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User Groups Live! is Coming
User Groups Live! is coming, and you’re invited. Join Anaplanners from around the world on March 21st for the Anaplan Community’s inaugural international virtual meetup! User Groups Live! is a half-day, online experience that will boost your Connected Planning knowledge and model building skills. The agenda is packed with…
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Busting the Two BIG Myths of Cost Reduction
Most organizations, at some point, will need to find ways to significantly reduce spending. We are all familiar with general exhortations to spend less, as if managers willingly commit to frivolous spending and can easily "cut a little fat." Sure, there are always some small things that can be reduced, although in practice…
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Strategic Planning Quiz
Now that you’ve brushed up on your strategic planning expertise, it's time put what you've learned to the test. We’ve created the ultimate strategic planning quiz featuring 10 questions pulled from the strategic planning articles featured on the Community Blog this month. Need a refresher on what was covered this month?…
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Effective Collaboration: Planning a Foundation of Success
When it comes to achieving the best results, effective collaboration in an organization is not just nice to have; it’s a critical element for success. By definition, collaboration happens when people work together. Applied to organizational goals, and strategic planning strategies, effective collaboration can take this to…
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Goal-Based Strategic Planning 101
Imagine you are the CEO of a new organization producing an up-and-coming electronic entertainment device which is quickly becoming the most sought-after item in the market. You’re a small, independently-owned company that has sold enough units in your short, twelve-month existence to keep your business operating with a…
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Connected Planning in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
The rules of planning are evolving daily. While we still steer businesses based on numbers, plans, budgets, and assumptions, thanks to artificial intelligence (AI) developments, computing power, and data we are on the cusp of a major transformation in the way we operate our businesses. We are progressing from static, cycle…
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How to Plan the Ultimate Party: The Anaplan Way
Planning is a quintessential part of life. Whether you're building out a project at work or planning a wedding, the same tools and skills can be applied. However, too often we avoid letting our personal and work lives cross; we dismiss the structure we put in place at work and opt for a looser (and less efficient) planning…
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A Good Plan: How Much Detail Do I Need?
In this guest blog series, Anaplan partner Spaulding Ridge will examine what they have found to be integral parts of a good plan: the level of detail, the process, the people involved, the timing, and pitfalls to avoid. What does a good plan look like? The core of planning is anticipating the future to the greatest degree…
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Getting Better at Getting Ready: Scenario Planning for Competitive Advantage
What if you had, ready at hand, an instruction book that told you exactly what to do in the event of any kind of emergency? You would feel more prepared to handle whatever challenge comes at you, wouldn’t you? Maybe you’d feel more confident knowing you always had a "plan B." That’s what Scenario Planning is: an…
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How Do You Plan? 5 Strategies to Increase Meeting Productivity
It’s only week two in the new year and meetings are already taking over our calendars as planning session after planning session is scheduled. With so many meetings in a row, it can start to feel like an episode of The Office where you’re caught in a Michael Scott meeting with no escape (or end) in sight. Not the best way…
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The Evolution of the Anaplan Community
It may seem hard to believe, but the Anaplan Community will be six years old this spring! From its humble beginnings, to all things “Anaplan,” to becoming the go-to spot for Connected Planning thought leadership, the Anaplan Community has had quite a ride. In the spirit of the new year—a time for both reflection and…
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Plan for Success in 2019: 5 Tips to Achieve Your Goals
The new year is the perfect time for reflection, evaluation, and planning for what you will accomplish in the next 365 days. Did you meet or exceed your sales goals, get in those steps every day, and remember to put down your phone more often? Did you take action to earn that promotion, join a volunteer organization, or…
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Community Roundtable: State of Connected Planning, Part 2
Last week we spoke to four Community members to get their thoughts on the recent Anaplan State of Connected Planning report which uncovered leading planning trends in finance, supply chain, sales, marketing, human resources, operations, IT, and workforce functions. Today we’re publishing the second part of this…
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'Twas the Night Before Planning
'Twas the week before Christmas, and at the North Pole The elves were a-stirring; they’d lost all control. The workshop was messy with toys everywhere, Unwrapped and unfinished and in disrepair. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zth1T8de80M The problem was Christmas had grown every year ‘Til planning was now their primary…
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Community Roundtable: State of Connected Planning, Part 1
We spoke to a number of Community members about the recent Anaplan State of Connected Planning report in which a survey of over 1,000 planning professionals across all business functions in 45 countries and 18 industries uncovered leading planning trends in finance, supply chain, sales, marketing, human resources,…
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Racing the Red Queen: 3 Planning Processes to Beat the Competition
Have you heard of the Red Queen effect? The idea draws its name from a vignette in Lewis Carroll’s book, Through the Looking Glass. In the vignette, Alice is chasing the Red Queen in circles that seem to be taking them nowhere. When the two stop running, they are in exactly the same place. Alice is bewildered as she…
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The State of Connected Planning Trends Review
Have you had a chance to review the State of Connected Planning report? Interested in finding out what four planning trends we uncovered and what they mean for your 2019 business strategy? Now is your chance to dive into the State of Connected Planning report with me, Anaplan’s Chief Planning Officer, as your guide. Click…
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The State of Connected Planning
With FY19 coming to a close, planning efforts for FY20 are ramping up, and the question on everyone's mind is "how can we stay ahead of our competitors?" Connected Planning has become a driving force for organizations to strategize with greater agility, giving them the edge to become successful leaders in their industries.…
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Who and What is a Chief Planning Officer?
You may have noticed this past summer we created a new role within Anaplan called a Chief Planning Officer. In my Connected Planning blog series, I plan to share the value we believe organizations will receive by placing a Chief Planning Officer in a seat at their executive tables. Within this series, I want to focus on…
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Community Says: Simplifying the Complex
Think back to the last time you encountered a technical challenge. Even if the solution you ultimately found was a simple one, the frustration you experienced in the moment was very real, as was the relief upon finding the answer to the problem. That's why there's almost no better feeling than when someone understands what…
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Simon Tucker Says: Be Agile With Your Plans
The Harvard Business Review recently published the article “Planning Doesn’t Have to Be the Enemy of Agile.” Given its implications for businesses, we asked our Chief Planning Officer for his thoughts on this timely and relevant topic. Simon Tucker: This is a great article about how companies should organize into agile…
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Community Says: Overheard at AMA
Each edition of Community Says spotlights a recent comment shared by a member of the Anaplan Community that was particularly helpful or beneficial to the greater Community as a whole. Today we're revisiting our recent Ask Me Anything session with partner and Master Anaplanner Chris Weiss. If you didn't participate or have…
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How Much Do You Know About Anaplan?
It's trivia time! Here's your chance to see how much you know about Anaplan—or at least learn a bit more about Anaplan's history and culture. Tackle these 10 questions and see how well you do. If you get stumped, try searching for answers (hint: the Anaplan.com filter option may help you here!). And if you like testing…
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5 Reasons to Post to the Forums in the Anaplan Community
Have you connected with your fellow Anaplanners in the Community forums yet? The Community has been buzzing for the first half of 2018 and we have the numbers to prove it. Here's an inside look at the activity in the forums and what each of these means for you. Topics Created On average, 63 new topics are created each…
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Hub Comes to You Paris – Anaplan Partner Hackathon 2018
Let the Hackathon Begin! At this year’s Hub Comes to You Paris event, 12 teams consisting of Anaplan Partners met to compete in an exciting Anaplan hackathon. The goal was simple: develop a world-class capacity planning application for AG2R LA MONDIALE, a French-based, inter-professional insurance and supplementary…
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Community Says: Formula Debugging
Community Says is a new ongoing series spotlighting some of the insights, advice, and information posted by our Community members. This week, we're spotlighting Partner, Master Anaplanner, and Community Super Contributor PaulRitner of Accelytics! In a recent forum conversation about debugging formulas (specifically, how to…
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Ready, Set, Go? 5 Ways to Get Started with Planning Your Next Project (Infographic)
1) Brainstorm It's no surprise that a simple round of brainstorming makes the list as a great way to get started with planning. Either individually or with a team, take the classic approach of a "no idea too big" brainstorm where all ideas, wants, needs, goals, concerns, sidebars, and comments are documented for all to…
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Leading the Industry Means Leading the Change
I’m excited to share some news with our valued community of customers! Allow me to introduce Christophe Bodin, our new Chief Customer Officer. Christophe has spent the past 25+ years ensuring customer success in the software industry. We have embraced his expertise and knowledge here at Anaplan to lead the teams that…
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Save the Date: Singapore Anaplan User Group
Looking for an opportunity to connect with Anaplanners from your industry or line of business in Singapore? Then join us on Tuesday, June 26 for the next Singapore User Group meetup. Whether you choose to connect virtually or attend the meetup in person, you’ll have the opportunity to collaborate with other Anaplan users…
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AMA June Session
Have you seen the great David Smith video from the inaugural AMA? Feedback from the first session included comments like "great content" and "seriously good stuff," and we're looking forward to what's Up Next. Join us for the next session, June 4 through June 7 — featuring Mark Shemaria answering questions about Center of…
