Connected Planning

Author: Dave Edwards, Certified Master Anaplanner and Principal at Columbus Consulting. Inevitably we will all encounter projects that drift too far into the realm of perfectionism. As companies transition to more agile software solutions, the lingering perspective from older system design that a tool must be perfect to…

Have you ever worked on a team where spreadsheets are used everywhere and for everything? Have you seen multiple versions of a company’s financial forecast flowing through email from one person to another, back and forth? Have you validated versions of the same file to capture any possible accidental or unwanted changes?…

What do you do when you need a single source of truth for headcount approvals, reports, and pay benchmarking with real-time forecasts? You turn to Anaplan! In this case study, I’ll share how we improved our workforce and talent acquisition planning processes, resulting in significant forecast accuracy advancements, time…

The Anaplan Performance Triangle details the relationship between the number of users and the level of complexity in an Anaplan model to the performance of an Anaplan model, as explained by Mark Warren, Operational Excellence Group Platform Specialist in this article. The Performance Triangle considers: How many end-users…

In our experience with dozens of implementations, we see a lot of similarities for the reasons clients switch to Anaplan: reducing reliance on Excel, standardizing processes across business units, reducing the time spent on manual work around data preparation, and controlling data quality. Additionally, Anaplan is often…

Is your planning ready to ride out a turbulent market? From supply and labor shortages to broad-based inflation, companies everywhere have been trying to navigate a turbulent market during the first half of 2022. In this post, Daniel Dunleavy, Certified Master Anaplanner, explores some of the themes of the year so far and…

Anaplan recently launched a three-course specialization, Connected Planning for Business Transformation, for professionals and students who are building business strategy and planning skills. The specialization is ideal for senior leaders who need insight beyond basic business modeling and scenario planning to capture…

Due to the impact of the pandemic, global economic challenges, and the heightened geopolitical risks, it can be said that the future of current corporate management is almost impossible to foresee (VUCA Uncertainty Level 4). Consumers are seeing a shortage of daily necessities, along with soaring prices. In addition, from…

You’re in your seat, popcorn in hand. The lights go down and soon you’re following the adventures of the larger-than-life characters on the screen. You’re invested. You’re excited. And then… …one of them makes a decision that is so foolish and utterly unbelievable that it undermines your enjoyment of the movie. “Why would…

In an era of rapid change and disruption in higher education, how can you help your college or university stay ahead of the curve? For the past several years, if you work in a financial management role at a college or university, or if you’re a prospective student or the parent of a student, the news headlines have been…

The vast benefits of Anaplan are both widely known and constantly evolving. The ability to impact a business plan at the click of a button, understand a decision's downstream effects, quickly navigate between detailed planning and elegant visualizations are all attributes that make Anaplan offerings second-to-none. How can…

Prior to the Anaplan for All program, I worked in the healthcare field as an authorization representative. After graduating college, I wanted to pursue a career as a healthcare provider. However, after working in healthcare I realized it was not for me and began to look towards other careers. I enrolled in programming…

Chief Planning Officer Simon Tucker speaking at CPX 2019. As you’ve surely heard by now, Anaplan is the pioneer of Connected Planning⁠—an approach that uses next-generation technology to connect people, data, and plans across the enterprise to combine strategic insight with business foresight. Ultimately, this allows…

In the 16 months from March 2020 to July 2021, business, government, and social organizations in the United States have faced unprecedented challenges to their very survival, as well as vast uncertainty about when there would be a return to normal economic conditions, or even what “the new normal” might look like. But now…

In the past year, business, government, and civic and cultural institutions faced enormous challenges that forced them to re-evaluate and change how they operate in order to survive. This was especially the case in the higher education sector, which was already under pressure to adapt its business model to keep up with…

Large organizations receive a variety of discounts in the form of rebates. And while these rebates present a great opportunity, it’s far too easy for the company to lose track of the many offerings, receipts, invoices, and payments that come with them. This problem results in a decentralization of data—with information…

In February of this year, I was in the middle of the third grueling 2,000-foot ascent up a mountain on the second day of a three-night backcountry yurt trip when I conceptualized the power of Anaplan’s Connected Planning solution. “Strategize and collaborate with agility amid constant change"—the words on Anaplan’s…

In the first part of “The 3 Pillars of Connected Planning” series, the Community team spoke with Chief Planning Officer Simon Tucker ( @simon_tucker) about the importance of the 'people' pillar of Connected Planning and the need for a cultural shift within an organization. In part two, we took a look at the 'data' pillar…

In the first part of “The 3 Pillars of Connected Planning” series, the Community team spoke with Chief Planning Officer Simon Tucker about the importance of the “people” pillar of Connected Planning and the need for a cultural shift within an organization. In part two, we take a look at the “data” pillar and what…

In the first part of “The 3 Pillars of Connected Planning” series, the Community team spoke with Chief Planning Officer Simon Tucker about the importance of the 'people' pillar of Connected Planning and the need for a cultural shift within an organization. In part two, we took a look at the 'data' pillar and what companies…

Planning complexity in manufacturing and order fulfillment stems from the attempt to “fit” forecasted demand with available production machines while hoping to leverage an algorithm that will provide the best “bang for the buck.” This algorithm normally incorporates Level 2 production machine metrics like run-rate, machine…

In 2021, we'll work to turn challenges into opportunities and drive transformative change! We'll fill the year with new ideas, bold plans, and big accomplishments. The new year is here, and we’re kicking it off by celebrating with you. From the Anaplan family to you, Happy New Year!…

You have probably heard this at least once recently from a co-worker, a friend, or maybe even a heartfelt marketing email from your favorite big-box retailer: “We are living in unprecedented times.” While that is definitely true, the reality is that our businesses often face unprecedented disruptions and changes. Now more…