Modeling software for business analysts.
Build explainable and reliable models in Excel
Models are the backbone of decision-making in most organizations.
Business analysts and consultants who build them are trusted by their leaders and clients, carrying responsibilities that often exceed their official roles.
They all try their best to build quality models, yet many experience a harsh reality.
It's hard to fully trust a model
Complexity grows with the number of cells and Excel formulas are tricky, making it difficult to fully audit a model.
Your worst nightmare is your boss or client discovering an error during final decision meeting.
More sophistication typically means more errors
Every request to add a refinement to the model gives you cold sweat when you think of the effort to re-check everything.
You frequently push back since it would take too much time and add too much risk.
Validation and handover are illusions
Fully explaining the model to a colleague would require to verify every formula, which is impossible when the model is large.
Despite their best efforts, most models are abandoned when their creator hands them over.
We believe models should be easy to build, explainable and reliable
Centered on the business professional
Many domains have their specialized modeling software, but not corporate decision-making. How many times have we collectively recreated a valuation model or a project ROI model?
A business-oriented approach is needed to program our models using a more concise and efficient language.
Transparency at the core
The logic of a sophisticated model is highly non-linear, with many branches that split and merge.
This needs to be represented visually with information that can be understood fast. Formulas do not offer that type of transparency, so this requires an innovative approach.
Errors minimized at the source
Typical errors in data processing have been known for decades. A formula not properly dragged to the bottom of the column, duplicate records in a table joined using VLOOKUP, all these have led to catastrophic consequences.
We believe the software should prevent these errors or at least warn the user if they're at risk.
Designed by former McKinsey consultants
Based on decades of observing the same problems, we've built River to help business analysts, modeling experts and consultants have a more satisfying modeling experience and elevate the quality level in the profession.
River is the only professional modeling tool designed for business analysts
Integrated in Excel
Do everything from Excel, and leverage its great data manipulation and visualization features for the finishing touches.
River models are fully embedded in Excel workbooks, ensuring your colleagues and clients can open them.
Visually explainable models
Models are designed as a visual map, allowing to easily validate the methodology with experts or your manager.
The model map business language, making the model easily readable for non-modelers.
Error prevention and detection
Each operation is easy to configure and prevents you to make mistakes, contrary to traditional Excel formulas.
In addition, quality checks can be added with a simple click and will warn you of issues when you refresh the data.
How does it work?
River is fully contained in an Excel Add-In, making installation easy
1
Get a licence
See the pricing page for our plans
2
Install the Excel Add-In
Download the installer and follow the instructions
3
Start modeling
Open Excel and start building models
4
Share your models
Send your workbooks to your colleagues as usual. With a Consulting licence, recipients can run your model themselves.
Frequently asked questions
Here are some common questions about the River software.
Of course! It is strongly encouraged. River models are saved in the Excel workbook together with the data it uses, making sharing very easy.
Anybody can install River, open the Excel file, and explore the input data, model map and parameters.
Users with a paid license can edit and run the model without any restrictions.
Users on the Consulting plan can issue a File-based license for a specific file, which allows recipients to change the data and run the model, just not edit it. See pricing plans for more details.
If you have built a model with River, you will always be able to open it, even without a paid license. River allows you to open and explore the model map and the model parameters. The data is also accessible since it's just part of the Excel file.
If you want to recreate your model using plain Excel (or another tool), you can use it as a guide during your rebuild.
Yes. River runs on your computer, and no data from your workbook is ever leaving your computer.
River has been carefully designed to have the smallest possible footprint.
It is packaged in a single Excel Add-In, doesn't send data outside your computer and can be deployed using corporate IT tools.
If you can already use think-cell (another popular Add-In), chances are your IT will easily approve it. Otherwise feel free to contact us at info@river-software.com.
We provide support via our forum, and for Consulting customers, via email.
Become a professional modeler.
Focus on building your domain knowledge
Build models up to 50% faster
Become the most trusted modeler in your company
Join the community of River modelers
Download your free trial version
Supported by
Fondation Genevoise pour l'Innovation Technologique
River has been awarded Innovation Initiation Support by FONGIT