Top 10 Helpful Tips From Anaplan Learners

With so many new Anaplan learners joining the Community, everyone is at a different place on their journey—some just starting, others in the middle, and still others already finished and offering support or assistance to their peers. 

Recently, we invited members of the Learner's Lounge Group to share something they've learned along the way that can help someone else. It could be about a specific training or about Anaplan itself, or even just a strategy for success in progressing through the trainings. One of the responses was so thorough, we couldn't help but share it with the entire Anaplan Community. Thank you, @Niraj.B, for these great tips!

As someone who has done L1/2/3 recently, this is what I found useful:

1. For L1 and L2, take your time and make sure you watch the training videos properly. Initially, I didn't pay attention to examples, but they were very important when you are doing activities and suddenly wonder why a particular formula starts to give errors.
2. Use the comments section on why you are using that line item/module/action (especially Actions & Processes); record which activity asked you to do that.
3. L3 may seem daunting but once you get the hang of it, you enjoy doing it. At times you may feel the instructions are vague, though I feel it might be deliberate so that we start thinking independently.
4. Initially, I didn't agree with the requirement that L3 activities should not be discussed on forums. Now that I have completed it independently, I can see why this requirement is in place. Believe me, it is for your own good. I once struggled for four hours on a formula but it will now help me in the future. Had I discussed on the forums and got a solution, it would not help me in my thinking process.
5. Check your build section. This is very important! Even if there are 50 numbers on the screenshot, verify every single one of them (I know it's boring). If you think you are slightly off initially, towards the end there will be a bigger difference, and you won't be able to work out why.
6. Patience is key. You will get there eventually.
7. Archive your work on a regular basis so that if you need to go back, it's doable. I would name by archive copies as "L3 DataHub Pre 1.1, L3 DataHub Pre 2.1."
8. Allocate regular time towards the courses. Say you intend to spend 15 hours per week. Divide these into regular times, such as three hours per sitting. Don't aim for small lessons (30 minutes per day) or unrealistic ones (12 hours per day); it won't help.
9. While doing your exams, it is best to have a copy of your training models and use that for exam purposes.
10. Practice, practice, practice. The forums are there to help us.

We are thankful to our Community members for their tips and insights. Do you have any tips you'd like to share? Post them in the comments section below.