Breaking into the Anaplan ecosystem

ayzoha

Author: Ayesha Zoha, Certified Master Anaplanner and Manager at Cervello.

Throughout my career, I've had the chance to connect with individuals from diverse technology and business backgrounds, as well as countless college graduates eager to start their journey in the world of Anaplan. Over the years, I’ve noticed a recurring theme: while many candidates are enthusiastic about learning the tool, they often feel overwhelmed and unsure about where to begin. Even though they’ve researched Anaplan and are excited to learn, one question always seems to come up: “How do I start?” or “What should I expect?”

Based on my experience, the most effective answer is to encourage them to explore the platform on their own during the first few days. This self-exploration before diving into Level 1 training can provide a more engaging and insightful foundation. However, I understand that this approach can be challenging, particularly due to the time constraints many face in fast-paced work environments.

Here are a few actionable tips and guidance items that I can offer:

1. Familiarity: After gaining access to the workspace, spend time in the workspace and make a note of all things that are catches your attention. It can be anything ranging from the name of any visible item or even the color or design. By doing this you’ll have a general awareness of the platform before the training starts. This will help you navigate the platform comfortably, even if you're not a master at it yet.
2. Seek a mentor: Make sure you have a dedicated mentor assigned; someone that can offer valuable insights and advice to help you navigate uncertainty. This is also an opportunity for the mentor to gain Master Anaplanner recertification credits.
3. Build curriculum: A plan should be put in place for the trainee to help stay on track. Work with your mentor to set timeframes and actionable goals. Check-in frequently to ensure a smooth learning curve.
   
   1. Track your progress: Keep track of your efforts and make a note of improvements over time. Tracking can motivate you and show how far you've come.
      
   2. Break tasks into smaller steps: When faced with a large project, break it down into smaller, manageable tasks. This will help you stay focused and make progress.
4. Document learnings: Write down your learnings in simple words as notes. I recommend going the old school way of using a pen and a notebook, which will help you remember things better. It will help serve as a quick and concise reference for future study. This also helps break down complex ideas and allows you to visually connect related ideas.
5. Ask questions: With so much information available to us, one of the very important skills is to ask the right question to absorb the information useful to us. This will also help the mentor understand your communication and skill level. At the same time asking the mentor to review the work you have done so it helps you build confidence. Regularly seek feedback from your supervisor or colleagues to understand your strengths and areas of improvement.
6. Focus on skill development: As you go through L1, L2 and ‘The Anaplan Way’, make sure you’re implementing these concepts by exploring in the model. It is more of a self-study along with the tasks assigned during the training.
   1. Learn the fundamentals: Before diving in, it’s essential to learn the basic concepts, terminology, and foundational knowledge related to the skill. For instance, start by familiarizing yourself with the core components of Anaplan, such as modules, lists, pages, calculation functions, and data integration. Begin with the simple techniques or components, and once you’ve mastered them, gradually increase the complexity of the tasks you're attempting.
      Pro tip — Don’t just memorize formulas. Practice applying them in real-world scenarios.
      
   2. Deliberate practice: Focus on personal opportunity areas, and actively work on improving them. Deliberate practice means identifying specific aspects of the skillset that need attention and working through challenges.
      
   3. Business and functional knowledge: Anaplan is primarily used for business planning and forecasting (finance, sales, HR, operations, etc.). Familiarize yourself with Anaplan use cases in these domains.
      
      
   4. Case study/shadow opportunities: Seek for shadowing opportunities through your mentor which will help you gain real time experience. This is the most common form, where you follow and observe a colleague, supervisor, or mentor as they go through their workday. While you shadow or work in your first project, pay attention to not just the technical aspects of the job, but also the interpersonal skills and communication used in the workplace. Job shadowing provides a great opportunity to network with professionals in your field of interest. It's an informal way to build relationships and potentially open doors for future opportunities.
7. Teach a concept: Attempt to teach a concept to a someone else. When you teach, you are actively engaging with the material. Instead of passively absorbing information, you must process it deeply, organize it logically, and present it in a way that others can understand. This level of interaction helps solidify the knowledge, along with building communication skills.
8. Using Anaplan Community and Anapedia: One of the best ways to understand or learn a new technology is to read and review Anaplan Community and Anapedia. It helps you stay updated on the latest trends, best practices, or innovations in your field. Anaplan community provides that platform where most of the answers/solutions are available, along with detailed documentation on formulas, new platform releases, webinars etc. A few sources are linked below that you can explore:
   
   1. Planual: A comprehensive set of best practices and guidelines for building models in Anaplan.
      
   2. Modeling Showcase: This link will take you to all available Anaplan models/apps which you can download and reference for your development/build activities.
      
   3. Learning Center (Academy): The Anaplan Academy has many useful trainings that you can enroll and learn from.
   4. Ask questions and learn from Community! Utilize the discussion forums, the learning center discussions, and read up on current blogs and best practices!
9. Continuing education: Staying current on release notes and platform updates. Keep a track of the frequent product releases and engage in community discussions. You can also subscribe to this Community section for updates by clicking the little bell.
10. Networking: Connecting with people outside of your immediate circle broadens your horizons and enhances your social skills. It is not just about what you can gain but also about what you can offer. By being helpful or offering value to others, you build goodwill and strengthen your skills. This can be done through community, social media platforms or in house groups/channels.

In conclusion, the Anaplan ecosystem offers many opportunities for Anaplan practitioners who are committed to developing their skills. By leveraging free resources, earning certifications, gaining hands-on experience, and networking, you can successfully start your career in this space. Breaking into a new field can be challenging, and it’s important to remind new learners that perseverance is essential. Progress may take time, but the effort will pay off in the long run.

What other tips or advice have you found useful? I’d love to hear your thoughts!