Manager at a tech services company with 501-1,000 employees
Real User
A mature, extensive solution that scales very effectively
Pros and Cons
  • "One can see that it's a mature product because it addresses all the requirements that you must need for financial consolidation and for budgeting and planning. It's really easy to use."
  • "The solution is about to cease to exist, so it doesn't really matter if they add anything to it. It's at end-of-life."

What is our primary use case?

I've been involved in implementing the solution for past clients.

What is most valuable?

The Hyperion product is designed for performance management, enterprise performance management, and it is applications. It has got write-back and it's got workflow. It's got built-in best practices for taking care of the management procedures, for example, budgeting, planning, and forecasting. It can also be used for financial consolidation - the whole process, including disclosure management, tax reporting, et cetera. It offers a lot of business process features.

In contrast, BI is for anybody that wants to use a lot of information, interrogate it and look at it from various perspectives, but don't want to use it for a business process. We use BI for information purposes and analytic purposes only. It does not have write-back capabilities. It is not something where you can say, "Okay, I can see that I've sold 10 products. Let me see what is going to happen if I sell 16 products in the next five months." You can't do that with BI. You can with Hyperion.

Their latest trend and the most modern approach is to combine BI with Enterprise Performance Management. After the process that you've completed, you want to have BI type of reporting. This will give you the best of both worlds, if the trend continues. You want a data model that makes provisions for that type of analysis and reporting that you want to do. 

For instance, financial consolidation. You can take all the information from the various businesses that you have (even different types of businesses or geographical areas). You can consolidate that, and apply accounting rules to it and do some analysis on it once you start your financial consolidation. That is where the BI comes in.

However, in saying that, the commonality that you have is the nature of the data. The way that the data is structured is common across enterprise performance, management, and business intelligence.

The solution is quite mature.

One can see that it's a mature product because it addresses all the requirements that you must have for financial consolidation and for budgeting and planning. It's really easy to use.

What needs improvement?

From a business intelligence (BI) angle, it's only a small part of what Hyperion does.

The solution is about to cease to exist, so it doesn't really matter if they add anything to it. It's at end-of-life.

Oracle's strategy is to put those clients that are using Hyperion at the moment onto the cloud, through a new software. Companies will be able to have the cloud software but have the option of on-premise. 

Due to the rich functionality and the breadth of the functionality that it provides, the technical architecture of the solution is quite complex. That is maybe one of the reasons why that Hyperion or Oracle is taking some of the products that have become too complex in the architecture and have decided to rewrite it and put it in the cloud. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been working with the solution for well over a decade. It's been about 15 or 16 years or so at this point.

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Oracle Hyperion
April 2024
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is quite stable. Very notable and large organizations are able to use it without any trouble, even if they are working in different currencies and across countries.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution scales very well.

It is enterprise-class software and typically used by clients that have got massive amounts of data and also hundreds of users. It will handle much more, especially on the financial consolidation side. One of the biggest financial consolidation communities operating in Hyperion is a shipping company that has got businesses in every country in the world. They've got close to 300 users, which is very big for a financial consolidation application. They also have distributed across different currencies, et cetera, and the solution is able to handle it all.

Thousands of companies use the solution, and many have anywhere from 10 to 300 users, or more. 300 users would indicate the company and the solution is scaled quite extensively.

How are customer service and support?

Oracle could do a bit more to support the client. 

How was the initial setup?

The solution is very easy to use and therefore the initial setup was pretty straightforward.

In terms of deployment, for small organizations, it might only take three months or so. For a very large organization, you are looking at a deployment time of approximately nine months.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

There are annual licensing costs associated with the solution.

Some people may consider the solution to be expensive, however, for all that it does, anything similar would require the licensing of more than one product.

What other advice do I have?

We don't have a business relationship with Oracle. 

I'm not actually an end-user, however, I have been involved in providing the software and installing it and implementation projects and so on. I've got customers that are using these products and I've been involved with various aspects of these products.

The Oracle Hyperion products also differ slightly. The cloud products differ from on-premise products.

While our on-premise version is 11, we're also using the latest cloud. I'm not sure of that version as it's constantly getting updated.

The solution is at end-of-life and Oracle may only maintain the product until 2030 before moving everyone onto a new solution on the cloud. It's my understanding the new solution will be called Oracle Financial Consolidation and Close.

As the solution is to be discontinued, we'd most likely recommend another Oracle product. We'd likely recommend Oracle FCCS.

Overall, I'd rate the solution eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
it_user436188 - PeerSpot reviewer
Sr. Technology Engineer at a renewables & environment company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Vendor
We've found it really useful as an add-on for the financial part of Excel because it's functionality is geared towards finance users. Oracle should have provided better documentation.

Valuable Features:

The most valuable feature in our experience is the user interface. We've found it really useful as an add-on for the financial part of Excel because it's functionality is geared towards finance users. Our finance users tend to like anything that can make their work inside Excel easier and more efficient.

Improvements to My Organization:

It empowers users to perform ad hoc analyses themselves rather than having to go to IT or somewhere else. That makes it much more efficient for our users to do their jobs because they have access to data analysis in front of them instead of having to find that information elsewhere.

Room for Improvement:

Oracle should have provided better documentation, and should update it more often. Right now, the documentation is not easy to understand and makes Hyperion that much less user-friendly.

Deployment Issues:

We've had no issues with deploying it.

Stability Issues:

I think that Hyperion is, traditionally, very complex. It always seems to be buggy to a degree. We're always finding something that doesn't work quite the way we want and expect. But in terms of overall stability, it's very stable.

Scalability Issues:

There are definitely certain limits. I'd say that it's not very scalable.

Initial Setup:

The initial setup wasn't not very straightforward. Installing Hyperion products requires a lot of effort and a lot of technical knowledge.

Implementation Team:

We implemented it with our in-house team.

Other Advice:

The product itself, right now, especially on the Hyperion planning side, is the industry leading software for what it does. Although it's buggy, I think that's as far as you can get on the enterprise solutions. This is way better than anything else out there.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Oracle Hyperion
April 2024
Learn what your peers think about Oracle Hyperion. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: April 2024.
770,428 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Oracle Specialist at a government with 5,001-10,000 employees
Real User
Customizable, helpful support, but the product is being phased out
Pros and Cons
  • "This is a customizable product. Our implementation was designed to fit our needs."
  • "The user interface is in need of improvement. The forms should be more user-friendly."

What is our primary use case?

Our primary use case for Oracle Hyperion was planning and budgeting.

My role in the company is on the support side.

What is most valuable?

This is a customizable product. Our implementation was designed to fit our needs.

What needs improvement?

The user interface is in need of improvement. The forms should be more user-friendly.

Initially, we had some integration issues. However, these were solved after we submitted a couple of service requests.

For how long have I used the solution?

We were using Hyperion for approximately eight years.

As of last week, we no longer use the original Oracle Hyperion. We have moved to the cloud version of the product.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Overall, the stability was okay. We did not have to raise many issues with support.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Scalability-wise, Oracle Hyperion is okay.

How are customer service and support?

We did not have to raise many issues with support because we were only using the planning and budgeting features. We did initially have some integration issues and these were solved after we set up a couple of service requests.

Overall, the support is okay.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We were using Oracle Hyperion but have transitioned to the Oracle EPM Planning Cloud.

We switched because the support was ending and we decided to move to the latest version.

What about the implementation team?

The deployment was done by a third-party implementation provider.

What other advice do I have?

As of now, the Oracle Hyperion product is out of support, so I would not recommend it to anyone. Anybody that has it will not be supported by Oracle.

For anybody who is still planning to implement this product, my advice is to consider their needs during the initial implementation phase. The one that we were using was designed to fit our needs and anybody who plans to use this product should identify what forms and screens they will need. That is configurable at the beginning.

I would rate this solution a seven out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
it_user202521 - PeerSpot reviewer
Manager of Business Intel at a manufacturing company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
The ability to lock and send data is important. It could be improved with a better front end and user experience.

Valuable Features:

The ability to lock and send data as well as the flexibility of user security are two very important aspects of the product.

Improvements to My Organization:

The partitioning option between databases allows for users to enter data one time, versus copying data lots of times from one cube to another. This has saved hours of maintenance and eliminates data integrity issues between the cubes.

Room for Improvement:

The product could be improved with a better front end and user experience.

Use of Solution:

The solution has been in place for 12 years.  

We currently use the product for Financial Reporting, and from a functionality perspective, I would rate the product an 8/10 (once you understand it). As an intuitive, user friendly, GUI application, I would rate it a 4/10.

Deployment Issues:

We have encountered no issues to date with deployment.

Stability Issues:

At one point, a data package had corrupted, causing our cube refreshes to fail. Having to restore from the backup but losing all the data inputs caused some business issues, but we were able to overcome them.

The Essbase engine does not start up automatically when the server reboots, causing users to log connection complaints.

Scalability Issues:

To date, we have had no issues with an increase in data by date, or as we get newer version.

Initial Setup:

The initial set up was complex, as we were actually migrating from version 9 to version 11. The upgrade version path was not clear, and it was easier to recreate it.

Implementation Team:

We implemented it in-house.

Cost and Licensing Advice:

We have a corporate global licensing agreement.

Other Advice:

Finding highly qualified technical consultants for this application is difficult. There are other products with a larger community available for support and development.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Director Enterprise Applications and eBusiness at a retailer with 5,001-10,000 employees
Real User
Reliable, building flexibility, but difficult to maintain
Pros and Cons
  • "Oracle Hyperion is an engine allowing you to build whatever you want on it."
  • "Oracle Hyperion generally it's quite a complex architecture that is hard to maintain."

What is our primary use case?

We used It was used for budgeting, monthly management reporting, and forecasting.

What is most valuable?

Oracle Hyperion is an engine allowing you to build whatever you want on it.

What needs improvement?

Oracle Hyperion generally it's quite a complex architecture that is hard to maintain.

In our case, the issue was with the lack of people in Kazakhstan who know the product. there is a very limited number of resources available on the market.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Oracle Hyperion for approximately 11 years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I have found Oracle Hyperion to be stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability of Oracle Hyperion is not that simple. However, for our usage, we do not have any performance issues. We didn't try to scale it that much.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

Previously to using Oracle Hyperion we were using Excel.

How was the initial setup?

The installation is at a medium difficulty level. It is similar to Oracle E-Business Suite.

What about the implementation team?

Oracle Hyperion was implemented with the help of an integrator.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Oracle Hyperion is not an inexpensive solution.

What other advice do I have?

I would advise others to use a cloud solution if there is one available.

I rate Oracle Hyperion a seven out of ten,

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Hyperion - Financial System Analyst at a venture capital & private equity firm with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Good reporting, consolidation, and technical support
Pros and Cons
  • "We like the reporting and tracking of financials."
  • "There can be an improvement in many regards with the dimensions, the metadata, the interfaces, as well as the integration."

What is our primary use case?

Essentially, we use Hyperion for financial reporting and tracking.

What is most valuable?

We like the reporting and tracking of financials.

What needs improvement?

I think the user interface could be made a bit easier and user-friendly.

The initial setup could be easier, and there could be more integration with more ERPs.

There is always room for improvement. 

There can be an improvement in many regards with the dimensions, the metadata, the interfaces, as well as the integration.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been working with Oracle Hyperion for two years.

We are using the financial management version.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It's a stable solution.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It's a scalable product.

There are more than 40 users in our organization who are working with this solution.

How are customer service and support?

Technical support has been good.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

Previously, we did not work with similar products.

How was the initial setup?

As an administrator, I don't find it to be very difficult, but from the user's perspective, It could be simplified.

We don't need much maintenance because it's a stable product.

What other advice do I have?

If the group is large enough, then I would recommend going ahead with this solution. It's a very good tool for reporting and consolidation.

I would rate Oracle Hyperion an eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
it_user694662 - PeerSpot reviewer
Team Lead at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees
Consultant
You can handle and process a lot of data in a very short time.

What is most valuable?

The fact that you can handle and process a lot of data in a very short time is the most valuable feature.

How has it helped my organization?

We showed a lot of demos of these solutions, and a lot of clients that we demonstrated to are very much impressed. It has increased our clientele, so we have a lot more of clients in my company for this application.

What needs improvement?

It's way ahead of the competition. IBM Solutions have gone down a lot in the last few years and the future is Oracle. So, for now, I don't see any features in IBM that should be improved. It's very good for now.

I don't think that this product needs any improvement for now. I am quite satisfied with the application that we have, it is working just fine. For clients who have a good understanding of the product, it is enabling them meet their deadlines. So for now, I don't think it is necessary for me to consider.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have used this solution for five years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Stability is good.

How are customer service and technical support?

Nine out of 10.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

Previously, we were using IBM.

How was the initial setup?

The setup was very straightforward, it is easy to use.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

This was the only option that was given to us.

What other advice do I have?

I would always recommend this solution.

It is very versatile, it is easy to use, easy to access, and easy to set up.

I am very satisfied with and keen on this solution.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
it_user448791 - PeerSpot reviewer
Managing Director at a tech consulting company with 51-200 employees
Consultant
We haven't had issues with performance and scalability.

What is most valuable?

The entire ETL function is of great value and no feature on its own will function alone. So in my eyes there is not one feature that really stands out on its own.

How has it helped my organization?

I work in a consulting role but I believe that by implementing it a lot of organizations’ manual processes have been automated.

What needs improvement?

FDM has become redundant and is being replaced by FDMEE. FDM will not be supported in the near future anymore and no further development/improvements are done on this product.

It is a manual setup of the type of data that you want to load. To build the application you have to setup and create various locations, maps, categories, etc. You also need to define your input data structure to a certain extent. There is allot of manual work when it comes to creating an application but once the application is created there shouldn’t be any issues when it comes to loading data.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using Oracle Hyperion Financial Quality Data Manager for four years.

What was my experience with deployment of the solution?

There were no issues with the deployment.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

We've experienced no issues with performance.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It's been able to scale for our needs.

How are customer service and technical support?

99% of the time we do our own troubleshooting.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I started with this product.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was rather complex but I knew what I needed to do to achieve the end result. There are also allot of reading material on these products if you get stuck.

What about the implementation team?

We used an in-house team. My advice would be to know what you want to achieve with the tool because it is very flexible.

What other advice do I have?

I would not recommend implementing FDM as it is falling away and will not be supported in the near future.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Oracle Hyperion Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: April 2024
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Oracle Hyperion Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.