Share your model design best practices – November 2024 Community Challenge
We’re excited to announce our second Best Practices Challenge of the year! This Challenge series is open for Community members to share their expertise and tips on a specific topic. Join us to spotlight your knowledge and explore fresh ideas from other members in Community!
For our second Best Practices challenge, we’re focusing on model design. How do you plan successful model layouts, what steps do you go through, what do's and don'ts do you consider? How do you ensure minimal redesign throughout the project, and plan a model with the flexibility and scalability to expand in the future? This Challenge is a great opportunity for you to share your insights with the community and learn from other Anaplan pros!
How to participate
- The Best Practices Challenge around model design kicks off today, November 7, and concludes on November 27.
- Share your best practices related to model design in Anaplan on this post. Whether it’s a detailed write-up, a short tip, or even a video, we welcome all formats!
- Explore model design tips shared by your fellow Community members.
What’s in it for you?
- Recognition: Showcase your model design expertise and stand out as a Community thought leader!
- Learn: Check out contributions from newer and seasoned professionals in the Anaplan ecosystem.
- Earn a Badge: As a thank you for your participation, everyone who shares their best practices will receive an exclusive Community Challenge badge. It’s a fun way to show off your contribution!
- Earn a shout-out in our upcoming event: on December 4, we’ll be hosting a Challenge recap event discussing model design best practices. Participants' responses will be highlighted at this event.
Participate Today
This is a great opportunity to exchange insights, tips, and innovative ideas with fellow Anaplan professionals. Join the model design Best Practices Challenge to contribute your expertise and learn from others in the Community!
Comments
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Anaplan Champions!
So, what do you think about model design best practices? Tough question, right?
Listen, I can go on all day about this topic but I'll keep it salient and honestly, if you REALLY want to make a good investment in model design start with the Level 3 Coursework. There's no better way to start. Great, now I can skip the whole process design, user stories, UI wireframing, success criteria, testing, and model schemas… the foundation for good model design.
(Image Credit: ChatGPT, DALL-E 2024)So, here are my top suggestions. I realize some of these will be hard to take in but coming from 9 years of implementation experience I can vouch for all of them all. Hope you don't find them too controversial.
- Intimately know the industry and planning processes you are building for. Do not rely on customers to describe the technical nuances of the process. If you can anticipate the challenges likely to be faced, you're on the right track!
- Invest in developing a productive relationship with IT or with the stewards of the source data. I found food helps, a lot!
- Truly understand how Anaplan's bulk APIs work.
- You will only get limited help from your customer on how to properly design the data hub and to synchronize the data hub to the applications. So make these user stories non-negotiable.
- Do not underestimate the Planual. This document is not Anaplan dogma. Have an incredibly good reason to break the rules (which, btw, is rare)
- Read and follow @rob_marshall Data Hub Peak Performance.
- Do not use Anaplan as an ETL tool. Bad idea. If you don't have access to one then get familiar with Anaplan's ADO or find an open source solution.
- Own the design completely. Think DevOps and take is seriously.
- Let your customers change their minds, a lot. It happens and frankly, that's why they bought Anaplan, so it can adapt properly to their process.
- Document everything you do because most of us cannot remember what we did 24 hours ago, let alone, 3 months ago. If you have to add formulas to your model schema, go for it!
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I agree with everything @JaredDolich laid out, and want to just dive a little bit deeper into one of the areas he highlighted from L3: UI Wireframing.
I think this is a critical step in the launch of a new planning model because if you build the worlds greatest model and follow all of the technical best practices, but no one uses it because they hate the UI…. You didn’t build worlds greatest planning model! And all your hard work is for nothing.
UI Wireframing is a great tool for change management. It helps to give the user an idea of what something is going to look like before it is built. It also allows them to provide feedback and then see their inputs come to fruition. Seeing their input in the final product helps with buy in, which is contagious and helps build excitement with the user base as opposed to fear.
By putting in the effort up front and putting together good Wireframes, it will help inform you how to design the model from the backend. Understanding what the end users are going to see helps you know how to architect the model. Last second changes for usability usually come at the cost of performance, so eliminating those as much as possible is advisable!
Building onto the 1st point from Jared, this is also a great opportunity to “flex your knowledge muscles” a little bit, and provide examples of how this has been achieved before, and why you would advise doing it that way. This is an excellent way to build early trust and also ensure the implementation is successful.
I can tell you from experience, spending a little time up front, saves you a LOT of time/pain/frustration in the end.
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I agree that wireframing UX pages is key to success of an Anaplan implementation. I also have learned that connecting UX wireframes to drawing out user journeys helps a lot on designing good usability. In my user journey maps I connect different UX wireframes on the intended journey of the user in the model. From these maps it's easy to follow if the wireframes are missing something or if the user journey is in risk of becaming confusing.
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When designing models in Anaplan, it’s easy to get caught up in technical details and best practices, but the most successful models start with a clear understanding of the user’s needs and a focus on simplicity. Over the years, I’ve learned that a few foundational principles can make all the difference in building a model that is not only scalable but also intuitive and adaptable. Here’s what I’ve found works best:
Prioritize Simplicity and Usability
One of the biggest mistakes you can make is overcomplicating the model. While it might be tempting to build complex workflows and calculations, it’s critical to design with the user in mind. Think about how easy it will be for end-users to navigate and update the model. A clean, simple interface with clear navigation will always outperform something that’s overly complex, even if it’s technically sophisticated.
Embrace Flexibility—The Business Will Evolve
One of the reasons clients choose Anaplan is because they need a model that can adapt to change quickly. So, while it’s important to design for the current state, you have to bake flexibility into your solution. Your model needs to handle evolving business requirements without requiring a full overhaul. Build in the ability to modify assumptions, add new dimensions, or shift processes as the business grows.
Get the Data Flowing Smoothly
Data integration is often where things go wrong, especially if you’re pulling data from multiple sources. A well-designed data flow between your Data Hub and applications is essential for maintaining model accuracy and performance. Spend time upfront defining how data will be synced, transformed, and loaded, and ensure that the process is automated as much as possible. If you get this part right, your model will run smoother and scale more easily.
Think About Long-Term Maintenance
Design your model with future maintenance in mind. This means building in the right level of documentation, modularizing your model so it can be easily updated, and leaving room for improvements. Models should not be static—they need to evolve with new features or changes in business processes. Keeping things organized and flexible will save you (and your team) a lot of headaches when it’s time for updates or tweaks down the road.
Focus on Performance from the Start
Performance is often an afterthought, but it shouldn’t be. Test performance early and often to ensure that the model remains responsive, even as the volume of data grows. Simple things like minimizing the use of volatile formulas, reducing unnecessary calculations, and optimizing your modules can make a big difference in speed and efficiency, especially when working with large datasets.
Involve Stakeholders Early and Often
Getting stakeholder buy-in isn’t just about showing them the final product—it’s about involving them in the design process from day one. Encourage feedback early and often, especially when it comes to defining business rules, reporting needs, and UI preferences. The more you involve them in the process, the more likely they’ll be invested in the success of the model, and you’ll get their feedback when it’s easier to make adjustments.
Data Governance Is Key
Data integrity and governance can’t be overlooked. Establish clear data ownership and define rules for data entry and updates. Ensure that your model has appropriate controls and validation rules in place to keep data accurate and consistent. A model built on unreliable data is doomed to fail, no matter how well-designed the rest of it is.
Balance Standardization and Customization
Standardization is important to maintain consistency and scalability, but don’t be afraid to customize when necessary. Some departments or processes may require unique functionality. The key is striking the right balance between standardizing core processes and allowing for customization where it truly adds value to the business.
Document Everything—Even the Small Stuff
One of the most underrated best practices is documentation. As much as you think you’ll remember how you designed a module or why a specific formula was implemented a certain way, it’s easy to forget details down the road. Documenting not just the logic but also why certain decisions were made will save you and your team a lot of time, especially when the model needs to be updated, debugged, or handed off.
Don’t Be Afraid to Iterate
No model is perfect from the start. You’ll likely need to make adjustments after initial testing, especially as you get real-world feedback from users. Don’t be afraid to iterate on your design. A model that can evolve and improve over time will be more effective than one that’s set in stone. Keep refining it based on feedback, performance testing, and changes in business needs.
In Conclusion
Great model design is all about understanding user needs, anticipating change, and creating a system that’s flexible, scalable, and easy to maintain. Focus on simplicity, performance, and clear data governance while keeping the lines of communication open with stakeholders. And always remember: the best models are the ones that can evolve as quickly as the business does.
By investing time upfront to get the design right—and by being open to adjustments—you’ll build a solution that’s not only functional but also future-proof.
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