Workforce Planning in OneStream: People Planning and the Case for CompAnalytics

Workforce Planning in OneStream: People Planning and the Case for CompAnalytics

When organizations move workforce planning into OneStream, one of the first questions that comes up is: “Should we use the People Planning framework, or consider a packaged solution like CompAnalytics?”

Both approaches have merit, and the right choice depends on an organization’s priorities, resources, and level of complexity. While People Planning provides a solid foundation for workforce planning inside OneStream, CompAnalytics—available on the OneStream Solution Exchange—offers a more structured, purpose-built alternative that has been validated as a viable option within the OneStream ecosystem.

What People Planning Provides

People Planning is a framework that allows organizations to model headcount, compensation, and benefits directly within OneStream. At its core, it delivers:

• A starting point for headcount and position tracking
• Integration with core financial planning processes
• A replacement for siloed and manual Excel-based workforce planning

Because it’s a framework, People Planning is highly adaptable. Organizations can configure it to reflect their unique business rules, compensation structures, and reporting requirements. For many, this flexibility is exactly what they need—an adaptable tool that grows with them.

Where Challenges Can Arise

That same flexibility, however, means that People Planning often requires additional design and development before it delivers a full workforce planning experience. Common areas that require extra buildout include:

• Modeling turnover, bonuses, or merit increases
• Aligning the framework with HR processes and data structures
• Extending reporting beyond base salary and benefits

None of these are insurmountable, but they can add time and effort before an organization sees value.

How CompAnalytics Fits In

This is where CompAnalytics comes into the discussion. Unlike a framework, CompAnalytics is a packaged solution designed specifically for workforce planning in OneStream. And because it’s available on the OneStream Solution Exchange, it comes with the added credibility of being reviewed and validated by OneStream as a trusted extension of the platform.

In theory, this offers several advantages:

• Preconfigured best practices. Core workforce planning elements—such as compensation modeling, turnover assumptions, and merit cycles—come built in.
• Faster time to value. With much of the setup complete, organizations can potentially begin using the solution more quickly.
• Broader usability. The design is intended for both Finance and HR teams, making cross-functional planning easier.
• Integrated insight. Staffing and compensation plans connect directly to financial statements without requiring extensive extensions.

Where People Planning gives organizations a flexible foundation, CompAnalytics provides a ready-to-use structure that accelerates adoption—validated by its presence on the Solution Exchange.

A Balanced Comparison

It’s not so much that one option is “better” than the other—it’s that they serve different needs.

Making the Decision

For organizations with unique workforce planning requirements or teams that prefer to build their own models, People Planning provides the flexibility to design exactly what’s needed.

For organizations that want to move quickly, leverage prebuilt best practices, and bring HR and Finance together around a shared planning process, CompAnalytics may be the better fit—especially given its recognition as a Solution Exchange offering.

Both approaches ultimately connect workforce planning into the broader financial planning and reporting ecosystem—delivering visibility into how headcount and compensation decisions impact the business. The real question is whether an organization values flexibility or speed of deployment more.

Conclusion

Workforce planning is one of the most critical processes in financial management, given that employee-related costs are typically the largest expense line on the income statement.

OneStream provides two clear paths forward:

• People Planning, which gives organizations a configurable framework they can shape to their own processes.
• CompAnalytics, which provides a more structured, ready-to-use approach grounded in common best practices and validated through the Solution Exchange.

There’s no one right answer. Instead, the decision comes down to whether an organization wants to design their own solution or adopt a packaged model that accelerates time to value.

Both paths lead to the same destination: a more connected, more accurate, and more strategic approach to workforce planning in OneStream.