IBM Silver Business Partner — Brazil & Global Delivery

IBM Planning Analytics (TM1) consulting that delivers

Implementation, on-prem to Cloud migration, health checks and managed support. 15+ years across FP&A, Supply Chain and HR with the platform — in Brazil and on four continents.

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Why Flexthink

We pair the credibility of an official IBM Partner with elite technical execution. We're specialists in Planning Analytics and TM1 — known for solving what others can't. Which is why we're the trusted technical squad for the largest global consultancies: when a project demands maximum precision and depth, we're the ones delivering the solution.

15+
Years on IBM PA / TM1
90+
Projects delivered
4
Continents of delivery
IBM TM1 Certified Developer
What we deliver

Everything IBM Planning Analytics can do.

From a fresh implementation to a critical Cloud migration, through performance health checks and internal team training — we cover the full lifecycle of the platform.

🚀

End-to-end implementation

From requirement gathering to go-live. Multi-dimensional modelling, Rules, processes (TurboIntegrator), PAW dashboards and ERP integration — delivered in two-week sprints.

  • Budgeting, forecasting and financial consolidation
  • S&OP, demand planning and supply chain
  • HR, headcount and payroll models
☁️

TM1 on-premise → IBM PA Cloud migration

The defining theme of 2026: the on-premise 2.0.9.x line went end-of-support in October 2025, and IBM is concentrating new capabilities (AI, REST APIs, Workspace) on the Cloud. We run migrations without disrupting the planning cycle.

  • Technical assessment and migration plan
  • Validation of legacy objects (TM1 Architect, Perspectives)
  • Controlled cutover with safe rollback
⚙️

Health Check and optimization

Old models get heavy. We refactor slow rules, review sparsity, reduce unnecessary consolidations and hand back performance — with a prioritized action plan by impact.

  • Diagnosis of Rules, TI and MDX
  • Sparsity and consolidation analysis
  • Action plan with quick wins separated from structural rebuild
📊

Modernization with Planning Analytics Workspace

Move from Excel-driven to web dashboards — governed, accessible from any device. We deliver PAW and PAfE focused on real end-user adoption.

  • Migration of Perspectives reports → PAW
  • Executive dashboards and closing books
  • Approval workflow and governance
🛠️

Managed support and CoE

The model doesn't end at go-live — it begins there. We provide technical support with SLA, model evolution as the business changes, and structuring of internal Centers of Excellence for gradual autonomy.

  • SLA support with agreed response times
  • Incremental sprint-based evolution
  • Progressive knowledge transfer
🎓

Technical training

We train internal developers in Rules, TurboIntegrator, MDX and REST API. For companies that want to stop depending 100% on external consulting and build in-house teams.

  • Structured tracks: foundation, intermediate, advanced
  • Material adapted to your real model
  • Post-training mentorship
Why IBM PA

IBM Planning Analytics is still the right call for a specific class of problems.

With Anaplan, Pigment, Workday Adaptive and other modern platforms in the market, it's reasonable to ask: does IBM Planning Analytics still make sense in 2026? The honest answer is "it depends" — and anyone answering "always yes" or "always no" probably hasn't worked with both categories.

IBM PA remains unbeatable on four fronts: very large data volumes (the in-memory TM1 engine still leads performance benchmarks for models with billions of cells), complex business rules (Rules lets you encode logic other tools force you to approximate via workarounds), governance and auditability (granular permission controls, security, versioning) and predictable cost at scale (a licensing model that doesn't penalize user-base growth).

According to a Forrester TEI study commissioned by IBM, organizations adopting Planning Analytics reported up to 63% reduction in budget cycle time and planning processing 80% faster compared to spreadsheet-based solutions. (Source: Forrester Total Economic Impact™ of IBM Planning Analytics, 2019.)

Because we also work with Anaplan, we run platform evaluations impartially. When IBM PA is the right call, we say so. When Anaplan is better, we say that too.

Anonymized cases

Real projects with IBM Planning Analytics.

Client names withheld for confidentiality. The scopes described are real.

Cloud migration · Pharma
TM1 on-premise → PA Cloud migration at a global pharma multinational
Big Pharma operating in 150+ countries needed to migrate a legacy TM1 environment with multiple financial and operational planning models to IBM Planning Analytics Cloud. We led the technical phase as specialist squad inside a multi-vendor program.
Migration completed without disrupting the planning cycle. Stack modernization, elimination of legacy infrastructure dependency, and access to Cloud-native platform features.
Transformation · Australian Top 4 Bank
Technical lead in planning transformation — Australian Top 4 bank
Multi-year strategic program modernizing the financial planning stack at one of Australia's largest financial institutions. Delivered as specialist IBM PA technical squad inside a multi-disciplinary program.
Technical depth delivered inside a larger transformation program, with integration across multiple systems and standardization of planning processes across business units.
FP&A · Global Logistics
FP&A implementation on IBM PA at a Japanese global shipping operator
Full implementation of a financial planning model at one of the world's largest shipping operators, supporting global operations with multiple currencies, distinct accounting hierarchies by region, and unified corporate consolidation.
Multi-country, multi-currency financial model in production, with integrated planning cycle across subsidiaries and automated corporate consolidation.
About our delivery model: on cases like the ones above, Flexthink operates as specialist technical squad embedded inside larger global consultancies. We're brought in for the technical depth on IBM PA / TM1, and we deliver inside programs where the end client and the prime consultancy hold the contractual relationship. We also serve end clients directly today — combining both models.
Frequently asked

Questions we hear every week.

What's the difference between TM1 and IBM Planning Analytics?
TM1 is the legacy name of the technology, created in the 1980s. IBM Planning Analytics is the current brand, launched in 2017, which still uses the same in-memory TM1 engine underneath. In practice they're the same platform — people who say "TM1" usually mean the legacy on-premise environment; people who say "Planning Analytics" usually mean the more recent versions, on Cloud or on-premise.
Is it worth migrating TM1 on-premise to IBM Cloud?
In 2026, yes — for most clients. IBM has concentrated product investment on the SaaS version (Planning Analytics as a Service), and new AI, REST API and PAW capabilities arrive there first. The on-premise 2.0.9.x line went end-of-support in October 2025. Staying on the old version accumulates technical debt and locks you out of innovation. The migration doesn't have to be all-or-nothing — it's usually phased.
How long does a typical IBM Planning Analytics implementation take?
It depends on scope. A lean FP&A model with 1-2 cubes can go live in 8 to 12 weeks. An integrated FP&A + S&OP + Supply Chain environment usually takes 4 to 9 months, broken into two-week sprints with functional output each cycle. TM1 on-prem to Cloud migrations typically run 6 to 16 weeks, depending on the complexity of the current environment and the volume of legacy objects to convert.
IBM Planning Analytics or Anaplan — how to decide?
There's no universal answer. IBM PA tends to win for very large data volumes, complex multi-dimensional modelling via Rules, and companies with existing IBM/Cognos ecosystem investment. Anaplan tends to win for implementation speed, real-time collaboration and companies that want business users modelling directly. Because we work with both, we run an impartial assessment based on real project requirements — no canned pitch.
Can IBM Planning Analytics integrate with SAP, Oracle, Totvs and other ERPs?
Yes. IBM PA integrates with any data source via TurboIntegrator (TI), REST APIs and ODBC connectors. We've delivered integrations with SAP ECC and S/4HANA, Oracle, Totvs Protheus, and sources like SQL Server, PostgreSQL, Snowflake and flat files. Integration is a standard part of any serious project, not an add-on.
Why pick an official IBM Partner for Planning Analytics projects?
Official partners have direct access to product roadmap, prioritized support channels, training resources and commercial incentives that aren't available to non-certified consultancies. In practice, that reduces project risk and gives the client access to information that helps plan future evolution — including guidance on when to expect new capabilities relevant to their business.
Next step

Let's talk about your IBM Planning Analytics project.

New implementation, Cloud migration, optimization of a legacy model, or platform assessment — share the context, we reply within 24 hours.