Anaplan

When I first dove into Anaplan, I was greeted with a wave of mixed feelings. As someone who's spent many late nights wrestling with spreadsheets, the promise of a connected planning platform sounded like a breath of fresh air. Anaplan aims to transform your traditional, static spreadsheets into something far more dynamic and collaborative. The real-time data updates and AI-enhanced scenario modelling were particularly appealing, especially for finance teams that need to pivot quickly as conditions change. I found the user interface to be surprisingly straightforward; it’s not just a sea of numbers but rather a canvas where you can build complex models without losing your sanity.

One of the standout features for me was the collaborative aspect. Imagine everyone in your finance department, from the CFO to junior analysts, all working together in real-time. No more confusion over which version of the spreadsheet is the most current. I tested this out with a few scenarios, and it was refreshing to see how easily different stakeholders could contribute to the planning process. The ability to conduct what-if analyses was another bonus that had me envisioning all sorts of strategic discussions that could take place with such powerful tools at hand.

But let's be honest here - Anaplan is not without its flaws. For starters, I was frustrated by the lack of transparent pricing on their website. I mean, how am I supposed to sell this to my manager without a budget? The complexity of the platform can also be a hurdle. I found the onboarding process to be quite overwhelming. It’s one thing to have powerful features, but another to make them user-friendly. Smaller organisations, in particular, might feel dwarfed by the extensive capabilities and find themselves questioning whether they really need all this firepower.

When comparing Anaplan to its competitors, it’s clear that it stands tall, especially for larger enterprises. Tools like Adaptive Insights and Workday Adaptive Planning may offer simpler interfaces or clearer pricing structures, but they don’t quite match Anaplan’s depth. If you’re part of a large enterprise with a dedicated finance team, Anaplan can be an incredibly valuable asset. However, if you’re a small business or a team that isn’t ready to invest the time and money into a sophisticated platform, you might want to think twice before diving in. Overall, I’d say Anaplan is a fantastic tool for those who need comprehensive financial planning capabilities, but be prepared for a steep learning curve and potentially hefty costs.

Getting started with Anaplan

In this guide, you will learn how to set up Anaplan and create your first connected plan for enterprise finance and operations. By the end, you'll be able to manage budgeting and forecasting with ease.

Step 1: Sign up and set up

Step 2: Your first model

Step 3: Get better results

Pro tip

Take advantage of Anaplan’s "Blueprint" feature, which allows you to see the underlying structure of your model. This helps you understand how data flows and makes troubleshooting easier.

Common mistake to avoid

Avoid creating too many separate models for different departments. Instead, use one connected model with multiple modules to ensure better collaboration and data consistency across your organisation.