Query from January event: Model Documentation

Paul

"I need to document my model but it's too big for the model map and it needs to account for ad hoc process /customised work flows. Any tips/templates?"

 

Im looking at the big guns here:

@andrewtye @james_lo @Noemi.andres @Manuela_Apostol @AlejandroGomez @garymurphy @Joanne @AWhitworth @JaredDolich @usman.zia 

andrewtye

And because more brains are better... i'll post it over onto the Master Anaplanner User Group. No doubt there'll be some top thoughts coming from there!

Meanwhile I'll formulate some thoughts and put them down.

JaredDolich

@Paul 

Great question and honestly one that challenges me too. I'm big on the model schemas which INCLUDES the external interfaces. Looks like @andrewtye posted to the master anaplanners. Honestly, I just export the model objects to Excel and use that as a way to ensure I've accounted for all the modules. I either use Lucid Charts or PowerPoint to create the schema. Depends on the size. here's one I did in PowerPoint. Recommend you use the Anaplan colors to be consistent.

 

AlejandroGomez

It is a common observation "my model is too big for the model map, the model map is so big that I cannot use it anymore".

 

It is true that the map might be overwhelming at first glance for some models, and it is also true that there is some room for improvement here and few extra functionalities would be very welcomed, such being able to export it (https://community.anaplan.com/t5/Idea-Exchange/Export-Model-Map-to-PDF-Excel/idi-p/34355 but where there is will there is a way! I personally find very useful the fact that we can select a specific module of the map, an then all the related modules will be highlighted whereas the rest will be greyed out:

 

By doing this (and zooming in and out a few times) I can focus on a specific sub-process of the model and then using tools such PowerPoint, LucidChart (as @JaredDolich  mentioned) or https://app.diagrams.net/ (my favourite, thanks @Noemi.andres ) to start replicating and documenting the data flow and the model.