Anaplan currently provides the ability to create versions via an Import action, and update Version settings via an Import action.
Ability to use an action (of any type, Import or otherwise) to do the following:
- Rename Versions
- Delete Versions
Business Need:
As we seek to continuously improve our planning process frequency, accuracy, and automation, we've moved from planning 1x per year (formulating a Budget), to quarterly reforecasts, to monthly reforecasts. With each iteration we are seeking to automate our forecasting process with the goal of fully automating all steps that don't require human judgment or analysis.
One step we are currently unable to automate is the programmatic deletion or renaming of a version.
Here's an illustrative example—
Context:
- We need 1 Version for Actuals
- We need 4 Versions for Budgets: 2 for previous Budgets, 1 for the current Budget, and 1 for the next Budget, on a rolling basis
- We need to keep the most-recent 10 monthly re-forecasts so that we can see how our rolling forecasts change over time
- We need a single Version called "Live Forecast" which is always our latest and greatest Version, all other Versions are locked and saved-off from the Live Forecast Version
Each month we can use an Import action to create a new Version into which we do a bulk copy from the Live Forecast into that new Version, effectively taking a snapshot of that Version. The bulk copy isn't currently part of a scheduled process, but we hope to make it so when dynamic bulk copy becomes available. Over time, the number of Versions increases, such that in steady state, for every new Version we create, we want to delete a Version (specifically, the 11th most-recent forecast Version, the 3rd most-recent Budget Version).
Either or both features (delete a Version, or rename a Version via an action), would enable us to bring further automation to this process and provide valuable time-savings to our business owners. One of the most important things this would do is reduce dependencies on 3rd party consultants, providing time savings, cost savings, and reduced key personnel risk to Anaplan customers.
Thank you!
Kevin
