Arbutus
Having used both XXXX and the Arbutus Analytics software, it is clear there are vast differences between the two.
The most significant difference is the capability to handle vast quantities of data. XXXX used to struggle with anything over 50k+ of data lines, you would have to spend parts of your day waiting for the software to process the instructions you had given it. As a comparison, Arbutus can process this data in a single second with no lag whatsoever.
In addition, another key difference is the type of output you can obtain in terms of how the data is presented post analytics – Arbutus is able to produce graphs, pie charts etc that are good enough for inclusion as an appendix in the back of an audit report, XXXX whilst certain visual output can be produced, it is nowhere near the same level of detail or as aesthetically pleasing as Arbutus and would almost always result in extra work being required.
Further, XXXX would only accept source data if it was in an excel format. This severely limits the amount of analytical review you can complete compared to Arbutus that can process anything from txt files to PDF documents – This is going to be of huge benefit to us considering all of the finance reports, board reports etc are produced in PDF.
XXXX is a useful tool in terms of completing basic analytics but having now used Arbutus, it is clear the systems are polar opposites in terms of functionality, capability and output, all in favour of Arbutus.