Author: Junqi Xue is a Certified Master Anaplanner and consultant at valantic.
Keeping Anaplan models organized and auditable is crucial for efficient operations. Over time, these models tend to grow organically, often resulting in clutter.
There are some good articles in the community about cleaning up; I’m going to elaborate more into practical advices regarding: (1) unused functions, (2) DCAs, (3) filters, and (4) actions, to help you clean up your Anaplan models effectively, making them tidy and more manageable.
Unused functions
Unused functions can accumulate over time. Often, new functions are added while older ones remain, left behind to be phased out eventually. Unfortunately, the task of removing them is sometimes forgotten.
Prevention
- Documentation: Record important decisions about model changes and cleanups. For instance, agree in advance on a timeline for phasing out old functions and document these details in user stories. Consider assigning them to a future sprint bucket.
Getting your hands dirty
Using valantic’s Anaplan Chrome Extension is a great starting point. This free tool is available to any Anaplan user, and helps you check module references on App pages, significantly streamlining the cleanup process.
Image 1: Displays links between modules and pages.
Image 2: Provides a summary of module and page links.
Steps
- Examine module connections in the model map, tracing back to unused functions.
- Double-check saved views to ensure the modules or line items are not still in use for actions like Imports and Exports.
- As each level is cleaned, continue checking line items not being referenced. Ensure they aren't used in saved views or other actions such as Exports.
- Finally, verify unreferenced lists for removal.
Dynamic Cell Access (DCAs)
DCA cleanups are more straightforward as Anaplan prevents deletion if they are in use.
Prevention
- Grouping: Organize DCAs with similar functions within the same module, especially those differing only in dimensionality. This approach reduces the number of modules to check during cleanup.
Getting your hands dirty
- (optional, use if it takes long for the model to show an error message.) Create a development model from a revision to facilitate fast processing.
- Attempt to delete the DCA line items. If they are in use, Anaplan will prevent deletion by generating an error message.
- (optional, if an empty model is created using step 1.) Compare the cleaned-up empty model carefully with the full DEV model and clean up DCAs line by line.
Filters
Filters present the most challenges since Anaplan lacks a built-in method to track their usage.
The Chrome extension from valantic assists in providing an overview of line items used as filters in App pages.
Image 3: Shows used filter line items.
Image 4: Presents a summary of filter line items in the extension.
However, the extension cannot identify those used in saved views, which Anaplan will also not notify about upon deletion.
Prevention
- Aggregation: Create aggregated filter modules to simplify model-wide cleanup.
- Documentation: Use custom views in app building instead of saved views. Make notes on filter line items used in saved views.
Getting your hands dirty
- Start with the Anaplan Extension to mark potentially obsolete items.
- Check saved views for filters to narrow down marked items.
- Proceed with caution, testing thoroughly before pushing changes to PROD.
Actions
Anaplan protects actions included in “Processes.” It's advisable to incorporate all actions into processes to prevent accidental deletion.
Prevention
- Naming Conventions: Name temporary actions with a prefix or note like “TEMP 22.01.2025 manual upload for sprint 2” for clarity and future confidence in deletion.
- Organizational Habits: Place all used actions within “Processes” to simplify cleanup and prevent accidental deletion.
Getting your hands dirty
- Review the App and include any "Actions" not currently in "Processes" to protect them.
- Annotate all unused Actions and Processes, marking those eligible for deletion. Confirm and then clean them out.
Conclusion
By following these guidelines, you can maintain a clean, efficient Anaplan model, reducing clutter and enhancing manageability and auditability.
Questions? Leave a comment!
Shout-out to @Vinz, the main developer for the Chrome extension!
