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Transitioning from TM1 Perspectives to Slice

Moving away from TM1 Perspectives is necessary to leverage the latest features of IBM Planning Analytics such as Hierarchies. Slice is a great alternative that offers enhanced functionality and performance with a very similar user experience. All Excel reports built with Perspectives will work in Slice — the only task is to convert action buttons, and Slice includes a built-in feature to do this automatically.

Step 1 – Assessment and Planning

Even though IBM has not announced an official end-of-support date for TM1 Perspectives, transitioning sooner rather than later is advisable.

  • You can have both Perspectives and Slice installed, but only one should be enabled at a time.

  • To switch, simply enable or disable the respective Excel add-in and restart Excel.

  • If Perspectives loads automatically, disable it in File → Options → Add-ins → COM Add-ins.

Step 2 – Downloading Slice

Download the latest version of Slice from the Cubewise website.

Prerequisite: TM1 v11 or later. TM1 versions 10.2.2 and earlier are not supported.

Slice can be installed on each user's computer individually, or centralized on an Arc server.

Step 3 – Installation and Configuration

Run the Slice installer and follow the on-screen steps. For detailed instructions, refer to the Installation guide.

Configure Slice to connect to your TM1 models. If Slice is installed on the TM1 Adminhost server, it will automatically detect all TM1 instances. See the Configuring Slice Settings page for a full walkthrough.

Step 4 – Validation

Test a selection of your existing Perspectives reports in Slice to assess compatibility and identify any rework required.

Important: Action buttons from Perspectives reports need to be converted to Slice buttons. Slice includes a conversion tool to automate this — see Converting Perspectives Action Buttons into Slice Buttons.

Step 5 – Training and Documentation

Train yourself and your team on how to use Slice effectively. Key areas to cover include:

  • The Cube Viewer

  • The Subset Editor

  • Working with Slice in Excel

  • Leveraging Hierarchies

The Slice Hands-On manual covers all of these topics.

Step 6 – Support and Maintenance

Slice is continuously improved and updates are quick to install. Monitor performance and submit any issues or enhancement requests via the Cubewise support portal.