Four paths to financial management – what sets them apart?

We’ll take a closer look at:

1. Excel – the king of spreadsheets

2. ERP – the business system that does its job

3. BI – the super tool for analysis

4. Hypergene – built for finance

1. Excel – the king of spreadsheets (but with pitfalls)

Excel is the constant companion of finance teams. It’s flexible, familiar, and quick to get started with — but it easily becomes a growing problem as complexity increases.

Advantages:

• Low threshold — everyone can use it

• Fast to set up and build models

• Full control over structure and layout

Disadvantages:

• High risk of errors — especially with many versions and manual handling

• No single source of truth — different file versions cause confusion

• Poor traceability and security

• Impractical for collaboration, simulation, or decentralized planning

• Slow processes — sending files, reminding colleagues, correcting errors

When does it work?
In smaller organizations or as a complement — but not as a foundation for management in larger companies.

2. ERP – the business system that does its job (but not yours)

The ERP system is often the backbone of a company’s transaction flow. It handles accounting, purchasing, invoices, and inventory — but often lacks support for planning and follow-up from a management perspective.

Advantages:

• Central data source for business-critical information

• Integrated with business processes

• Security, control, and traceability

Disadvantages:

• Limited support for forecasts, simulations, and KPI tracking

• Often complex, slow, and expensive to adapt

• Not designed to support the finance function operationally and strategically

When does it work?
As the backbone of transaction handling — but not for planning, analysis, or decision support.

3. BI – the super tool for analysis (but not for management)

Business Intelligence (BI) is a collective term for solutions that help organizations analyze, visualize, and understand their data. Common BI tools include Power BI, Qlik, and Tableau.

Advantages:

• Visually appealing dashboards and analytics

• Quick access to KPIs

• Strong complement for visualization

Disadvantages:

• No ability to create budgets, forecasts, or plans

• No support for strategic follow-up or scenario planning

• Often requires extensive efforts to build data warehouses

• Frequently dependent on IT or data teams

When does it work?
As an analytics complement — but not for driving management processes or making forward-looking decisions.

4. Hypergene Planning – built for finance

Hypergene Planning is an FP&A platform that combines financial and strategic management. It gives the finance function an efficient, flexible, and controlled way to plan, follow up, and make decisions.

Advantages:

• Everything in one place — budget, forecast, KPIs, analysis, and reporting in a single integrated platform

• Time back for value creation — automated flows replace manual handling

• Built for finance and business — easy to use for CFOs, controllers, and line managers alike

• Experience that counts — more than 20 years of industry expertise and proven methodology

• Flexible and scalable — start where the need is greatest, grow over time

• Deep industry knowledge — tailored solutions for both public and private sectors

• Trusted delivery — Nordic provider with a strong customer base and high data security

Disadvantages:

• Requires implementation — Hypergene replaces manual flows and Excel logic, which means a change journey (but we guide you all the way)

• Best effect in larger organizations — the solution scales well, but may feel oversized for very small teams (under 50 employees)

• Standard with flexibility — not 100% custom-built — we believe in proven processes with room for adaptation, rather than building from scratch

• Not a “free-form BI tool” — our focus is management, analysis, and planning — not free data visualization (which you can combine with BI if needed)

When does it work?
When you want to move from manual handling and isolated solutions to a unified management model that truly works — and helps you make data-driven decisions.

Comparison: Excel, ERP, BI, and Hypergene in FP&A

ERP is valuable — but it’s not enough

ERP systems remain the backbone of business systems. They handle transactions, accounting, and logistics — and they do it well. But they’re not built to drive Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A). That’s why we don’t see Hypergene as a replacement for ERP, but as a necessary complement.

With Hypergene, you get what ERP lacks:

• Planning logic, simulation, and scenarios

• A unified management model for finance and operations

• KPIs, goal management, and real-time reporting

• A platform owned by finance — without IT dependency

Together, Hypergene and ERP create a complete ecosystem — from data to decision.

5 questions to ask when choosing an FP&A solution

1. Does the platform support both financial and strategic management?

2. How much manual work will it replace?

3. How well does the solution fit the complexity of our organization?

4. Is it a system the finance function can own — or does IT need to manage everything?

5. How easy is it to get started — and to scale over time?

Conclusion: What’s the cost of not changing?

Staying stuck in Excel sheets, rigid ERP processes, or visualization without management may cost more than you think — in time, in poor decisions, and in missed impact.

Hypergene is the alternative if you want an FP&A solution that:

• Connects strategy, planning, and follow-up

• Replaces manual work with smart automation

• Creates a single source of truth for the entire organization

Efficiency, flexibility, and control — in every decision.

Curious to see Hypergene in action — with your data and your needs? Book a demo with us today.

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