IBM Planning Analytics

In a recent webinar, Understanding the Migration from Legacy TM1 to Planning Analytics, we dove deep into some significant upcoming changes in IBM’s Planning Analytics environment, focusing on how these changes will affect both cloud and on-premise users. Here’s a breakdown of the key points discussed:

Why are these changes happening?

IBM is evolving its Planning Analytics ecosystem, with a primary shift coming for cloud customers. IBM has stated that, effective November 16, 2024, the Rich Tier desktop will no longer be accessible to Cloud Modelers. 

If you’re on-premise, the current version (2.0.9.x) has an end-of-support date in April 2025. The supported versions beyond that will no longer include these legacy tools, aligning on-premise with the changes in the cloud environment.

Planning Analytics Legacy Tools

The legacy tools, as described in the webinar, include familiar names like Architect, Perspectives, and Performance Modeler, among others. These tools have been integral to the work of many organizations for years. However, due to the evolution of the technology and the shift to new REST API calls (which aren’t fully compatible with the older APIs), these tools are being deprecated.

The Shift to New Tools: Planning Analytics Workspace (PAW) & Planning Analytics for Excel (PAfE)

As IBM phases out these legacy tools, they are being replaced by PAW and PAfE (formerly PAx).

• PAW: This is the new web-based interface that will handle everything from reporting and input to development and administration. It’s a one-stop-shop for users in the new environment.
• PAfE: If you’ve been using Excel for your reporting and input, you’ll transition to PAfE, a tool that’s deeply integrated with Excel but supports the new Planning Analytics features.

What does this change mean for you?

The removal of the legacy tools is not just a cosmetic change. It will fundamentally alter how users interact with IBM Planning Analytics. While the tools themselves are being replaced, the approach you take will also shift:

1. 1. Legacy Environment: In the old setup, web tools (like TM1 Web) were mainly consumer-based—used for reporting and data input—while Perspectives and other Excel tools were multipurpose, handling reporting, input, development, and administration.
2. 2. New Environment: In the new world, IBM flips this model on its head. Excel/PAfE will now be used primarily for reporting and input, while PAW will handle everything, including developer tasks and administration. This shift in usage may feel daunting, but it centralizes more complex tasks into a powerful, web-based interface.

Cloud vs. On-Premise: What’s the difference?

• Cloud users will experience the most immediate and direct impact. Since IBM controls cloud infrastructure, the transition will be more abrupt—“deprecated” in the cloud means these tools will be removed entirely.
• On-premise users will also need to make the switch but can do so at their own pace. While the tools will no longer be supported, you’ll still have access to them for a while. However, it’s worth planning for the future, as staying on unsupported versions isn’t sustainable.

What’s Next?

While change is always challenging, this transition brings many advantages. The newer tools (PAW and PAx) are better integrated with modern technologies, offering greater flexibility, improved performance, and a more seamless user experience.

For organizations, the key takeaway is to start planning now. Whether you’re on the cloud or on-premise, this shift is coming, and adapting early will ensure a smoother transition. Understanding the new tools, retraining staff, and updating workflows will be essential to staying ahead of the curve.

The deprecation of legacy tools in IBM Planning Analytics marks the end of an era, but it also signals the start of something new and more advanced. While the transition might seem overwhelming at first, these updates position your organization for a more scalable, efficient, and future-proof analytics environment.

Stay tuned for further announcements and updates from IBM and consider reaching out to us at info@revelwood.com for personalized guidance on how to best prepare for these changes.

Revelwood is an IBM Gold Business Partner with 25+ years of experience designing, developing, implementing and maintaining IBM Planning Analytics environments. Revelwood has helped clients in all sizes across all industries optimize and grow their use of Planning Analytics. Revelwood’s Planning Analytics team consists of experienced PA experts, including a multi-year IBM Champion.

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One of my favorite development quotes is from a man names Martin Fowler. He said, “Any fool can write code that a computer can understand. Good programmers write code that humans can understand.”

There are many ways to approach the definition of “understand.” One of my favorite ways is to use a simple indenting approach. Specifically, when writing IF statements and WHILE loops I like to indent the code within the section. A few spaces of indentation will allow you to quickly scan sections to determine where an area starts and ends.  

But what happens in a situation when you inherit someone else’s TurboIntegrator process, and the original coder did not use this approach? IBM Planning Analytics Workspace (PAW) offers a one-click solution that will insert the applicable indents for you.

The “Indent Script” icon will make your code more readable by indenting IF statements, nested IF statements, and WHILE loops.

Here is some sample code that does not include any indenting:

This code is somewhat hard to read since you cannot quickly define where the IF starts and ends. A single click of the “indent script” button changes the code to look like this:

Not only did PAW automatically indent the components of the IF statement, but it also created a second level of indentation associated with the nested IF.

This simple approach will allow you to make your rules easier to navigate and read when scrolling through many lines of code.

IBM Planning Analytics, which TM1 is the engine for, is full of new features and functionality. Not sure where to start? Our team here at Revelwood can help. Contact us for more information at info@revelwood.com. And stay tuned for more Planning Analytics Tips & Tricks weekly in our Knowledge Center and in upcoming newsletters!

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