Bi-directional Integration: Bridging Workday and Anaplan

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AnaplanOEG
AnaplanOEG
edited January 29 in Best Practices

In today's fast-paced business environment, seamless integration between different enterprise solutions is crucial. This post delves into the specifics of establishing a bi-directional integration between Workday and Anaplan, two leading platforms in their respective domains.

Workday to Anaplan Integration

Extracting Data from Workday

  1. Utilizing RaaS Reports: The foremost method for extracting data from Workday involves Reporting as a Service (RaaS) Reports. This process requires specific configuration and provisioning by a designated Workday administrator. The configuration includes setting up gated access (username/password) to the endpoint and enabling the report to accommodate query strings. These strings facilitate dynamic data filtering and allow for format specification options like JSON, CSV, or XML.
  2. Accessing Data via REST API: With the RaaS Report URI set up, it's accessed through a REST API GET request, incorporating the necessary login credentials and relevant query strings. Depending on the information requested and the validity of the credentials, the returned data can be paged or streamed for subsequent use.
  3. Preparing Data for Anaplan: Ideally, selecting the CSV output format is recommended to generate a proper CSV file. This step is crucial for successfully uploading the data into Anaplan and integrating the Workday data through an Anaplan Import Action.
  4. Automation Using Python: Automating these steps can be efficiently achieved using Python. For instance, Python's Requests library can be utilized to fetch the RaaS report data, followed by executing Anaplan Connect commands or Anaplan REST APIs to load this data into Anaplan.

Anaplan to Workday Integration

Exporting Data from Anaplan

  1. Exporting with Anaplan: The process begins with executing an Anaplan Export action in either Tabular Single Column or Tabular Multiple Column format to produce a proper CSV file.
  2. Mapping to Workday via EIB: The next step involves mapping this CSV data to a customized Workday environment using the Enterprise Integration Builder (EIB). EIBs, essentially Excel templates, define how to map CSV data to a Workday structure tailored to specific needs. For further insight on Workday EIBs, refer to: Workday Inbound EIB Integrations.
  3. Python Automation for Integration: Similar to the process from Workday to Anaplan, Python can be employed to automate these steps. However, in this scenario, the Python OData interface is used to programmatically execute Workday EIBs. Please see: Python OData interface documentation to learn more.
  4. Python Automation for Integration: Mirroring the Workday to Anaplan process, Python can also automate these steps. In this case, the Python OData interface is utilized to programmatically execute Workday EIBs. Learn more at: Python OData interface documentation.

The diagram below provides a summary of the content above.

image.png

In conclusion, this guide offers a concise yet comprehensive overview of setting up and automating data exchanges between Workday and Anaplan. It underscores the nuances of each integration step, highlighting Python's role as a powerful tool for enhancing efficiency and scalability in these integrations.

Author: Quin Eddy, @QuinE - Director of Data Integration, Operational Excellence Group (OEG)

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