MODERN FINANCE START HERE
Outgrown Excel? Scenario Modeling for CFOs Ready to Scale when Finance Outgrows Spreadsheets. Built on IBM Planning Analytics
When finance outgrows spreadsheets, it's time to.. Move Faster. Plan Smarter. Make confident decisions with a modern planning platform your team can own.
Faster Forecasting and reporting
Better scenario modeling
AI-ready finance foundation
Empower your team, not consultants
When finance outgrows spreadsheets, growth gets harder to manage.
Spreadsheets are powerful, but as the business grows, manual planning creates delays, risk and decision-making friction.
01
Planning takes too long
Budgets and forecasts require too much manual work slowing the decisions your leadership team needs now.
02
Numbers are hard to trust
Version control, manual consolidation and disconnected files make accuracy harder to defend.
03
Scenarios are too slow
When leadership asks "what if", finance needs answers in minutes, not days.
04
AI feels out of reach
Without structured data and modern planning processes, AI remains more hype than practical value.
beyond spreadsheets. better outcomes.
Make confident decisions with a single source of truth.
Lodestar Solutions gives executive teams the clarity and control to plan, model and adapt - without complexity of spreadsheets.
Ready to see what modern planning can do for you?
Schedule a personal conversation with a Lodestar expert. We'll learn about your goals and show how our platform can help.
what finance leaders gain
Better Planning drives better business outcomes
Modern planning and scenario modeling help your finance team spend less time gathering data and more time leading the business.
Better insight.
Faster decisions.
Stronger results.
Go from static annual budgets to rolling forecasts that keep pace with your business.
Model the impact of changes to revenue, margin, hiring, pricing, expenses and cash.
Reduce time spent collecting, consolidating and formatting data.
Build trusted data and processes so AI can deliver real value, not just hype.
free resource
The CFO's Checklist for Selecting, Planning and Forecasting Software
A practical guide to help you evaluate solutions, avoid costly mistakes and empower your team for long-term success.
what finance leaders gain
A smarter path from spreadsheet stress to finance confidence.
Modernizing finance should not mean losing control to consultants. Lodestar guides your team through a clear, practical process that improves planning, reporting and decision-making while building internal capability from day one.
Typical timeline: 8-12 weeks from kickoff to a live model your team owns.
Diagnose the gaps
(Weeks 1-2)
We assess your current spreadsheets, reporting process, planning cycles, data quality and decision bottlenecks.
Design the roadmap
(Weeks 2-3)
We define the right solution path, priorities, integrations and implementation approach for your team and goals.
Build with your team
(Weeks 3-8)
We configure, test and refine the solution with your finance team involved throughout including the person who will own the model going forward
Enable adoption
(Weeks 8-10)
We train users, document processes, and work directly with your model builder so they can build and modify the model themselves, not just run it.
Strengthen independence
(Weeks 10-12 and beyond)
We support your team as they take ownership, evolve the system and continue improving over time. The goal isn't a system you rent from us. It's one you run yourselves.
The goal is not to make you dependent on consultants.
The goal is to make your finance team stronger.
What you need to Consider
IBM Planning Analytics vs. Template-Based FP&A Platforms.
You'll likely come across platforms like Planful, Vena, and Workday Adaptive Planning while you evaluate options. Here's how to think about the choice.
These are solid tools if your planning needs are fairly standard. But most are built around a template, so you configure your business to fit their model. If your strategy is genuinely unique, and your business changes rapidly your planning model should be unique too.
IBM Planning Analytics is the better fit when your business doesn't fit a template:
Setup takes real investment up front. That's what we handle - you're live in 8-12 weeks on average, trained on your own model, not dependent on us to run it.
Your next level of financial performance starts with a conversation.
Let's explore how Lodestar Solutions can help you plan smarter, move faster and lead with confidence.
What Does IBM Planning Analytics Cost?
IBM Planning Analytics licenses scale with the number of users and how they use the system, so an exact number depends on your team size and deployment choice.
As a starting reference point, a typical 10-user deployment for a mid-market finance team is a five-figure annual software investment, not the six-figure territory some enterprise planning platforms require just to get started.
These are solid tools if your planning needs are fairly standard. But most are built around a template, so you configure your business to fit their model. If your strategy is genuinely unique, and your business changes rapidly your planning model should be unique too.
IBM Planning Analytics is the better fit when your business doesn't fit a template:
- FROM PLANNING TO ALIGNMENT -
We Help You Align, Communicate and Drive Results Across Your Organization.
Technology is only part of the solution. Lodestar helps you turn strategy into action by aligning your financial models and presenting insights that drive better decisions.
STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT
Have Strong Models, But Still Struggling With Execution?
The issue may not be the model - it may be the alignment. Our strategic Alignment Accelerator helps align goals, drivers and decisions across finance and the business.
MODEL COMMUNICATION
A Great Model Only Creates Value When People Use it.
We help present your models and insights with confidence - so you can drive understanding, buy-in and better decisions.
Cross-functional alignment
Better decisions with confidence
Stronger performance across the business
A trusted partner beyond the software