With the latest release, 7.5.2, Corporate Planner is taking another major step toward a fully web-based platform. The focus is on comprehensive structure editing, new features for financial controlling, and a modernized administration interface. At the same time, the user experience is being further standardized across the various application areas.
New Features
1. Greater clarity and more intuitive navigation
One of the visible changes involves the Design Studio. Thanks to a new, multi-level menu structure, users will now be able to switch directly between different functional areas without having to return to the home page every time.
Administration will also be more organized: The previously standalone Control Center is now integrated into the new user interface. The functions it contained remain available and can now be accessed via the settings icon or directly from the appropriate locations in the Design Studio.
This further development thus pursues a clear goal: to make the Corporate Planner more consistent to use and to integrate administrative tasks as seamlessly as possible into daily work.
2. Create databases directly on the web
With Version 7.5.2, database management on the web is being further expanded. In the future, databases can be created directly in Design Studio.
This eliminates the need to switch to the CP Suite for these steps, as was previously required. This simplifies workflows, particularly when setting up new projects.
Note: The import of existing databases is planned for a future release.
3. OC Structure Editing: Full Functionality on the Web
A key focus of this release is structure editing. The existing functionality for OC structure editing from the CP Suite has been transferred to the CP Design Studio and adapted to the new user interface.
Among the new features is an enhanced field search. In addition to the existing text search, users can now also search specifically for different field types and other field properties. The search continues to support exact matches, partial matches, and wildcards. The results are clearly displayed in a list, allowing for easy navigation and the ability to open the found fields directly.
The editing of CPA dimensions has also been fundamentally redesigned. Functions that were previously accessible via a separate dialog box are now integrated into the Analyses, Dimensions, and Field Editor sections. For example, fields can now be specifically located and edited based on their assigned dimensions.
Another new feature concerns the previous “Inherit” function. It will now be more accurately named “Set Properties in Branch.” This makes it clearer that properties are transferred to subordinate fields only once and that no permanent link is created.
Structure comparison is also available on the web with its comprehensive range of features.
These include, among other things, automatic data references, key figure formulas, cross-references, and functions for sorting, converting, and cleaning up tree structures.
Structure mappings can be executed via automation. A new feature is that the functions for converting terminal fields and cleaning up the tree structure can now also be saved and executed automatically. Execution information and logs support the traceability of the results.
4. Financial Controlling: Extensive New Features on the Web
Release 7.5.2 also introduces numerous enhancements in Financial Controlling. The navigation has been restructured and expanded to include a central overview page through which users can access the most important functions.
These include, in particular:
- Logic modules: All existing logic module types have been migrated to the web application. Templates, parameters, and detailed settings can be managed via the new interface.
- Automatic Plan Data Link: Definition and execution are now clearly separated. Companies, reporting structures, data links, and account prefixes or suffixes can be selected to create the links.
- Value-Added Tax and Data Connections: The relevant functions, as well as updates to the data connection status and data connection assignments, are accessible via the new Finance navigation.
This enables additional key financial controlling tasks to be performed independently of the previous desktop application.
Individual functions, including the Data Monitor and “Enter Closing Entries,” will be available in a later release.
5. Finance and Consolidation Are Converging
An important development involves the interaction between financial controlling and consolidation. In the future, these two areas will be more closely integrated within the user interface.
Instead of accessing consolidation as a separate module, it can be activated directly within a Finance database. Once activated, additional consolidation-related functions and settings become visible, such as those for segments, reporting periods, and segment templates.
Chart of accounts and data levels will also be more standardized on the interface. The goal is to be able to manage related information together and avoid duplicate maintenance.
Technical differences between individual functions remain where necessary. For users, however, the underlying complexity should increasingly fade into the background.
Further expansion of the consolidation functions—particularly master data and settings—is part of upcoming releases.
6. Outlook: AI and Consolidation
With version 7.5.2, the further development of the web application is not yet complete. Additional topics are already on the agenda for the next releases (7.5.3 and 7.5.4).
In financial controlling, these include the redevelopment of the intercompany module—including document drill-down—the further integration of finance and consolidation metrics, and multilingual support. The data monitor and the “Enter Financial Statements” function are also scheduled to follow.
The introduction of the new AI chat is also planned for Release 7.5.3. In the future, this is intended to assist users with structure editing in Financial Controlling and enable them to create and edit financial structures using artificial intelligence.
Web Transformation in the Home Stretch
With each release, the various application areas of Corporate Planner are becoming more closely integrated. In addition to the gradual migration of functions from the CP Suite to the web application, the focus is on standardizing user interfaces, simplifying workflows, and creating a central entry point to the platform.
With Release 7.5.2, we are consistently expanding the strengths of Corporate Planner. You’ll benefit from a growing range of features on the web, even more intuitive operation, and seamless integration across various controlling areas. In this way, we combine the proven performance of Corporate Planner with the capabilities of a modern, integrated web platform.
