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FAQs
APM is not proprietary planning software – your solution is built using platforms that many organizations already use, e.g., M365, Power BI, and Power Platform. Beyond the Microsoft platform, there is no additional software vendor or subscription required to adopt APM.
APM can immediately save you 50%+ on software alone (we've already realized (90% savings with one enterprise client), provide the flexibility of a fully customized solution from data to UI, and allow your team the familiarity of working in Excel while still scaling data and reporting.
This isn’t to say that all planning software is bad and only APM is good. APM will be more beneficial for those who seek full CPM capabilities, value first-party ownership, don’t fit out-of-the-box templates, and need to operate within economic constraints.
Your solution can be as simple or sophisticated as you want it to be. An ideal APM solution is one that starts small and evolves over time. With some clients we start with simple data wrangling and reporting before gradually building toward an end-to-end solution. Every team's APM journey will look different to adapt your changing needs over time.
We researched and experimented with many tools and platforms before landing on Microsoft. We chose Microsoft because it met all of our solution criteria: 1) data foundation with Fabric, 2) modeling engine with Excel, and Fabric, 3) reporting and AI with Power BI and Foundry, and 4) custom apps with Power Platform. It also evaluated well in terms of cost of ownership and ease of ownership.
As other platforms like Google evolve, we plan to apply the APM approach to other options in the future.
We have spent many years advising against spreadsheets and Excel in favor of planning software. Microsoft has evolved its platform in many ways over the past decade+ that make an Excel-based approach much more compelling now.
A few examples: a) everything is now cloud-based and collaborative, including Excel, PowerPoint, and Power BI, b) everything is now interoperable, for example Power BI now connects directly with Fabric, and c) Microsoft’s AI roadmap is compelling and already unlocking the agentic layer, for example with a new Power BI -> Foundry MCP and more advancements coming every month.
If there is a transition to a new ecosystem already in play, APM can certainly help to accelerate adoption. It can also be applied for specific use cases in conjunction with Google as there are ways to sync SharePoint and Google Workspace. In some cases, introducing a whole new platform may not be appropriate.
No - APM is accessible for non-technical users with the help of AI. It does not require learning a proprietary formula syntax or coding language.
All aspects of the Microsoft platform offer intuitive low-code/no-code interfaces for non-technical users, making everything from data transformation in Power Query to modeling in Excel available to users with no technical background.
For teams with technical skills, it also offers full-code options in universal languages, e.g., SQL and Python. With Copilot and AI support, even full code aspects are more accessible than ever to non-technical users.
In terms of software, the Microsoft platform is much more cost-effective than alternatives, especially if your organization already uses Microsoft. Pricing for the relevant Microsoft platforms is available below. Each comes with free trials and different options for pay-as-you-go, monthly, or annual:
Microsoft Fabric - Pricing | Microsoft Azure
Power Platform Pricing and Licensing guide | Microsoft Power Platform
Microsoft 365 Business Plans and Pricing | Microsoft 365
Microsoft Foundry - Pricing | Microsoft Azure
On the services side, 1-3x the annual subscription cost for a specialized CPM solution is a fair ballpark for an initial deployment.
OVG’s role is to help you bring the different pieces of APM together in an effective way and equip you and your team with the knowledge and skills needed to realize maximum value from the approach.
We combine many years of building and deploying connected planning solutions for clients of all shapes and sizes with deep (and growing) understanding of the vast Microsoft ecosystem. We have spent much time and effort figuring out the right ways (and many wrong ways) to solve planning problems with Microsoft, and we impart that knowledge to you along the way. We also partner with you on an ongoing basis, providing advisory, technical guidance, and extra capacity based on your needs.
It all starts with a simple conversation to see if APM is a fit for you.
There is no upfront commitment on either software or services. All of the software offers free trials and we can even help you to set up a sandbox to explore. Finding a quick win that provides immediate value to you with minimal upfront investment is the ideal way to start.