Simpson Associates Information Services Limited

IBM Planning Analytics

IBM Planning Analytics is a collaborative, enterprise-scalable budgeting, planning, analytics, profitability, Modelling, scorecard and reporting solution. Working in Social Housing, Police, Ambulance, Fire, Local & Regional Government, Central Government, Higher Education and NHS. The application is supported by 64-bit in-memory online analytical processing server, providing on-demand analytics of Multi-dimensional data.

Features

• Virtually unlimited scenario capabilities.
• Personal what-if capabilities using sandboxes
• High speed scale-able memory resident cubes
• Choice of interfaces , web, Microsoft Excel and mobile
• Easy control of workflow with symbols and information
• Instant graphing capability
• Offline planning capability
• Budgeting, rolling forecasting
• Top down, bottom up and driver based planning easily supported

Benefits

• Ability to create integrated operational and financial Plans
• Solution built and owned by line of business
• Regain control of disconnected budgeting and forecasting processes
• Real-time analysis of evolving plans
• Speed of building your solution to your requirements
• Agile ability to change and evolve your planning process
• Rich Compatibility with Excel for easy integration with existing spreadsheets
• Collaborative capabilities provide a more integrated plan
• Correlation capabilities allow for un-biased analysis
• Ability to flexibly control access to plans

£64.01 to £13,756 a unit a month

• Free trial available

Service documents

• Pricing document

  PDF

• Service definition document

  PDF

• Terms and conditions

  PDF

Request an accessible format

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need versions of these documents in a more accessible format, email the supplier at gcloud@simpson-associates.co.uk. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.

Framework

G-Cloud 14

Service ID

673263681810187

Contact

Alex Gill
01904 234 510
gcloud@simpson-associates.co.uk

Service scope

• Software add-on or extension: Yes, but can also be used as a standalone service
• What software services is the service an extension to: Watson Analytics, Cognos Analytics and Decision Optimisation on Cloud
• Cloud deployment model:
  • Public cloud
  • Private cloud
  • Hybrid cloud
• Service constraints: Yes, there is planned maintenance window every third Saturday of the month
• System requirements:
  • Internet connection, web browser and Microsoft Excel (optional)
  • Remote Desktop connection for Administrators/Modellers (optional)
  • Secure gateway client for accessing on premise data sources (optional)

User support

• Email or online ticketing support: Email or online ticketing
• Support response times: 2 Hours during weekdays
• User can manage status and priority of support tickets: Yes
• Online ticketing support accessibility: None or don’t know
• Phone support: Yes
• Phone support availability: 9 to 5 (UK time), Monday to Friday
• Web chat support: No
• Onsite support: Yes, at extra cost
• Support levels: Standard Support is incorporated into the fees. This includes access to our support desk and IBM 24/7 technical support.; Application Support is available from £12,000 per annum
• Support available to third parties: Yes

Onboarding and offboarding

• Getting started: User Documentation
• Service documentation: Yes
• Documentation formats:
  • HTML
  • PDF
• End-of-contract data extraction: Users can download their data into Excel, into CSV files or directly into a database through ODBC
• End-of-contract process: There are multiple options to suit clients needs, including Auto-renew, auto termination and 12 month renewals. These are agreed upfront

Using the service

• Web browser interface: Yes
• Supported browsers:
  • Microsoft Edge
  • Firefox
  • Chrome
  • Safari
• Application to install: No
• Designed for use on mobile devices: Yes
• Differences between the mobile and desktop service: The mobile application is deliberately limited to end user functionality for submissions and report consumption. The remote desktop access provides full administration functionality
• Service interface: No
• User support accessibility: WCAG 2.1 AAA
• API: Yes
• What users can and can't do using the API: You can use the IBM® Cognos® TM1® REST API to perform create, read, update, and delete operations on Planning Analytics data by using standards that are defined by OData Version 4
• API documentation: Yes
• API documentation formats:
  • Open API (also known as Swagger)
  • HTML
• API sandbox or test environment: Yes
• Customisation available: Yes
• Description of customisation: Users can provide customised models and reports, including corporate colours and logos, and the information relevant to each individual. Customisation is typically reserved for system administrators, although users can customise their own personal workspaces such as choosing charts and diagrams, colours, and report content/type. The majority of these customisations are available from the toolbar at the top, or by right clicking

Scaling

• Independence of resources: For each customer the Planning Analytics data tier uses fixed storage and is sized on requirements. A range of techniques such as Linux container technology, dedicated instances and workload isolation avoid affects by other users of the service.; ; The architecture of IBM cloud services maintains logical separation of client data. Internal rules and measures separate data processing, such as inserting, modifying, deleting, and transferring data, according to the contracted purposes.

Analytics

• Service usage metrics: Yes
• Metrics types: Modellers will have access to Performance Modeller and Operations console. In addition, as part of your SaaS contract, IBM will perform ongoing monitoring and management of the platform including network traffic.
• Reporting types: Reports on request

Resellers

• Supplier type: Reseller providing extra support
• Organisation whose services are being resold: IBM

Staff security

• Staff security clearance: Other security clearance
• Government security clearance: Up to Developed Vetting (DV)

Asset protection

• Knowledge of data storage and processing locations: Yes
• Data storage and processing locations:
  • United Kingdom
  • European Economic Area (EEA)
  • Other locations
• User control over data storage and processing locations: Yes
• Datacentre security standards: Complies with a recognised standard (for example CSA CCM version 3.0)
• Penetration testing frequency: At least once a year
• Penetration testing approach: ‘IT Health Check’ performed by a Tigerscheme qualified provider or a CREST-approved service provider
• Protecting data at rest:
  • Physical access control, complying with CSA CCM v3.0
  • Physical access control, complying with SSAE-16 / ISAE 3402
  • Physical access control, complying with another standard
  • Encryption of all physical media
  • Scale, obfuscating techniques, or data storage sharding
• Data sanitisation process: Yes
• Data sanitisation type: Explicit overwriting of storage before reallocation
• Equipment disposal approach: Complying with a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v.30, CAS (Sanitisation) or ISO/IEC 27001

Data importing and exporting

• Data export approach: Data can be exported/imported using FTP and/or Secure Gateway
• Data export formats:
  • CSV
  • Other
• Other data export formats:
  • Flat Files (Via FTPeS)
  • ODBC 3.5 (via Secure Gateway)
• Data import formats: Other
• Other data import formats:
  • Flat Files (via FTPeS)
  • ODBC 3.5 (e.g IBM DB2, Oracle RDBMS)
  • Oracle Essbase
  • Oracle Hyperion Planning
  • Oracle Hyperion Financial Management
  • SAP-BW (Via Cognos Integration Server)

Data-in-transit protection

• Data protection between buyer and supplier networks:
  • TLS (version 1.2 or above)
  • Legacy SSL and TLS (under version 1.2)
• Data protection within supplier network:
  • TLS (version 1.2 or above)
  • IPsec or TLS VPN gateway
  • Legacy SSL and TLS (under version 1.2)

Availability and resilience

• Guaranteed availability: The service level agreement is that IBM aim to provide availability at over 99.75%, for failing to achieve this a reduction is made to the monthly subscription charge. If the availability is between 99.0% and 99.75% the reduction is 2%, the availability is between 95.0 and 98.99% then the reduction is 5% and if the availability is less than 95.9% the reduction is 10%.
• Approach to resilience: Available at request
• Outage reporting: Planned maintenance outage is proposed to designated contacts via email.

Identity and authentication

• User authentication needed: Yes
• User authentication:
  • Identity federation with existing provider (for example Google Apps)
  • Username or password
• Access restrictions in management interfaces and support channels: IBM maintains individual role-based authorization of privileged accounts that is subject to regular validation. A privileged account is a duly authorized IBM user identity with administrative access to a Cloud Service, including associated infrastructure, networks, systems, applications, databases and file systems.
• Access restriction testing frequency: At least every 6 months
• Management access authentication: 2-factor authentication

Audit information for users

• Access to user activity audit information: Users contact the support team to get audit information
• How long user audit data is stored for: Between 1 month and 6 months
• Access to supplier activity audit information: Users contact the support team to get audit information
• How long supplier audit data is stored for: Between 1 month and 6 months
• How long system logs are stored for: Between 1 month and 6 months

Standards and certifications

• ISO/IEC 27001 certification: Yes
• Who accredited the ISO/IEC 27001: Bureau Veritas
• ISO/IEC 27001 accreditation date: 30/11/2015
• What the ISO/IEC 27001 doesn’t cover: The infrastructure and platform this offering is run on is ISO/IEC 27001 compliant. The current SaaS application is also compliant.
• ISO 28000:2007 certification: No
• CSA STAR certification: Yes
• CSA STAR accreditation date: 20/04/2016
• CSA STAR certification level: Level 1: CSA STAR Self-Assessment
• What the CSA STAR doesn’t cover: The infrastructure and platform this offering is run on has a CSA STAR Self-Assessment certificate. The SaaS side of this offering currently does not have this. The IBM CSA Star Self-Assessment can be viewed here https://cloudsecurityalliance.org/star-registrant/softlayer/
• PCI certification: No
• Cyber essentials: Yes
• Cyber essentials plus: Yes
• Other security certifications: No

Security governance

• Named board-level person responsible for service security: Yes
• Security governance certified: Yes
• Security governance standards: ISO/IEC 27001
• Information security policies and processes: IBM has an Information Technology (IT) Security policy that establishes the requirements for the protection of IBM's worldwide IT systems and the information assets they contain, including networks and computing devices such as servers, workstations, host computers, application programs, web services, and telephone systems within the IBM infrastructure. IBM’s IT Security policy is supplemented by standards and guidelines, such as the Security Standards for IBM's Infrastructure, the Security and Use Standards for IBM Employees and the Security Guidelines for Outsourced Business Services. Such are reviewed by a cross-company team led by the IT Risk organization every six months.; ; IBM has a dedicated Vice President of IT Security who leads a team responsible for IBM's own enterprise data security standards and practices. Responsibility and accountability for executing internal security programs is established through formal documented policies. IBM Services teams also have dedicated executives and teams who are responsible for information and physical security in the delivery of our client services.

Operational security

• Configuration and change management standard: Conforms to a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v3.0 or SSAE-16 / ISAE 3402
• Configuration and change management approach: IBM maintains policies and procedures to manage risks associated with the application of changes to its Cloud Services. Prior to implementation, all changes to a Cloud Service, including its systems, networks and underlying components, will be documented in a registered change request that includes a description and reason for the change, implementation details and schedule, a risk statement addressing impact to the Cloud Service and its clients, expected outcome, rollback plan, and documented approval by IBM management or its authorized delegate.
• Vulnerability management type: Conforms to a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v3.0 or SSAE-16 / ISAE 3402
• Vulnerability management approach: With each Cloud Service, as applicable and commercially reasonable, IBM will a) perform penetration testing and vulnerability assessments before production release and routinely thereafter, b) enlist a qualified and reputable independent third-party to perform penetration testing and ethical hacking at least annually, c) perform automated management and routine verification of underlying components’ compliance with security configuration requirements, and d) remediate any identified vulnerability or noncompliance with its security configuration requirements based on associated risk, exploitability, and impact. IBM takes reasonable care to avoid Cloud Service disruption when performing its tests, assessments, scans, and execution of remediation activities.
• Protective monitoring type: Conforms to a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v3.0 or SSAE-16 / ISAE 3402
• Protective monitoring approach: IBM maintains and follows policies requiring administrative access and activity in its Cloud Services’ computing environments to be logged and monitored, and the logs to be archived and retained in compliance with IBM’s worldwide records management plan. IBM monitors privileged account use and maintain security information and event management policies and measures designed to a) identify unauthorized administrative access and activity, b) facilitate a timely and appropriate response, and c) enable internal and independent third party audits of compliance with such policies. IBM systematically monitors the health and availability of production Cloud Service systems and infrastructure at all times.
• Incident management type: Conforms to a recognised standard, for example, CSA CCM v3.0 or ISO/IEC 27035:2011 or SSAE-16 / ISAE 3402
• Incident management approach: IBM:; -maintains and follows incident response policies aligned with NIST guidelines for computer security incident handling, and will comply with data breach notification requirements under applicable law.; -investigates security incidents, including unauthorised access or use of content or the Cloud Service, of which IBM becomes aware, and, if warranted, define and execute an appropriate response plan.; -promptly notifies Client upon determining that a security incident known or reasonably suspected by IBM to affect Client has occurred. ; -provides Client with reasonably requested information about such security incident and status of applicable remediation and restoration activities performed or directed by IBM.

Secure development

• Approach to secure software development best practice: Supplier-defined process

Public sector networks

• Connection to public sector networks: No

Social Value

• Social Value:

  Social Value

  • Fighting climate change
  • Covid-19 recovery
  • Tackling economic inequality
  • Equal opportunity
  • Wellbeing

  Fighting climate change

  We prioritise sustainability as a guiding principle, shaping all endeavours to fight against climate change. We're committed to fostering a better future through sustainable business practices, encompassing environmental, social, and economic considerations into our service delivery. This includes promoting diversity, equity, safety, community support, ethical standards, and innovation for long-term success. We understand our responsibility to minimise our corporate carbon footprint, protect natural resources and contribute to the wellbeing of our planet for current and future generations. ; ; We strive to deliver successful projects whilst considering sustainability. Our Environmental policy will apply to all projects delivered by our organisation. In our pursuit of environmental sustainability and a healthier planet, we have put into effect multiple concepts that are embedded in our service delivery model including cloud computing, remote working and office sustainability. ; ; Our efforts to minimise environmental impacts in the areas of waste, water, energy and air quality include considering our equipment purchases, refurbishment, recycling and supply chain practices. ; ; We have committed to achieving Net Zero emissions by 2050 at the latest as pledged by our Managing Director. We are actively taking steps to achieve this aim and reduce our carbon emissions on this journey.

  Covid-19 recovery

  As local communities manage and recover from the impact of COVID-19 we have revised our approach to contract delivery and implemented activities that adapt to new ways of working. Since the pandemic we have adopted a remote work culture and our flexible working arrangements provide staff the opportunity to work flexibly and from any location (supported by modernised videoconferencing technology). Where travel is required, we advocate the use of public transport and/or car sharing. We regularly donate to foodbanks locally and nationally, particularly during school holidays in summer and winter to support those most affected. We also understand the importance of providing mental health support and sharing mental health resources to the many who were affected due to the pandemic. ; ; As a growing business we have an ambitious but realistic recruitment plan. We offer opportunities for apprenticeships, work placements and local employees in response to the business’ demand and our organic growth. For example, we have a graduate recruitment scheme and recruit 3-6 people annually to join the company and train as IT consultants. We also regularly recruit consultants at all levels.

  Tackling economic inequality

  At the heart of our organization lies a steadfast commitment to equality, driving us to implement a comprehensive strategy that addresses employment, skills, and pay disparities. We extend this pledge beyond our internal structure to encompass key subcontractors, recognizing the imperative of inclusivity throughout our operations. ; ; Our inclusive recruitment practices ensure a diverse array of candidates is considered for employment opportunities. Our skill-based assessments offer a fair and unbiased framework, evaluating individuals on merit and ability. ; ; Our strategy prioritises retention, fostering a workplace that attracts, develops, and retains talent. Structured interviews and transparent promotion processes contribute to an equitable culture, where every employee has access to growth opportunities. ; ; We champion industry placements and apprenticeships, actively supporting pathways for students. Our positive action schemes address pay grade disparities, reflecting our dedication to diversity at all levels. ; ; We’ve crafted a work environment that supports inclusivity, retention, and progression. From day one, all employees benefit from flexible working options, facilitating a balance between professional and personal life. ; ; A time-bound action plan, underpinned by continuous monitoring, ensures our workforce mirrors community diversity. We’re proactive in including women and those with protected characteristics in recruitment and promotion shortlists. ; ; Our recruitment integrates skill-based tasks and structured interviews, aligning with our ethos of fairness. Transparency is foundational, permeating our promotion, pay, and reward processes, and fostering openness and equal opportunity. ; ; Understanding the importance of flexibility, we ensure all roles are accessible from the outset, accommodating diverse needs. ; ; We maintain transparency in retention rates and conduct regular equal pay audits, underscoring our unwavering commitment to equality and fairness across the organisation.

  Equal opportunity

  We are committed to creating a workplace that maximises the potential of all our people - where everyone is valued and feels empowered to contribute to our success. Every employee has the right to be treated with respect and dignity. We have a zero-tolerance attitude to bullying, harassment or victimisation of any kind. We all have a personal responsibility to ensure that we treat others as we would like to be treated, and that our actions and interactions reflect our commitment to diversity and inclusion. Any breach will lead to disciplinary proceedings and, if appropriate, disciplinary action. We are an ‘equal opportunities’ employer and strive to ensure that no job applicant or employee receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of race, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, age, political or religious belief, equal pay, or pregnancy and maternity. This list is not exhaustive. We may, as part of any equal opportunities monitoring activity, request that employees or candidates complete an Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form. This will be used solely for the purpose of monitoring equal opportunities. Our recruitment selection criteria and associated procedures are frequently reviewed and updated where necessary to ensure that individuals are selected, promoted and treated on the basis of their relevant merits and abilities.

  Wellbeing

  We have officially been named one of the UK’s Best Workplaces™ for Wellbeing (2023) by Great Place to Work®, the global authority on workplace culture. This prestigious accreditation follows a comprehensive audit of the organisation’s workplace culture, management and policies, where it excelled in creating an environment of wellbeing for its employees. ; ; The commitment of the leadership team has helped to make it a great place to work. Their compassion and commitment to the health and wellbeing of every employee is something to be celebrated and admired. ; ; We offer comprehensive benefits to all employees such as Private Medical cover (including access to Mental Health professionals), Ride to work scheme, Free Fruit in office, EAP (Employee Assistance Program), Tech Scheme (access to discounted technology), Flexible working, birthday and Christmas gifts. In addition we hold quarterly company social days to allow all employees to catch up and collaborate.

Pricing

• Price: £64.01 to £13,756 a unit a month
• Discount for educational organisations: No
• Free trial available: Yes
• Description of free trial: 30 day free trial. Entitles to a maximum of 2GB memory, 10 services and 1 SSL certificate

Service documents

• Pricing document

  PDF

• Service definition document

  PDF

• Terms and conditions

  PDF

Request an accessible format

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need versions of these documents in a more accessible format, email the supplier at gcloud@simpson-associates.co.uk. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.