-
How I Built It: Customizing Summary Methods
Author: Mitch Aist is a Certified Master Anaplanner and Principal Consultant at Tru Consulting.
In this How I Built It video, I share a unique method for creating custom logic for Summary Methods. Learn how to create line items that can identify the hierarchy level of list items. You can even use this technique to utilize Formula Summary Method alongside LOOKUPs.
This technique should be known by EVERY experienced model builder. Summary Methods can be tricky, and knowing ways to customize the calculations within those summaries will come in handy. I use this technique primarily for sign logic on P&L reports, and you may find helpful uses for this in other use cases!
Check it out and leave a comment with questions!
https://play.vidyard.com/SE1gRQdDGQRZ1HJH6FPZ5Y
Check out all the 'How I Built It' videos here.
-
End user documentation made easy with Anaplan
Author: Hillary Sich is a Certified Master Anaplanner and Senior Manager at Accenture.
Do you actually enjoy creating end user documentation for the models we build? Are you creating end user documentation as a Word document with multiple screen shots per page? If so, then this article is NOT for you!
Why not leverage Anaplan for end user documentation?
Pros:
* Never outdated
* Faster to create than word docs with screen shots
* Minimal model building
* Minimal impact on model size
Cons:
* Be aware of Report Manager display limitations
* Must be built within the Model where the App pages live if you want to be able to link pages
* Forces detail instructions on App Pages
Not convinced? I am not offended!
Here is what you need to build the documentation:
Three lists
* Pages (Create a list of pages to document)
* Activities (What can be done on the page)
* Topics (What to include on the documentation page such as Role, Purpose, etc)
Six modules
* Three properties modules, one for each list
* Topics x Page
* Activities x Page
Three UX Pages
* Page details
* User documentation set up
* Report Manager as output
Still interested?
Here are the Blueprints…
DOC01: Page Properties
DOC02: Topic Properties
DOC03: Activities Properties
DOC04: Topics by Page
DOC05: Global Documentation
DOC06: Activities by Page (Used only for filtering in UX)
What is that? About 15 minutes of build time? Totally worth it!
Use your imagination when creating the three UX pages (no screenshots here).
UX 1: Page details: More of an end user page to input details to include in the output Page. Include links to model flows, Page links, Text for Purpose and activities, etc.
UX 2: User documentation setup: More of an Admin page to maintain lists.
UX 3: Main output of all of your hard work. Here is a short lists of slides that could be included:
Slides 1-5 are examples of global information.
Slide 7 is used as a landing page with links to pages by App category
.
Slide example dimensioned by Page:
End user documentation is an important and valuable deliverable for all clients. Leveraging Anaplan to produce maintainable, professional documentation is now easier than ever!
What tips would you add? Leave a comment!
-
How I Built It: User Access Management
Author: Kevin Dale Bandelaria is a Certified Master Anaplanner and Solutions Delivery Head at OmniQuest, Inc.
Solution overview
The User Management process in Anaplan was developed to simplify how administrators set up and maintain model roles and selective access settings for users. Traditionally, configuring access in the backend can be tedious and error-prone, especially for large-scale implementations involving multiple regions or user groups. This solution brings that backend process into a structured, front-end experience, allowing administrators to manage user roles and data access through a single and intuitive interface within the app.
How it works
At the core of the setup are two modules: one for defining user-level configurations such as model access and hierarchy level, and another for managing the specific items to which users have selective access. Dynamic Cell Access (DCA) logic drives which parts of the input tables are editable based on user selections, ensuring consistency and control. A six-step process then streamlines the backend updates — resetting previous access, assigning new access, and syncing everything to the Anaplan Users tab with a single click.
Core benefits
This approach significantly reduces the time and effort needed for user onboarding and access maintenance. Instead of manually editing the Users tab, administrators can perform all actions from a guided interface, minimizing errors and removing the need for backend navigation. It also improves governance by enforcing structured inputs and ensuring that model roles and selective access levels follow the organization’s hierarchy and security design. Overall, it enhances scalability and provides a more user-friendly experience for workspace administrators.
Key system behaviors discovered
During development, several system behaviors were uncovered that are crucial for making this process work. For instance, when importing selective access data, Anaplan only accepts reference codes from numbered lists as text-formatted values — not display names or list codes. The process also relies on hidden “None” columns in the Users tab to properly reset user access. Another key finding was that save views must be flat, with all dimensions in rows; otherwise, imports won’t process correctly. Lastly, while there are displayed Write and Read columns inside lists that have selective access enabled, these are columns that cannot be imported into. These insights were instrumental in achieving a fully automated and reliable workflow.
The resulting framework provides a robust foundation for managing user access at scale, and it can easily be extended to handle additional logic such as read/write permissions or role derivations based on model selections. By moving complex backend processes into a guided front-end interface, this solution not only streamlines administration but also deepens understanding of how Anaplan handles user and access data under the hood. It’s a strong example of how automation and thoughtful model design can transform a common pain point into a seamless management experience.
Video
https://play.vidyard.com/F5P8PSFMmtJ8CB63Y6JN3j
Questions? Leave a comment!
-
Accessible by design: Our new accommodations for certification exams
Taking a proctored exam can be intimidating, even for the most seasoned professionals. While certification validates a learner’s skills and expertise, the exam environment itself can sometimes pose unnecessary barriers.
Our goal is to test your ability, not your endurance. That’s why we’ve made significant updates to make our exam experience more inclusive and less stressful. You can now utilize a range of accommodations, including extended time, assistive technology, comfort items, and access to resources like Anapedia, to create an environment that helps you perform your best.
The goal of the recent modifications we championed was simple but meaningful: to ensure that Anaplan certification exams focus on measuring skills and knowledge, not how well someone navigates a test under pressure. By introducing thoughtful accommodations into the standard exam experience, we’re creating a more inclusive, equitable, and learner-centered certification journey.
Why these modifications matter
We know that a proctored environment can create discomfort, distractions, and stress. Our vision is to make sure that every learner, regardless of their personal circumstances or needs, can approach the exam with confidence and focus on demonstrating what they know.
The changes are designed to minimize avoidable friction during the exam process, support accessibility, and ensure that we uphold the integrity of the certification while honoring diverse learning and testing needs.
What’s now part of the standard certification exam experience
The following accommodations are now available to all learners taking an Anaplan certification exam online. Users that take the exam in-person will NOT receive the same accommodations.
* Access to specific Anaplan learning resources like Anaplan Planual, Anaplan Community, and Anaplan Anapedia.
* Physical whiteboard usage is allowed with clear security protocols: no pen and paper, and the board must be shown erased before ending the session.
* IMPORTANT: Please note that pens and paper are not allowed during exam taking to prevent any questions from leaking and to protect the integrity of the exam.
* Extended exam times for those who need more processing time
* Use of medical devices, ensuring health needs don’t become barriers
* Music or ambient sounds in the background to help ease anxiety
* Leniency with eye-tracking requirements, recognizing natural movements and accessibility needs
* Breaks as needed
* Comfort items (will be coordinated with the proctor during exam taking)
* Comfort or service animals to support learners with disabilities
* Drinks and water, so staying hydrated isn’t a privilege
* Permission to move around/stretch, reducing physical strain during long sessions
* Screen reader or text-to-speech support for those who benefit from auditory processing
* Assistive technology such as magnifiers, dictation tools, or alternative input devices
Putting learners first while protecting exam integrity
Each accommodation was carefully considered to balance accessibility and security. This ensures that candidates have the flexibility they need without compromising the credibility of their certification.
This change isn’t just operational; it’s cultural. It reflects our commitment to meeting learners where they are, fostering trust in the certification process, and empowering every candidate to succeed based on merit.
Looking ahead
These modifications are just the beginning. As we continue to evolve the certification program, we’ll keep listening to feedback, removing barriers, and driving improvements that make the experience fair, inclusive, and supportive for all.
Certification should reflect what someone knows, not how well they adapt to discomfort. And now, we’re one step closer to making that a reality.
-
Recording available: Tackling frequently missed certification exam topics
Thank you to those who attended our recent event. If you missed it or would like to re-watch, here is the recording and a few resources to help with your recertifications! Don't wait to get the process started — you'll be glad you took the time to do it now before the holidays.
Recording
https://play.vidyard.com/sGZTv9HfTu7ToPfwmu4DFe
Chapters:
0:00 Opening
0:13 Questions and answers
0:45 Agenda
1:45 Pass rates
2:25 Exam topics by certification
3:24 Key recertification info
7:51 Understanding for exams
12:23 Anaplan Data Orchestrator
13:54 Questions and answers
25:54 Associate Certification exams
29:05 Exam topics by Certification 2
Why your certification matters
A question that came up on the call was: "Why do I need to get recertified if it's not currently required by the client I'm working with?"
Think of your Anaplan recertification not as a client requirement, but as a career investment. The Anaplan platform is constantly evolving, and recertification ensures your skills remain sharp, relevant, and aligned with the latest best practices. This proactive step keeps you ahead of the curve, making you more valuable to your current client and more marketable for your next opportunity. It’s about future-proofing your expertise.
The cost of letting your certification lapse
Letting your certification expire means starting the entire process over from the beginning—redoing hours of work and paying the full certification fees. By recertifying now, you maintain your hard-earned status for free and avoid a significant investment of time and money down the road.
Recertify now
* CMBs and SAs click here to recertify
* CMAs click here to recertify
Certification resources
* Anaplan Certification Center in Community
* 2025 Certification resources
* Certification FAQ
Thank you!
-
Less granular, more accurate: The "granularity = responsibility" principle in FP&A
Author: Taichi Amaya, Certified Master Anaplanner, and Financial Planning and Analysis Specialist at Pasona Group, Inc.
Reading time: approximately 5-6 minutes.
"We need more detail in our forecasts. Let's have each sales rep submit their numbers individually — that way, we'll be more accurate."
Sounds reasonable, right?
But here's what actually happens: Fifty sales reps, each second-guessing their pipeline, each hedging slightly on the conservative side. By the time these forecasts roll up, that collective caution becomes a systematic bias — one that no amount of detailed analysis can fix.
This isn't a hypothetical scenario. It's a pattern I've seen repeatedly in FP&A practice.
In this post, I'll challenge the "more detail = more accuracy" assumption and share a principle I've developed through years of FP&A practice: granularity = responsibility. You'll learn:
* Why coarser planning often produces statistically better forecasts
* How granularity amplifies bias in predictable ways
* A practical framework for determining the right level of detail
Actuals vs. plans: different purposes, different granularity
Let me be clear: I'm not arguing against detailed data in general.
For actuals and historical analysis, more granularity is almost always better:
* Enables deeper drill-down analysis
* Helps identify trends and anomalies early
* Supports advanced analytics and machine learning
But planning is fundamentally different. Planning involves human judgment, organizational accountability, and inherent uncertainty. And in this context, I've learned that intentionally choosing a coarser granularity than your actuals often leads to better outcomes.
Why? Three interconnected reasons.
Why coarser plans are more accurate
1. The law of large numbers: statistical stability through aggregation
The more granular your planning units, the more statistical noise you're trying to predict.
[Figure 1: The Law of Large Numbers in Action]
Figure 1 demonstrates this pattern using real data from our organization: at the Total level, outcomes consistently align with statistical models (R²=0.945). At the Detail level, predictability varies widely — some units maintain reasonable correlation (R²~0.80), but many show weak or unreliable patterns (R²=0.21-0.45).
Individual variations cancel out at higher levels of aggregation. This is precisely why driver-based planning — using ratios, trends, and relationships — works more reliably at coarser levels. The drivers themselves become more stable and predictable when applied to larger populations.
2. Bias accumulation: the "safety margin" effect
When you ask 50 people to forecast individually, each person makes a small, rational adjustment: "Better to be conservative — I don't want to miss my target."
Those individual safety margins don't stay individual. They compound.
When we consolidated input points — moving from individual contributors to team leads — the chronic conservative bias we'd been fighting largely disappeared. Not because team leads were better forecasters, but because there were fewer points where bias could accumulate.
While I don't have perfect before/after data to quantify this precisely, the pattern is consistent across organizations: more input points means more opportunities for systematic bias to creep in.
3. Information freshness: faster cycles, more relevant data
Even with Anaplan's powerful capabilities, our initial planning cycles were taking over a month. The bottleneck wasn't the tool, it was the hundreds of granular input points we'd designed into the process.
When we optimized granularity and reduced input points, we dramatically reduced input time: 2 weeks for Budget, 1 week for Forecast.
This isn't just about efficiency — it's about accuracy through timeliness.
A forecast based on week-old information is inherently more accurate than one based on month-old information. Market conditions change. Customer signals evolve. Competitive dynamics shift.
Fewer input points meant faster cycles. Faster cycles meant our plans could reflect current reality, not last month's reality. When market conditions change rapidly, this agility becomes a significant competitive advantage.
The granularity = responsibility principle
So how do you determine the right level of granularity?
My guiding principle: Plan at the level where accountability naturally sits.
If a Business Unit leader is responsible for BU performance, plan at the BU level — not by product, not by customer segment. If a Regional VP owns a region, that region should be your planning unit.
This alignment serves two purposes:
* Statistical: Matches the level where you have meaningful sample sizes and where biases are minimized.
* Organizational: Ensures the person inputting the plan can actually explain and defend the numbers.
Three questions to find the right granularity:
* Does the person have specific knowledge at this level?
If a sales manager is guessing at individual deal probability, the granularity is too fine. If they can speak credibly about team pipeline trends, that's the right level.
* Can they explain the assumptions behind the number?
If the answer is "I just copied last year and adjusted by 5%," you're asking for too much detail. Good planning requires thoughtful assumptions — which requires appropriate scope.
* Will decisions be made at this level?
If no one will ever look at "Product SKU 47829 in the Northeast," why are you planning it separately? Plan at the level where decisions actually happen.
When these three questions align with an organizational accountability level, you've found your optimal granularity.
In Anaplan terms: design your input modules at these accountability levels, not at the maximum granularity your data model can support. Let driver-based logic handle the detailed breakdowns for analysis — but keep human judgment at the level where it's most reliable.
Conclusion
Anaplan's flexibility allows us to design at any level of granularity, which makes choosing the right level even more critical.
Three interconnected forces — statistical stability, bias mitigation, and information freshness — all favor coarser planning granularity aligned with organizational accountability. I've seen this pattern hold across multiple implementations.
Apply the granularity = responsibility principle to your planning process. The improvements in forecast accuracy and planning agility are real and measurable.
I'd love to hear your experiences. Let's discuss in the comments below.
……………
About the Author:
With 13 years in FP&A and 9 years of hands-on Anaplan experience, Taichi Amaya has been a Master Anaplanner since 2019. He works on the customer side, designing and building enterprise-wide FP&A models and learning daily from the intersection of planning theory and business reality.
-
Certification practice exams to be dynamic with more questions
The practice exam should be a bank of questions so that when you take the practice exam(s) you are not getting the same 10 questions.
Writing more practice exam questions would not be difficult considering the amount of content that could be tested in each of the exams. This is also a feature that most professional certifications have and one that I would hope that Anaplan adopts as it seeks to further enhance the exams.
-
Certified Master Anaplanner Exam Study Guide: Essential Anaplan Topics
Certified Master Anaplanner Exam Study Guide: Essential Anaplan Topics
The best way to hone your expertise is practical experience. Being a certified solution architect is the first step, but we recommend one or more years of hands-on experience using Anaplan to uncover all you can do with the platform. Training can also help you advance your technical skills and learn best practices for working with Anaplan. In addition to our required training, the following materials can help you get a well-rounded understanding of the platform. Learn how you can grow your knowledge in the areas within this study guide for the Certified Master Anaplanner Exam.
The exam format is a combination of multiple-choice and multiple selection questions. There are 60 questions in the exam that need to be completed within 90 minutes (1.5 hours). The passing score is 45. There are knowledge-based questions which reference the review topics and application-based questions that check the learner’s experience using the Anaplan. To reiterate, it advisable that those planning to take the exam have sufficient model building and project implementation experience.
Other helpful links regarding the exam:
* Requirements to register for Certified Master Anaplanner Exam
* Exam FAQs
CMA Exam Topics
Data Hubs
* Data Hubs: Purpose and Peak Performance
Center of Excellence
* Building a Center of Excellence
* Introduction to Centers of Excellence
* Selecting Center of Excellence Governance Structures
* Center of Excellence Roles and Responsibilities
* Why Do I Need a Center of Excellence?
Data Integration
* Data Related Training Classes
* Get Started with Imports
* Exports from Anaplan
* Overview of Private and Default Files
* Import Data Sources
* Data Integration
* Anaplan Connect
* Guide to Data Integration using Anaplan REST API
* Anaplan API Guide and Reference
Anaplan Extensions
* Excel Add-in Version 4.0
* Third-party Data Integration
Application Lifecycle Management (ALM)
* ALM Overview
* Revision Tag Best Practices
* Save Incomplete Changes when Synchronizing in ALM
* Production Lists Overview
* Structural Information Reference
Model Building Best Practices
* Best Practices for Module Design
* Formula Optimization in Anaplan Knowledge
* Time Range Application
* Reduce Calculations for Better Performance
* PLANS–This Is How We Model Shared Best Practice
* Add Notes
Formulas and Functions
* Calculation Functions
* YEARTODATE Function
* Formula Structure for Performance
* SELECT Function
* RANK Function
Dynamic Cell Access
* Dynamic Cell Access
* Dynamic Cell OR Selective Access
* Dynamic Cell Access Learning App
Selective Access
* Selective Access (Anapedia)
* Selective Access (Academy)
Time Ranges
* Time Ranges
* Introduction to Time Ranges
* Time Ranges–The Basics
Dashboard Filtering
* Filter (Anapedia)
* Filter Best Practice
The Anaplan Way
* The Anaplan Way - OnDemand (Learning Center)
.png){kind=icon}
