Serviceware Performance
Serviceware offers a portfolio of software solutions for enterprise service management (ESM) focusing on the digitalization and automation of service processes. In 2019, Serviceware acquired cubus, a German CPM and analytics specialist to complement its portfolio. Within Serviceware, cubus’ solutions are called Serviceware Performance PL (for planning) and Serviceware Performance AL (for analytics). Both are available as standalone applications or integrated in Serviceware’s ESM platform. Overall, Serviceware has over 500 employees in 14 European offices (the majority of them in Germany) and serves more than 1,700 customers. Serviceware Performance itself is used by approximately 400 customers.
Serviceware Performance PL is a software tool for planning, analyzing and monitoring business financial performance. It is an integrated solution with functionality for planning, budgeting and forecasting, project portfolio management and strategy implementation. For analytics, Serviceware Performance AL (an acquisition from IBM formerly known as IBM Cognos Executive Viewer) is integrated in Performance PL. Aimed at business power users, Performance PL has a web-based user interface resembling Excel as well as a Microsoft Windows-based desktop app.
Performance PL provides a flexible platform for building individual, complex business logic for performance management and controlling applications. The solution has no specific market or industry focus and is used by companies of various sizes and industries. Performance PL, however, does have prebuilt business content, data models and logic for integrated financial planning, operational planning, budgeting and forecasting, various controlling topics (e.g., HR, costs, IT) and project performance management (e.g., project scoring, portfolio management, capacity management). Customers can completely adapt and extend the models and logic to meet their specific requirements. Following initial implementation, business power users can develop Performance PL applications in a self-service no-code manner. In the latest versions of Performance, Serviceware has added a new AI service running in the Serviceware Cloud that supports advanced statistical analysis (e.g., anomaly detection) and predictive planning and forecasting based on machine learning and artificial intelligence.
Performance AL extends PL’s range of functions with comprehensive functionality for web-based, dynamic OLAP analyses, ad hoc reporting and data visualization. Furthermore, for customers with extended dashboarding and reporting needs, third-party integration with solutions such as Oracle Analytics and Microsoft Power BI is provided. Performance AL’s web client can be integrated as a custom visual in Power BI. Customers can enrich existing Power BI dashboards with data (views) from multidimensional sources and integrated OLAP analyses.
For data storage, Performance PL and AL use multidimensional (Oracle Essbase, Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services, IBM TM1) and relational databases (Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server). The largest implementations in terms of concurrent users run on Oracle Essbase, but the majority of customers use Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services. IBM TM1 is particularly important within the large existing international customer base of Performance AL customers.
User & Use Cases
68 percent of Serviceware Performance users are planning users – just around the survey average of 69 percent – reflecting the fact that Serviceware Performance is essentially a planning and CPM tool with complementary analytics functionality. This is also born out in its typical use cases. Customers leverage Serviceware Performance mainly for financial planning (69 percent) but also operational planning (68 percent). Here, planning takes place at different aggregation levels. Serviceware Performance is used for budgeting (90 percent), forecasting (64 percent) and strategic planning (52 percent). Besides planning, customers mainly use it for ad hoc query (84 percent), standard/enterprise reporting (68 percent) and analysis (55 percent). Many respondents also plan to use it for strategic planning (37 percent), dashboards/BI applications (35 percent) and financial consolidation (28 percent) in the future.
Serviceware Performance targets mid-sized and large companies across all industries. 53 percent of our sample of Serviceware Performance customers come from mid-sized companies (100-2,500 employees) with a median of 85 users (including 58 using planning functionality), but the mean of 167 users (96 for planning) indicates there are also several larger implementations.
Current vs. planned use (planning use cases)
N=30
Current vs. planned use (besides planning)
N=29
Total number of users per company
N=30
Planning users per company
N=30
Percentage of employees using Serviceware Performance
N=30
Planning users (as a percentage of all users)
N=30
Company size (number of employees)
N=30
Versions used
N=25
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BARC’s Vendor Performance Summary contains an overview of The Planning Survey results based on feedback from Serviceware Performance users, accompanied by expert analyst commentary.
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