September 2025 CoE Exchange Event Recap
Our latest CoE Program event brought CoE Program members together for networking and learning.
We started with a virtual networking session, giving members a chance to connect and share experiences with peers across the program. From there, we moved into two featured sessions focused on enabling skilled teams and learning from the evolution of a customer CoE in action.
Anaplan Academy Training & Certification Updates
Becky O'Connor, Manager of Training Operations at Anaplan, shared how Anaplan Academy training and role enablement drive greater value from the platform:
- Maximize Value — Trained teams unlock more ROI from Anaplan
- Increase Self-Sufficiency — Reduce reliance on IT or partners
- Improve Time to Value — Accelerate implementation time
Becky also walked through training options (public/private workshops, training cohorts, and free on-demand courses), the role-based training paths, and certification updates:
- Two paths: Professional (default) and Associate
- Recertification exams required every two years
- Recertification fees waived until Dec. 31, 2025
🎥 Watch Becky's session on Anaplan Academy Training Offerings and Role Enablement
Review these resources and links from Becky's presentation:
Any questions regarding the content of Becky's presentation or the training options can be sent to Academy@Anaplan.com.
CoE Spotlight: Autodesk's Evolution
Next, I talked to Nick Alvarez, Manager of Model Building Empowerment at Autodesk, to hear how Autodesk's CoE has grown and adapted.
Autodesk CoE Growth & Structure
Autodesk's Anaplan ecosystem has expanded significantly — expanding from 10 models in 2018 to 40 models today and from a handful of users to hundreds. To support this scale, their CoE structure evolved from a small, siloed team of five into a 14-member Forecasting & Planning team with platform leadership, agile model building teams, and dedicated project masters. This shift enabled stronger collaboration, clearer accountability, and faster delivery.
🎥 Watch Autodesk CoE Growth & Structure
Model Standards & Best Practices at Autodesk
To maintain consistency, Autodesk combines the Planual optimization standards with a detailed set of internal guidelines covering naming conventions, UX design, and documentation. These standards are reinforced through weekly peer reviews, bi-weekly model builder calls, and coaching for every new model builder joining the team. The result is a culture of shared ownership and high-quality builds across each portfolio of models.
🎥 Watch Model Standards & Best Practices at Autodesk
Autodesk Citizen Developer Program
Autodesk launched a Citizen Developer Program, training power users through L1/L2 model builder training, quarterly workshops, and shadowing opportunities. This program speeds up project delivery for business teams while freeing CoE bandwidth to focus on complex priorities. It builds stronger business partnerships, as citizen developers better understand Anaplan and can troubleshoot questions and issues themselves. Governance and time availability remain challenges, but clear protocols help strengthen the program.
Nick closed with this advice for other CoE leaders:
"Be agile. Your Anaplan ecosystem and CoE structure will continue to evolve. Stay flexible, experiment, and find what works best for your organization.”
🎥 Watch Autodesk Citizen Developer Program & Closing Advice
Closing Takeaways
This event reinforced two clear themes: Skilled teams unlock greater value and CoEs must evolve as they grow.
Key lessons for CoE leaders:
- Invest in training to drive adoption and ROI
- Adapt structure and governance to scale successfully
- Empower business users with the right guardrails
Thank you to all who joined, and special thanks to @BeckyO and @nickealvarez for sharing their expertise.
