Planning and Financial Planning Emerging Providers reflect over a year of independent market and product research, designed to help organizations optimize software investments without vendor influence.
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