Specialist Computer Centres (SCC) is Europe’s largest independent IT services business, supporting over 2,500 customers across 50+ countries.
From enterprise infrastructure to cloud hosting and managed services, SCC plans, supplies, integrates and manages IT for leading public and private sector organisations across Europe.

IBM Business Analytics Solution – IBM Cognos Controller & IBM Planning Analytics (TM1)

Services – Consultancy and Implementation

The Challenge

SCC’s shift toward cloud and managed services placed new demands on its finance function. Each operating unit was using its own spreadsheet-based tools for budgeting and forecasting, making it difficult to achieve a single, accurate view of performance across the organisation.

SCC wanted everyone working from a single version of the truth and a more efficient approach to performance management. Manual consolidation and reporting slowed the team down, with analysts spending more time manipulating data than analysing it.
The business needed a modern, multi-dimensional planning and reporting solution that could scale across its expanding EMEA operations.

The Solution

After reviewing several vendors, SCC selected IBM Controller for financial consolidation and IBM Planning Analytics for planning, forecasting and management reporting. Aramar was chosen to design and implement the solution due to our expertise with IBM Controller, IBM Planning Analytics and financial consolidation projects.

With Aramar’s guidance, SCC replaced its legacy consolidation system with IBM Controller and introduced IBM Planning Analytics to standardise budgeting and reporting. The finance team received hands-on mentoring, enabling them to build and expand their own models confidently and independently.

SCC began using Planning Analytics for management and board reporting before extending it across their EMEA operations. Additional planning and reporting models were rolled out to support local teams, including SCC France.

The Results

Replacing decentralised spreadsheets with IBM Controller and IBM Planning Analytics delivered major improvements in consistency, speed and insight.

IBM Planning Analytics now allows SCC to complete its annual budgeting process six to eight weeks faster than before. Year-end statutory reporting takes around 50 percent less time to prepare. Monthly actuals for management reporting are delivered up to 30 percent faster on average.

With automated processes and a unified planning framework across the organisation, SCC’s finance team delivers insights more quickly and reliably than ever. Analysts spend less time preparing numbers and more time understanding performance and supporting decision-making.

Working with Aramar

“Aramar provided valuable mentoring for our finance team so they could write their own reports and views.”

With Aramar’s support, SCC has continued developing additional Planning Analytics capabilities, including fixed asset analysis, multi-year planning and forecasting, rolling monthly forecasts and detailed costing models.

The Outcome

SCC’s leadership now receives richer insights earlier, with more time to review the data before key meetings. The business benefits from faster, smarter decision-making supported by real-time financial and operational insight.

IBM Controller and IBM Planning Analytics have transformed SCC’s approach to financial planning and analysis. As SCC continues to grow, their finance team is able to scale and evolve confidently with a modern, enterprise-wide planning environment.