Get to know the model experience as an end-user

AnaplanOEG
edited February 14 in Best Practices

Welcome to the Anaplan modeling experience (MX)! The Anaplan functionality you know and love, with a modern look and feel and simplified, intuitive navigation. 

In February 2023, the updated model experience became the default for all users. In April 2024 the ability to toggle back to the old classic experience will be removed.

What is the model experience (MX)?

Well, you can interact with Anaplan in two ways.

On the Home screen you can access models, pages and apps through the User Experience (UX).

Accessing a page directly from here, or after opening an App, will keep you in the UX:

But if you enter a model from the Home page or after selecting Models from the main dropdown, then you are in the MX. Here, subject to access, you can open multiple objects, UX Pages included. You are NOT in an app in the UX.

The MX is primarily aimed at Model Builders and Page Builders.

If, as an end user, you exclusively use UX Apps and Pages for your reporting or planning activities, then you will likely never venture into the MX.

But, if you access in-model (Classic) dashboards or modules using the Models section in Home (see above), you will benefit from recent enhancements.

If you were used to the old classic interface, you will have noticed an updated look and feel and a streamlined navigation for faster access to the information you need in your models. Everything else is as before; the same content, the same dashboards or modules, and the same tab-based experience. 

Enhanced interface:

The look and feel of the MX is aligned with UX Apps and Pages to help create a unified experience no matter how you access your content.

The enhanced interface includes a dropdown for easy navigation and an improved contents panel.

From the dropdown, you can navigate within and between models and workspaces, without having to navigate to the Home or Models screens, making it easy to find whatever you need in Anaplan.

Content panel: search

Quickly search for your available content using the Contents search. Start typing in the search bar to filter all available matching dashboards and modules (based on their names) within the section headers. This allows you to pinpoint the content you need.

Content panel: open all

Open all the objects within a section with the one-click “Open all” functionality. Another time-saver that speeds up your planning activities.   

Content panel: open landing page

To quickly reopen your model landing page (the default tab for the model), click the always-available home icon in the content panel.

Content panel: expand/collapse

Within the Contents panel, expand or collapse all sections or individual sections, making navigating easier. 

Clicking the arrows by the Contents header will expand or collapse all sections simultaneously. Or use the arrows next to each section header to expand or collapse a specific group.

The “Open all” functionality is still available even in the collapsed mode.

Dashboard toolbar: show/hide

For those who still use classic dashboards, the MX now has an intuitive right-click on the dashboard tab to allow you to show or hide the dashboard toolbars. 

Once you have made that selection, your preference will apply to all dashboards until you modify your choice.

Module: formula preview

A formula preview mode will be available if you have access to modules as well as dashboards. This allows you an easier way to view the logic behind the formula.

Direct linking

You have the ability to direct link (also called deep linking) within the MX, just as you already do in the Apps and Pages in the UX. The URL in your browser will include the reference to the tab displayed on your screen. Simply copy the URL to create the shareable link.  

You can therefore:

  • Share a specific dashboard with a colleague (as long as they have access) by pasting the link in an email (or messaging tool)
  • Include the link to the dashboard in your planning or administration documentation
  • Favorite a specific dashboard in your browser for easier access
  • Direct your Anaplan development team to a particular dashboard for enhancement requests by sharing the link

Learn more about the model experience on Anapedia

Contributing author Andy Martin

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Comments

  • andrewtye
    edited December 2022

    Excellent overview! Have been trying to put something together to share for our end users beyond the basics... I think I'll just use this instead.

  • saglago
    edited December 2022

    I am doing the same @andrewtye 

  • eschera
    edited December 2022

    @andrewtye @saglago glad this was helpful!  What else would help for you to be able to share with your end-users?

  • riccymiccy
    edited December 2022

    It will be interesting (i.e. challenging) to see how our hundreds of end users cope with the new look. Change is change but they will no doubt get upset initially before they realise that the functionality that they use is exactly the same. And thankfully they don't need to search for modules or list items.

  • GeorgeDuckett
    edited December 2022

    If anyone needs/wants an extension that adds functionality to the new formula editor, I've created addins for chrome/edge/firefox. See my post about it here: https://community.anaplan.com/t5/Anaplan-Platform/Better-Formula-Editor-for-Anaplan-A-new-Chrome-Firefox-Edge/m-p/128250

  • karabela
    edited December 2022

    Thank you @eschera and @annejulie for the overview of this updated version.

  • @eschera , @annejulie ,

    I have a couple of urgent questions :

    • We have one big project with tons of users that are still using classic dashboarding. Although this is great we want to use a more simplified version of it. eg skipping anything to do with UX, contents and formula editor
    • Is there an option for users to switch back to the previous one, if they really want to ? I assume the answer is no
    • Is there an option to delay the switchover for us ?
    • When is this happening exactly ?

    Thanks!

  • @Alessio_Pagliano Reply to your urgent questions

    1) As per the post,

    You will experience an updated look and feel and a streamlined navigation for faster access to the information you need in your models. Everything else will remain the same; the same content, the same dashboards or modules, and the same tab-based experience you rely on today. 

    --So there should be not much changes in Classic Dashboard and the present users can still work easily with the New Model Experience. Better to inform all the present users about this new Model Experience so that they can get a Hands on experience before it becomes the default.

    2) No, Once the New Model Experience becomes default one. Users will not have access to old Model Experience. But you can still write to Anaplan Customer Support to get exact answer.

    3 & 4) Switch-over to New Model Experience was planned on 20th Feb 2023, but as per recent notification i think it will happen on 25th FEB 2023.So you have still 4 days time.

    Hope this is information is correct. Thanks😊

  • @ibg1989 I know it's meant for @Alessio_Pagliano but the switch happened this Monday, 20th February 2023.

  • @saglago Thanks for the confirmation, The Switchover seems to happen region wise. For APAC region its still the old Model Experience, May be for your region the switchover is already deployed by Anaplan Team😊.

    In that case, @Alessio_Pagliano the remaining regions New Model Experience switch over should happen as seen below

    -----------------------------------------------------------

    Day 2: Tuesday 21st February 2023 (21 Feb 2023)

    * AMER customers (UK am release at 10:00)

    * APAC customers (UK pm release at 17:00)

    Day 3: Wednesday 22nd February 2023 (22 Feb 2023)

    * Partners, Prospects, and anyone not in the buckets above and/or unknown regions (UK am release at 09:00)

    ---------------------------------------------------------------------

    Thanks☺️

  • @Alessio_Pagliano

    --Post deployment of New Model Experience, i can see there is an option to switch between Anaplan Classic and New Model Experience

    In case user still wants to see/work on old Model experience; They can click on Top right side of Home-screen as shown in image.

    Thanks!

  • Hi all,

    How rude I never replied ! Thanks a lot @ibg1989 and @saglago

    In the end what we did was to create and send a compressed note to the end users but really just for the changes/features of interest (navigation and search funcionality).

    I was looking for a word document which I would have used as a starting point but it wasn't available so I have created what was needed from scratch.

    We deliberately omitted the "switch back to classic" which I have shared with the Support Team and developers only. At that point in time some users from different workspaces/models raised performance concerns so we kept the "rollback" as a debugging option only.

    Thanks!

    Alessio Pagliano