Planual Explained - Day 13

"Rule 2.01-16": Article 2, Chapter 1, and Rule 16 – “Use Data Tags”. ”If not using for any other reasons, use Data Tags to signify the DISCO category”. It doesn’t go against any element of PLANS but why not use it when we have the functionality available.

Use Case: As a workspace admin I need to check if ALL Countries are available in multiple lists within the model. (Countries are mentioned in multiple lists, hence need to audit). I need to check if employees have the countries field populated.

Here is how it was done in Pre Planual Era: We used to search the lists one by one. Go to modules, apply filters on line items to check for specific items and/or Blanks. Imagine the amount of effort and pain that one has to go through in doing so. Let’s say I have to search if Japan is listed in two lists. I also want to search the number of employees where Japan is populated in the country field

Step 1:  Go to Country List and Search

Step 2: Go to Second list and Search

Step 3: Go to Module -> Country Line item-> Apply Filter on Japan or Blanks

Step 4: Once done remove the filter

Another example can be of employee hierarchy where same employee can be in multiple lists and in multiple modules and you need to search if the employee is populated in all required fields.

What is wrong with this method? Just time consuming and all the searches are not model specific.

Here is how it should be done in Planual Way: Data tag feature helps in quick searching and grouping of various artifacts like Lists, List Properties, modules & Line items. This is like search engine within Anaplan that will save you a lot of time when you want to search for List Items and List or Text formatted Line items and Properties. If it is Number formatted it will be excluded from the search. Once Data tags are created, artifacts tagged you can find the tagged data by clicking on “Find Tagged Data”.

Let’s see how we can find Japan without going to multiple lists

Step 1: Create a data tag of Countries.

Step 2: Tag the required lists. I have tagged Country list, Child list & Employee List

Step 3: Go to Data Tags and Click on “Find Tagged Data” & search by typing the text (case Insensitive)

Result: All the search results across the model will be displayed in one single window. Be it list items, list properties or module line items provided these are list or text formatted

Note: Data Tag is a workspace admin feature