Business Analytics Suite™
A developer’s platform for modeling solutions
Business Analytics Suite™
Surpassing advantages in decision support, visual modeling, and simulation
Spreadsheets, by themselves, fall short of enterprise-scale modeling, but they remain effective tools when combined with an integrated and fully scalable modeling solution. That’s how we designed Business Analytics Suite — to give professional modelers surpassing advantages in decision support, visual modeling, and simulation while integrating familiar tools.
Vanguard Studio™
At the core of Business Analytics Suite is Vanguard Studio, the application development environment for building models and testing long-term business strategies. Our solution does not replace spreadsheets. Instead, it picks up where they fall off – at the shift from simple, one-off analyses to enterprise-scale models. Spreadsheets are often components in our models, rolled up into high-level views.
Vanguard Server™
More than an add-on, Vanguard Server transforms modeling into a collaborative, enterprise process. Publish, catalog, and manage access to the applications you build or that we build for you. Pull existing model sequences from a shared library into any work in progress.
Analytics
- Forecasting: Extrapolate historical performance data to guide strategic planning. Learn more.
- Optimization: Subject complex problems to business constraints to find optimal solutions. Learn more.
- Data analysis: Pull valuable information from historical or experimental data.
- Decision tree analysis: Balance the risks and rewards of unique courses of action to determine best possible outcomes. Learn more.
- Sensitivity analysis: Determine which assumptions drive your decisions most.
- Web development: Transform models into interactive web applications. Learn more.
- Monte Carlo simulation: Model uncertainty to help manage business risk. Simulate complex systems to determine the probability of potential outcomes. Learn more.
- General modeling: Tackle logically complex problems and communicate your ideas clearly.
Visual modeling
The divide and conquer approach to problem-solving: Our hierarchical tree interface takes the divide-and-conquer approach to problem-solving. That is, to solve a complex problem, you simply divide it into two or more simpler components. To solve these component problems, apply the same process again, breaking them down into still finer elements. The result is a hierarchical tree.
User-defined formulas built for almost any purpose: Like spreadsheets, Vanguard trees are networks of user-defined formulas built for almost any purpose. Unlike spreadsheets, Vanguard automatically constructs a diagram that matches the logical structure of your model as you go. This visual outline makes it easier for you to tackle complex, ill-structured business problems.
Intuitive illustration of analyses: With Vanguard’s tree structure, your models are outlined and inherently presentational. The root node represents the solution you seek, and each branch provides increasingly detailed information about how that solution is derived. This feature makes it easy for someone who is unfamiliar with your model to quickly understand its function.
Automation
Automated Intelligence: Vanguard quantum leaps the competition in automated intelligence. A key example is forecast method selection. Our system pre-selects the optimal forecasting method and method parameters for your particular data. Other features that combine advanced analytics with automation include: Outlier Rejection to reduce the effects of inconsistent data, Level-Shift Detection to account for changes in underlying business conditions, In-Sample Testing to evaluate competing methods, and Fourier Spectral Analysis to identify seasonal patterns and business cycles.
Forecast Wizard: Vanguard’s Forecast Wizard guides you through all aspects of preparing a forecast. This includes importing historical data, finding the best forecast methods, and preparing output reports. Forecasts can run automatically (Vanguard chooses the best forecast method and parameters), semi-automatically (you choose the method and Vanguard chooses the optimal method-specific parameters), or manually (you choose the method and parameters).
Batch Forecast Wizard: Vanguard’s Batch Forecast Wizard prepares forecasts automatically for thousands of items at a time. The Batch Forecast Wizard is both extraordinarily fast and accurate.
Components
- Vanguard Studio™: Web Application Development Environment and building
block of the Vanguard application universe. Learn more. - Monte Carlo Simulation: Modeling uncertainty to simulate complex systems, reveal probabilities of outcomes, and help manage risk. Learn more.
- Forecasting: Extrapolate historical performance data to predict and plan for the future. Learn more.
- Decision Tree Analysis: Visual and analytic decision support to map the best course of action. Learn more.
- Optimization: Linear programming and stochastic optimization to allocate resources most efficiently.
- Web Development: Fine-tune models built with S
tudio as interactive, content-rich web resources. Learn more.
Vanguard Analytics in action: A deeper dive
- Decision Support: Apply decision tree analysis and Markov simulations
to determine your best course of action. Learn more. - Monte Carlo Simulation: Have your analytics tools kept pace with competitive business demands? Learn more.
- Modeling and Simulation: Analytic power for probative, predictive analyses. Scalability for enterprise growth. User-centric interface and architecture for maximum use and output. Learn more.
Why Vanguard System?
Vanguard System is knowledge-centric rather than data-centric. In addition to history, it captures management estimates and functional knowledge from throughout the organization to synthesize rigorous and realistic business models. This emphasis on knowledge focuses support on strategic decision-making.
Featured resources
White paper
Case study
White paper
Client Results
“Billions [of dollars] in operating margin and trillions in market capitalization separate supply chain winners from losers,” according to AMR Research. With Vanguard Predictive Planning™, best-in-class planners see:
%
Reduction in inventory
%
Increase in perfect-order fulfillment (complete, accurate, and on time)
%
Shorter cash-to-cash cycle times
%
Fewer stock-outs than competitors
What our clients have to say
Technical features
Promotion planning
The ability to model and manage promotions (or integrate with third-party promotion tools) is a key differentiator of Vanguard Predictive Planning. With a robust set of techniques to model promotions, Vanguard Predictive Planning sets itself apart.
Advanced workflows
Workflows are the backbones of every supply chain plan. Vanguard Predictive Planning offers users advanced, easy-to-define and easy-to-support workflows to enable both planning and S&OP processes.
Collaboration Hub
Vanguard Predictive Planning comes with an industry-leading collaboration portal. Never again will organizations to never again have siloed planning or limitations to those who can collaborate.
End-to-end planning
Vanguard Predictive Planning is an integrated business planning platform that provides organizations with true end-to-end planning and visibility.
Master production scheduling
Vanguard Predictive Planning creates the optimal schedule for production based on rules and constraints.
Simulation
Move from single-threaded what-if scenario planning to true simulation. Monte Carlo simulation instantly allows you to run hundreds or thousands of scenarios with a range of variables.
Monte Carlo simulation
Plan based on probabilities and improve forecast confidence intervals using Monte Carlo simulation.
What-if scenarios
Complete support for unlimited what-if scenarios that you can save and share. Additionally, non-forecast owners can propose forecast changes for any scenario.
Real-time analytics
With a unified data model, Vanguard Predictive Planning delivers analytics in real-time as soon as any changes occur to the plan or data. Additionally, users can set alerts to be notified of such changes.
Demand profiles
Forecast automation and accuracy plus optimized inventory and operations increase profits and profitability by reducing stockouts, lost sales, emergency orders, and labor and customer acquisition costs.
Exception-based planning
Mature supply chains manage by exception; Vanguard Predictive Planning enables extensive exception-based processes.
Machine learning
Vanguard Predictive Planning leverages machine learning algorithms as part of its artificial intelligence capabilities.
Market-leading statistical forecasting
Supply chain planning software offers usersan array of forecasting methods. Vanguard Predictive Planning is the most robust on the market, providing users with the most accurate results.
Demand sensing
Vanguard Predictive Planning includes proprietary forecasting methods for near real-time forecasts.
Financial forecasts
While some solutions can “dollarize” plans, Vanguard Predictive Planning creates financial forecasts, including cashflow, net income, and various financial reports, out-of-the-box.
Causal forecasting
Organizations should try to determine the leading indicators that impact
AI engine
Vanguard Predictive Planning leverages artificial intelligence across multiple features of the platform including forecast method selection, demand prediction and pattern detection, and automation of tasks.
S&OP workflows
Workflows are the backbones of every supply chain plan. Vanguard Predictive Planning offers users advanced, easy-to-define and easy-to-support workflows to enable planning and S&OP processes.
Automatic detection
Vanguard Predictive Planning automatically detects and excludes outliers from the forecast.
BI and dashboards
There is no need for a third-party BI solution. Vanguard Predictive Planning includes robust reporting and dashboard capabilities.
Top-down, bottom-up, and middle-out forecasting
Regardless of how your organization generates forecasts, Vanguard Predictive Planning supports it all. Vanguard also supports any combination of variables including SKU-location, SKU-warehouse, customer, and more.
In-memory what-if analysis
With support for millions of SKUs, Vanguard users can instantly forecast for any number of products and scenarios. Vanguard’s in-memory database (UHIO) enables lightning-fast calculations so users have no downtime.
Collaborative forecasting
Collaborative planning and forecasting
Segmentation
Vanguard Predictive Planning supports a wide array of SKU segmentation methods including, but not limited to, ABC, speed, cost, and service levels.
Meet a few of our clients

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