Vista Compatability
The software has gone through technical changes that enables it to run under Windows Vista without problems. The main implication to these changes is that plan files are no longer saved under the software folder but in My Documents folder under a folder with the name of the software.

Scenario Analysis 
The Scenarios analysis enables you to create and compare three different scenarios for the future of the business: Current case, Worst case and Best case. The Scenarios analysis is an important tools in making decisions for the future of the business. When you compare the results of the three scenarios you can evaluate the business opportunities against the business risks and decide accordingly.

Balanced Scorecard Analysis
Balanced Scorecard is a management system that improves the ability of organizations to clarify their strategy and to achieve their goals by setting and measuring objectives not only in the financial perspective, but also in the customers perspectives, business process perspectives, and learning and growth perspectives. The implementation of the Balanced Scorecard method in the software allows the user to apply the method principles based on the results of the business planning process.

The Balance Scorecard module enables the user to define Objectives and Measures, set Targets and analyze them against the Plan results or Actual values.

Documentation Module
The Documentation module allows you to write notes and assumptions concerning any screen and function of the plan. It can be used to document the reasons for the data values, assumptions that were used in the planning process, sources of the data entered, notes about the planning results and more. The documentation can be printed with the reports.

Task List
The Task List module enables you to write down a list of tasks that are needed in order to complete the preparation of the business plan. Each task has a due date and can be marked as completed when it is done.

Rolling Forecast
The Rolling Forecast function enables you to forecast the performance and situation of the business by the end of the current year, based on the actual performance that was done since the beginning of the year, and the updated plan till the end of the year. The Rolling Forecast advances the first plan month one month ahead and uses the actual data till this month as opening balance for the rest of the year.

Consolidation Analysis
The Consolidation Analysis allows the user to consolidate selected plans into one plan. The consolidation accumulates the financial results of the selected plans and displays the consolidated financial reports. The user can also enter data for offset transactions that will be reduced from or added to the consolidation results. The consolidation is done also on the Actual data.

In the standard version up to 5 plans can be consolidated. In the Pro version the number of plans for consolidation is not limited.  The Consolidation Analysis is added to the Tools menu.

Dynamic Export To Excel
The Export to Excel wizard enables you to select reports from the list of data and analysis reports, and to define that these reports will be exported to a selected Excel file each time that the calculation of the plan results is done (before viewing an analysis screen or report). The reports are exported to the Excel file, each in a different sheet.

Detailed Product Costs
The user can enter lists of components that are used to produce the products. The components are categorized by: Material, Labor and Other costs, and for each component a unit cost is entered. Once the components data is entered, the user can define the details of each product by entering the quantity that is required for this product from each component. The software then calculates the cost of the product accordingly and if a component cost is changed, the cost of all the products that include this component is updated automatically. 

Operational Data
A new screen was added to the Data screens that enables the user to enter operational data in various subjects which the user can define, e.g. number of orders, area of the plant, etc.  The user can define data items and he can then enter the values that are planned for these items during the plan period. The operational data does not participate in calculating the projected financial reports of the business, but they include important information that is part of the planning. The items included in the Operational Data screen can be used in the Financial Ratio Generator and in the User Defined Graph generator to build additional financial ratios and user defined graphs.

Quick Graph
Most of the data and analysis screens have a new button on its toolbar that allows the user to create graph display of data contained in the screen, by simply marking this data and clicking the button.

Enhanced Sales Analysis
The Sales Analysis screen, that analyzes the sales by products and markets, enables now to analyze also the direct cost and gross profit of each market and product.

Excel File Administrator
The Excel File Administrator, added in the Preferences screen and Options menu, is a useful tool to manage the connections to Excel sheets that were defined in the various data screens of the software. Using the administrator the user can see which Excel files are connected to which data screens. The user can then replace Excel files and their location, add files and remove existing files from the list.

Connect Product Costs to Excel Sheet
The Products and Costs table now allows the user to connect selected cells to cells in Excel sheets, as it is already done in the Sales Plan, Operating Expenses and other data screens.

Enahnced Rating Module
The Rating Module was enhanced in the Pro version and includes new and updated subjects in the Qualitative part of the Rating.

Quick Graph - select different rows and columns
The Quick Graph function enables you to create a graph from data that is displayed on the screen. This function which is available in most of the data and the analysis screens, now implements a new setup screen that enables you to select items and periods which are not necessarily grouped together on the display grid.

Excel Connection - Permanent or Once 
The Excel connection enables to import data from an Excel file to a selected range in a data screen in the software. The new option enables to select if this import will be done only once or each time the Excel file will be updated (default).

Varying Sales Price
The Sales Plan screen allows now to change the sales price of the products  during the plan periods.

Table and Graph Report
In screens that show table and graph together, e.g. Highlights, Break-Even, etc.  The software will now allow you to create reports that show the table and the graph on the same page.

Total Display
Data screens which are used to enter periodical data, such as Sales Plan, Operating Expenses, etc. has a new button on its toolbar that when clicked displays a screen that shows the sum of the entered data for each period and the sum of the data for all the plan periods.

Product Margin Analysis
The Product Margin displays the sales, direct costs and margin, in amount and percentage of sales, for each product during the plan periods. This screen was added to the Analysis menu.

Price Related Variable Cost
The Product and Costs screen allows entering, for each product, a cost which is percentage of the sales price. This is useful to calculate direct costs that vary according to the sales price, such as sales commission, royalties, etc. 

Seasonal Forecast
Data screens which are used to enter periodical data (such as Sales Plan, Operating Expenses, etc.) have the 'Copy Forward' function that allows copying a value entered in one period to the following periods. This function is now enhanced and includes an 'Advanced' option that enables the user to enter, for each period, the percentage of change that is expected for this period compared to the previous period. 

Inventory Revalue
The value of Inventory can be increased or decreased due to changes in material prices, exchange rates, etc.  The software enables to enter, in the Financial Parameters screen, projected values for increase or decrease in Inventory values and these values are reflected as profit or loss in the projected Profit and Loss report.

Warranty Provision
The Provisions screen allows entering provision for warranty that is planned to be made during the plan period and the amounts that are planned to be paid on account of this provision.

Financial Year Month
The software enables now to define, in the General Data screen, not only the first month of the plan but also the first month of the financial year of the business. This definition is useful when the business is a startup that begins its operations in the middle of the year. In previous versions of the software the user could define only the first month of the plan and the software assumed that this was also the first month of the financial year.

Loan Analysis
The Loan Analysis screen displays the data from the loans that are received and paid during the plan periods. It allows you to analyse, quickly and easily, the amount outstanding for the loans in each period, and  the amounts that are received as loans, the principal payback and interest amounts that are paid, for each loan and for all the loans together.

Easy-Start Wizard
The Easy-Start Wizard was rebuilt with intention of leading the new user through the logical steps of planning with the software. You can select a planning process (e.g. Sales Planning) and then the wizard will lead you through the Data screens that are involved in this process and the Analysis screens that are influenced by this process.

Short Term Loans handed out
The Financial Parameters enables you to enter data about short term loans handed out and paid back. Amounts given to owners as a loan or invested in financial assets can be entered here together with the expected interest income.

Start A New Year
This function enables you to use the plan of the current year as a base for the plan of next year. When the function is activated, the plan of the current year is copied and the initial year is advanced one year ahead.

Sales Analysis by Units
The Sales Analysis screen includes an additional tab that displays the sales of products by units for each market. This is active when the selected method for sales planning is by units.

Actual Sales Units
The Actual Data module enables now to enter the number of units which were actually sold for each product in each market, and this data is compared to the planned sales.

Variable Expenses - more options
Variable expenses can be entered as percentage of total sales, direct cost and sales in a specific market. Now it can also be entered as percentage of the total sales of a specific product.

Rating by Years
The Rating module now enables you to enter different quality grades for each of the plan years. You may change a grade in each of the plan periods if you expect an improvement or deterioration in the analysed business aspect.

Financial Ratio Definitions
Financial ratios defined by user can now be saved with the plan and used specifically for it, or saved and used for all plans (Software level) as it was before. Saving the ratio information with the plan is useful when the plan is sent to another user who can then see the same ratios. An added Setup screen allows you to select where the data is saved and copy data from plan to software level and vice versa. When the ratios are saved with the plan the user can use for the ratio definitions items which are specific to the plan, including detailed sales, operating expenses, etc.

Graph Generator Definitions
User defined graphs can now be saved with the plan and used specifically for it, or saved and used for all plans (Software level) as it was before. Saving the graph definitions with the plan is useful when the plan is sent to another user who can then see the same graphs. An added Setup screen allows to select where the data is saved and copy data from plan to software level and vice versa. When the graphs are saved with the plan the user can use for it items which are specific to the plan, including detailed sales, operating expenses, etc.

Periodical Cash Flow
The Operating Cash Flow report includes a Periodical Cash Flow line which is the result of Cash In less Cash Out for each period.

Actual Data - Details
The Actual Profit and Loss screen enables now to enter the actual data in details. For example, the actual sales data is entered in the breakdown of the Revenues line, for each product in each market , and is summed up to the Revenues line. The details entered here are used also for the Actual vs. Plan comparison. By adding this feature the Actual Revenues screen, the Actual Operating Expenses and the Actual details screen were no longer needed and were removed from the software.

Report Table includes Actual and Forecast
The Report Table was enhanced and includes many data and analysis screens that were not included here before. The screens of the Actual Data module (including the data screens, the Actual vs. Plan and the Forecast screens), where also added to the Report Table.

Profit Center Analysis includes details of Other Expenses
The Operating Expenses line in the Profit Center Analysis screen includes a breakdown that details the expense items.

Show screens in Cascade
The software can now display screens in Cascade mode, so that when a new screen is displayed you can still see that other screens are opened in the background.   

Percentage Column in Actual vs. Plan and Scenario Analysis
Percentage columns were added to the Profit and Loss, Balance and Cashflow in Actual vs. Plan and in Scenario Analysis, to show the weight of each item as percentage of the Total.

ROA/ROE Analysis includes Historical periods
ROA/ROE analysis includes now also data from historical periods. The ROA / ROE chart  can now be printed.

Default Location of Plan Files
The default path where Plan files are saved is now the subfolder "Plans" under the Software folder in the My Documents folder.

Breakdown Details
The Profit and Loss and Cashflow screens have more items with detailed breakdown that can be seen when you click on the "+' sign that appears on the left of the item. An Actual Details screen was added to the Actual menu to enable data entry for details that appears in the Actual vs. Plan Profit and Loss screen. 

Data Entry Cursor Direction
When you click Enter after data entry the cursor moves to next cell on the right. If you want to move to the Cell below, simply click Arrow Down.

Copy Forward Rounding Numbers
Copy Forward result numbers are now rounded to prevent very long decimals

Save method of Financial Reports with the Plan File
The software enables two methods of displaying the Financial Reports: the Total Cost method and the Direct Cost method (the method is selected in the System Options screen). In previous versions of the software the selection was active for all loaded plans while now the selected method is saved with the plan and when the plan is loaded again, the method is changed according to its setting when the plan was used in the last time.

Save changed headers of Reports
When you change the header of a report in the Report Customization screen, the software saves the change and uses it in the next time that the same report is created.

Enable copy in Scenario and Comparison analysis
The software enables now to mark and copy a range of data in Scenario and Comparison Analysis screens. The marked range is saved to the clipboard and can be pasted to documents in other applications, e.g. MS-Word.

Logo in Reports
The Print Customization screen allows to set Width and Height parameters for a logo picture in the reports, in addition to the top and left parameters that were there already.

Plan Specific User Defined Texts
The software enables to decide, in the Preferences screen, if user defined text will be specific to the current plan or used for all plans (as it was in previous versions of the software). This feature allows the user to send a plan file to other user and ensure that he sees the same text.   

Plan Specific Application Functions
The software enables to decide, in the Preferences screen, if Application Functions will be specific to the current plan or used for all plans (as it was in previous versions of the software). This feature allows the user to send a plan file to other user and ensure that he sees the same functions.  

About screen - Contact Information
The About screen enables the user to print the information that it contains. The user can also activate the links to Internet sites or e-mails that appear on the screen by clicking them.

Changes in Navigator
The Navigator was changed according to the added screens. The Report table and Graph table were grouped under Tools header with the Consolidation Analysis.

Upgrade Information

Standard or Pro version?
Both versions enable running the business planning process. The Pro version has more Analysis tools and has more possibilities to import data from Excel and export data to Excel.  To see a comparison between the two versions click here.

Can I try it ?
You can download evaluation version of Business Planner 2009 Pro or Business Planner 8 or both) in the Downloads page. The evaluation version is active for a few days and doesn't allow printing.
Note: Business Planner 2009 is installed to a different folder than any previous version and doesn't overwrite it. You can load a plan that you did with a previous version and it will be upgraded and copied to sub-folder Plans in the folder of the software. You can install both the Pro and the Standard versions, each will be installed to a different folder.

What is the Price ?
As a user of a previous version of the Business Planner you are entitled for a special upgrade price. In the Buy page you can see the price of the upgrade and you can pay for the upgrade through a secured server.