Item: Anaplan
Rating: 9
Author: Verified User

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

We currently use it as the backbone for our forecasting processes. Specifically, within my department, we use it to build the following forecasts: P&L, Balance Sheet, and Cash Flow. As part of the P&L forecast, we have ancillary models that create a bottoms-up forecast. On the backend, we integrate using 2 data hubs to centralize data going in and out of Anaplan. Non-conventional use cases include allocating results to provide a finer granularity for analysis and building a bridge analysis between forecasts & actuals. Currently, we are building out a long-range plan model and expanding our use of a rolling forecast model to allow for further visibility.

Pros and Cons

Security within the system is easily managed using roles. However, administrators can tighten security down to the individual node or apply dynamic access using logic built directly into the model.
Common integration platforms engage with Anaplan using either APIs or other methods. This allows for talent to be shared across functions that may not specifically be focused on Anaplan development.
Migration from development & QA to production is fairly easy and managed within the system. Centralizing this within the function allows for quick deployments and agility in hotfixes. There is also the ability to roll back a change as needed.
Copying & archiving models is a fairly quick exercise and gives the functions the ability to save off data without specific skillsets. The data management is smooth & makes modeling very flexible.

End users could use more notifications/explanations on what process is currently running. With 50+ concurrent users, the model can be requested to run multiple actions. This can cause one user to wait on another without fully understanding what is happening on the backend.
The model-building experience has improved significantly in the past few years. However, there is still much room for improvement like formatting & error handling. The builder should be able to know when a formula is invalid & unable to submit. This will prevent model lockup fairly quickly.
There could be more formalized training on best practices. Today, most companies are reliant on consulting firms to provide expertise (for the most part), and this creates a knowledge pool that is not easily accessible to all clients. Administrators internally should be able to get continued training as they progress in building their models.

Most Important Features

The ability to self-govern what happens within the models that the administrator owns. Regulation and governance are established within the functions unless broken out into more traditional IT SOPs.
The modular aspect of the modeling architecture allows for extensibility & virtually unlimited connections. Each model can be as specific or as broad as intended and provides flexibility to both the builder and the business.
The coding behind the scenes is very simple and straightforward. The system was designed to reflect how a traditional business owner might view Excel. This allows for a very logical and unchallenging approach to semantics.

Return on Investment

We've been able to perform allocations relatively quickly in the platform where we didn't have enough resources on the systems team. This allowed us to view our business at a finer granularity and make decisions to support our long-term growth.
Having our forecast in Anaplan has saved us countless hours originally spent in Excel and emails. The workbooks were extremely large and now it's all consolidated into 1 platform for the whole planning organization to view.

Alternatives Considered

Oracle Hyperion Enterprise Performance Management

Oracle Hyperion is also very powerful but requires much more technical skillset than Anaplan. Deploying Anaplan had a lower barrier to entry and the consistent platform releases meant the product was continuously growing. Being on the cloud also meant we would get updates as needed without having to deploy the releases ourselves. The talent pool for this product is quickly growing & all the major consulting firms have adopted practice for it. We had a very specific use case going in, but the ability to stand up new use cases is very appealing & will keep us ahead of the curve.

Key Insights

Do you think Anaplan delivers good value for the price?

Yes

Are you happy with Anaplan's feature set?

Yes

Did Anaplan live up to sales and marketing promises?

Yes

Did implementation of Anaplan go as expected?

Yes

Would you buy Anaplan again?

Yes

Other Software Used

Tableau Desktop, Microsoft Visual Studio Code, Slack

Likelihood to Recommend

Anaplan is well suited for younger and nimble companies, where talent is limited & resources are constrained. There is a low barrier to releasing new models & functionality, provided that the builder is able to incorporate some best practices. The flexibility also means it's great for larger organizations with more established processes. Where it may be more difficult to succeed if the organization does not budget sufficient resources to bring the models to light. Though Anaplan is able to self-function for the most part, to take advantage of the modular capabilities, it's recommended that there is a structure in place to support the platform. Both the business and technical requirements need to be captured and explained so that the models are built to spec. This is not unlike any other EPM product; when invested properly, the functionality can quickly be leveraged for all sorts of scenarios.

Quick to Market & Efficiently Scalable

Overall Satisfaction with Anaplan