About DavidSmith

Dynamic Cell Access (DCA) controls the access levels for line items within modules. It is simple to implement and provides modelers with a flexible way of controlling user inputs. Here are a few tips and tricks to help you implement DCA effectively. Access control modules Any line item can be controlled by any other applicable Boolean line item. To avoid confusion over which line item(s) to use, it is recommended that you add a separate functional area and create specific modules to hold the driver line items. These modules should be named appropriately (e.g. Access – Customers > Products, or Access – Time etc.). The advantage of this approach is the access driver can be used for multiple line items or modules, and the calculation logic is in one place. In most cases, you will probably want read and write access. Therefore, within each module it is recommended that you add two line items (Write? and Read?). If the logic is being set for Write?, then set the formulas for the Read? line item to NOT WRITE? (or vice-versa). It may be necessary to add multiple line items to use for different target line items, but start with this a default. Start simple You may not need to create a module that mirrors the dimensionality of the line item you wish to control. For example, if you have a line item dimensioned by customer, product, and time, and you wish to make actual months read-only, you can use an access module just dimensioned by time. Think about what dimension the control needs to apply to and create an access module accordingly. What settings do I need? There are three different states of access that can be applied: READ, WRITE, and INVISIBLE or hidden. There are two blueprint controls (read control and write control) and there are two states for a driver (TRUE or FALSE). The combination of these determines which state is applied to the line item. The following table illustrates the options: Only the read access driver is set:   Read Access Driver Driver Status True False Target Line Item READ INVISIBLE Only the write access driver is set:   Write Access Driver Driver Status True False Target Line Item WRITE INVISIBLE Both read access and write access drivers are set:   Read Access Driver Write Access Driver Driver Status True False True False Target Line Item READ INVISIBLE WRITE Revert to Read* *When both access drivers are set, the write access driver takes precedence with write access granted if the status of the write access driver is true. If the status of the write access driver is false, the cell access is then taken from the read access driver status. The settings can also be expressed in the following table:   WRITE ACCESS DRIVER TRUE FALSE NOT SET READ ACCESS DRIVER TRUE Write Read Read FALSE Write Invisible Invisible NOT SET Write Invisible Write Note: If you want to have read and write access, it is necessary to set both access drivers within the module blueprint.  Totals Think about how you want the totals to appear. When you create a Boolean line item, the default summary option is NONE. This means that if you used this access driver line item, any totals within the target would be invisible. In most cases, you will probably want the totals to be read-only, so setting the access driver line item summary to ANY will provide this setting. If you are using the Invisible setting to “hide” certain items and you do not want the end user to compute hidden values, then it is best to use the ALL setting for the access driver line item. This means that only if all values in the list are visible then the totals show; otherwise, the totals are hidden from view. ... View more

As a parting gift, check out these 3 latest videos showing how to model: Time in a flexible way Different sign conventions Alternative Hierarchies https://community.anaplan.com/t5/Best-Practices/Modeling-Best-Practices-Video-Series-1-Flexible-Time-Mapping/tac-p/93477   https://community.anaplan.com/t5/Best-Practices/Modeling-Best-Practices-Video-Series-2-Signage-Convention/ta-p/93236   https://community.anaplan.com/t5/Best-Practices/Modeling-Best-Practices-Video-Series-3-Alternate-Hierarchies/ta-p/93237     Happy Modelling David   ... View more

Anaplan model hierarchies follow a single structure where a parent rolls up to a single parent. Our flexible modeling structures allow you to map a child into a different hierarchy to meet your organization’s most unique planning and reporting needs. Watch this demo video to learn how our modeling techniques can create different structures to transform data, providing the specific view you need. This video is the third of three modeling feature demo videos. ... View more

With Anaplan, aggregation logic is additive to have a “natural” feel. For example, positive values are added to totals, while negative values are subtracted from said totals. However, there are some instances in which values that display as positive need to actually be subtracted from totals. Check out this demo video to learn how to subtract these values with sign conventions via Anaplan’s powerful modeling logic. This video is the second of three modeling feature demo videos. ... View more

Anaplan models have pre-defined time settings that offer flexibility for scenarios such as: when fiscal and calendar timescales are both in the same model, tracking irregular weekly patterns, and rolling weekly forecasts. Watch this video for a detailed demo that walks you through setting up and modeling these various time options and how to provide an easy-to-navigate experience for end users. This video is the first of three modeling feature demo videos.   ... View more

My beloved Anaplan community "How lucky I am to have had something so special that makes saying goodbye so hard”   I can't take credit for that quote - I have to thank AA Milne for summing up how I am feeling right now. In a year of unpredictable events,  I never expected to be writing this.  As 2020 comes to a close, so does my time at Anaplan.  I never saw myself working anywhere else, but I have an opportunity to take all of my experiences and knowledge and channel this into something brand new. It is just too exciting an opportunity and challenge to turn down. The last seven years have gone so fast.  I have met some many amazing people, been to some incredible places, and have so many treasured memories to take with me.  I will never forget the excitement of the New York Stock exchange two years ago.  The sense of pride I felt in launching the Planual in San Francisco last year can never be bettered.  And finally I saw the training re-vamp take shape from whiteboards to an award winning learning programme! This was, without doubt, one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make and the main reason for that is all of the amazing people I work with and also you, the Anaplan community.  It is an amazing, diverse and supportive group of people, and I am so proud to have played a major part in its growth.  I got such a sense of satisfaction providing solutions to you all and when I asked you for help (for feature refinements) you were always forthcoming.    I will miss the constructive comments, the humour and the support you all show to each other.   Keep doing that, keep the community free from the nonsense we see in other forums.  You are all amazing and I’ll miss you all. I leave the forum in a very healthy state -  @Misbah @JaredDolich @usman.zia @einas.ibrahim @AlejandroGomez @andrewtye @Matthew_Kuo @David_Elston  and many others - keep doing what you are doing. To all the newer members, please don't be shy to ask questions - nothing is too trivial; we were all beginners at one time. You are in good hands with the members to help you on you Anaplan journey.    I must also thank my "devil's advocate" and "Brother in Arms" - Mr @rob_marshall  - Thank you for taking on the mantel of guardian of the community.  I know you'll do a great job keeping this this bunch in order 😁   So, I say goodbye with my head held high. Who knows if our paths will cross again in the future - It's a small world so I'm sure this is not the last conversation I'll have with some of you. Stay safe and healthy and I wish you all the best, personally and professional for the future.   and remember.... "just because you can, doesn't mean you should" - David Smith!   Cheerio! David ... View more