Anaplan - Detailed Review
Business Tools
Anaplan - Detailed Review Contents
Add a header to begin generating the table of contents
Anaplan - Product Overview
Overview
Anaplan is a leading business planning and performance management platform that connects people, data, and plans across an entire enterprise. Here’s a brief overview of its primary function, target audience, and key features:Primary Function
Anaplan is used for corporate performance management (CPM), providing enterprise-grade collaborative business planning and business intelligence. It integrates planning and analytics to improve operational performance, enabling businesses to make faster and more accurate decisions.Target Audience
Anaplan’s target market includes medium to large enterprises across various industries such as finance, retail, manufacturing, healthcare, and technology. The platform is particularly useful for departments like finance, sales, supply chain management, and human resources, where advanced planning and forecasting are crucial.Key Features
Collaborative Planning
Anaplan facilitates real-time collaboration across different business units and teams, allowing them to share data and make decisions collectively. It breaks down silos within organizations, enabling more integrated and collaborative planning processes.Advanced Analytics and Modeling
The platform offers advanced analytics and modeling capabilities, including predictive algorithms, AI/ML capabilities, and statistical forecasting tools like Curve Fit, Smoothing, and Seasonal Smoothing. This allows businesses to model complex scenarios and derive actionable recommendations.User Experience
Anaplan provides an intuitive and engaging user experience, allowing users to build visual, interactive dashboards and apps without needing coding knowledge. It supports real-time data sharing and updates across devices, facilitating quick decision-making.Scalability and Performance
Anaplan is highly scalable, capable of handling trillions of cells, hundreds of models, and thousands of users. Its patented Hyperblock® technology and Polaris calculation engine ensure rapid and consistent calculations, even with large-scale data sets.Security and Compliance
The platform offers best-in-class security features, including Bring Your Own Key (BYOK), single sign-on (SSO) support with SAML 2.0, and data encryption at rest and in transit. This ensures superior data protection and compliance.Data Management and Integrations
Anaplan unifies data collection and analysis in a single location, using APIs, ETL connectors, and built-in integrations to communicate with other solutions. This facilitates high-level and granular insights and seamless data-sharing with all stakeholders.Conclusion
Overall, Anaplan is a comprehensive platform that empowers businesses to make smarter, faster decisions by connecting people, data, and plans in a unified, real-time environment. Anaplan - User Interface and Experience
User Interface of Anaplan
The user interface of Anaplan, a leading AI-driven business planning tool, is designed to be intuitive, flexible, and highly engaging. Here are some key aspects of its user interface and overall user experience:
Ease of Use
Anaplan’s user interface is relatively user-friendly, especially considering the breadth of its capabilities. The platform does not require extensive training or coding knowledge, making it accessible to a wide range of users. The interface is simple and efficient, allowing more people to perform various activities without needing expensive training.
User Experience
The Anaplan user experience is centered around Connected Planning, which democratizes the planning process and connects people, data, and plans through an engaging and collaborative experience. The platform provides a clear and intuitive way to view, analyze, and update data, ensuring that users can quickly find the information they need.
Key Features
- Apps and Pages: Anaplan organizes data into apps that group related pages, focusing on specific business functions or processes. There are three main page types: Worksheet pages for data editing, Board pages for data visualization, and Report pages for creating styled reports.
- Personalization: Users can easily build plans and execute tasks with personalized features that guide them to the right places at the right time across all devices and solutions.
- Multi-Device Accessibility: The platform offers a responsive, modern web UX that works seamlessly across tablets, desktops, and phones, simplifying user interactions.
- Collaboration: Anaplan facilitates flexible collaboration across teams, enabling quick iterations and responsiveness to changes. Native collaboration features help users adopt the platform quickly and become self-sufficient in building models independently.
Data Integration and Analysis
Anaplan collects and analyzes data in a single location, enabling both high-level and granular analyses. It integrates data from different systems into one hub, providing a Single Source of Truth with real-time updates. The platform also includes data-rich dashboards and analysis tools to innovate and deliver business capabilities faster.
Security and Governance
The platform ensures robust protection for business data, offering best-in-class security features. It also supports easy implementation and rollout across the enterprise, leading to greater IT consistency and governance.
Feedback and Improvement
Anaplan actively seeks user feedback through various channels, including short feedback surveys and a user research program. This feedback helps in continuously improving the user experience and addressing any areas where users might need additional support or features.
Challenges and Limitations
While Anaplan is highly praised for its flexibility and user-friendly interface, users have noted some challenges. These include the high cost of data volume, particularly for large datasets, and the initial implementation phase which can be complex and time-consuming. Additionally, some users have reported interface glitches and limitations in storage capacity, which can impact workflow efficiency.
Overall, Anaplan’s user interface is designed to be intuitive, collaborative, and highly functional, making it a valuable tool for large and enterprise companies looking to enhance their planning and analysis capabilities. However, it may present some challenges for smaller businesses due to its pricing structure and data storage limitations.
Anaplan - Key Features and Functionality
Anaplan Overview
Anaplan is a comprehensive business planning and analysis platform that integrates various business functions, leveraging advanced AI capabilities to enhance decision-making. Here are the main features and how they work:
Planning and Analytics Modules
Anaplan offers a range of modules for different business planning tasks, including:
- Budgeting, Planning, and Forecasting: These tools help organizations create and manage financial plans, forecasts, and budgets in a collaborative environment.
- Demand Planning: This module assists in anticipating customer demand, which is crucial for inventory management and supply chain optimization.
- Financial Consolidation: Anaplan helps in consolidating financial data from various departments and subsidiaries, ensuring accurate and timely financial reporting.
- Profitability Modeling: This feature allows users to analyze the profitability of different products, services, or business segments.
- Project Planning: Tools for managing and planning projects, including resource allocation and timeline management.
- Workforce Planning: Helps in planning and managing human resources, including staffing levels and talent management.
AI-Driven Capabilities
Anaplan has integrated AI throughout its platform, known as Anaplan Intelligence, which includes:
- Anaplan CoPlanner: This is a conversational AI assistant that enables context-aware, generative AI capabilities. It allows users to query data and models conversationally and take immediate action on the insights generated. The initial application is focused on demand planning.
- Predictive Analytics: Anaplan uses machine learning (ML) and predictive analytics to provide actionable insights. This helps in forecasting sales, revenue, and other key business metrics.
- Optimizer: This feature uses advanced linear optimization algorithms to find optimal solutions for complex business problems. For example, it can optimize sales territory and quota planning, and reduce forecast roll-up time.
Collaboration and Integration
- Real-Time Collaboration: Anaplan allows teams to work together in real-time, regardless of their location. Features include audit trails, model restore, and selective user access to ensure security and transparency.
- Data Integration: The platform integrates data from various business units and external sources, providing a unified view of the organization. This includes integration with Microsoft Office and other cloud-based services.
Data Visibility and Modeling
- Transactional Level Data: Anaplan provides data visibility down to the transactional level, enabling precise business decisions. Users can view relationships among multiple business plans and the metadata associated with each plan.
- Scenario Planning: Users can build and test scenarios to identify potential risks and opportunities. This helps in making informed decisions by analyzing different business outcomes.
User-Friendly Interface
- Excel-Style Functionality: Anaplan offers an interface that is familiar to users of Excel, making it easier for business users to make data-driven decisions without needing advanced technical skills.
Security and Support
- Audit Capabilities and Security: Features like audit trails, model restore, and selective user access ensure that collaborative activities are secure and traceable.
- HyperCare Support: The Enterprise tier includes advanced technical support through HyperCare, providing additional support and resources for large-scale implementations.
These features collectively enable organizations to make better, faster, and more informed decisions by connecting planning and analytics across various business functions, all while leveraging the power of AI to drive precision and efficiency.
Anaplan - Performance and Accuracy
Performance
Anaplan is renowned for its strong performance in sales performance management, financial planning, and forecasting. Here are some highlights:Real-Time Data Integration
Anaplan’s platform integrates data from multiple sources in real-time, providing up-to-date insights that enable swift decision-making. This capability is crucial for responding to changing market dynamics and optimizing sales and financial performance.Advanced Analytics
Anaplan leverages advanced analytics, including machine learning algorithms through its PlanIQ feature, to improve forecasting accuracy. These algorithms analyze historical data, identify trends and patterns, and generate forecasts based on the best-fit method.Collaboration
The platform facilitates cross-departmental collaboration, which is essential for refining forecasts and improving overall accuracy. Feedback loops and scenario planning capabilities help in making more accurate predictions and adapting to unexpected events.Accuracy
Anaplan’s accuracy in forecasting and performance metrics is a significant strength:Forecast Accuracy
Anaplan’s integration with advanced predictive analytics and machine learning capabilities, such as those in the PrecisionView solution developed by Deloitte, significantly enhances forecast accuracy. For instance, a consumer products company achieved 99.8% accuracy for full-year unit sales using this solution.Data Quality
The platform ensures high data quality by integrating and validating vast quantities of data from multiple sources. It can automatically remove outliers, which helps in maintaining the accuracy of forecasts.Performance Benchmarking
Anaplan allows organizations to benchmark their sales performance metrics against industry standards or internal targets, helping to identify performance gaps and implement corrective measures.Limitations and Areas for Improvement
Despite its strengths, Anaplan has some limitations and areas that need improvement:Workspace Limitations
Anaplan’s workspace can face size and capacity issues, which can impact the efficiency of financial and commercial planning processes. This can lead to delays in reporting and decision-making, especially when managing large datasets.Integration Challenges
Users have reported issues with integrating Anaplan with external systems, such as MS Excel and MS Word. The lack of native connectors for some software systems can make integration more complex.User Interface and Customization
There is a need for improvement in the user interface, particularly in areas like conditional formatting and graphing capabilities. Users have noted that these features are not as user-friendly as those in other tools like Tableau or Power BI.Pricing and Training
The cost of Anaplan can be a barrier, especially for SME businesses. Additionally, there is a call for more free training to help users transition from tools like Excel to Anaplan.Performance with Concurrent Users
The platform can experience performance issues when handling a large number of concurrent users, which can slow down the system. In summary, Anaplan offers strong performance and accuracy in business planning and forecasting, but it also has some limitations that need to be addressed, particularly in terms of workspace capacity, integration, user interface, and pricing. Anaplan - Pricing and Plans
Anaplan Pricing Structure
Anaplan’s pricing structure is based on a subscription model that varies widely depending on several factors, including the chosen tier, user count, line of business, and the number of workspace gigabytes.
Tiers and Features
Basic Tier
- This tier includes essential capabilities for basic planning and modeling.
- Features include interactive dashboard design, self-service data import and export, integration with Microsoft Office and Cloudworks, and Anaplan’s cloud-based data integration and orchestration platform.
Professional Tier
- Targeted at organizations requiring enhanced capabilities for advanced planning.
- Includes all the features from the Basic tier, plus application lifecycle management, audit capabilities, and DocuSign integration.
Enterprise Tier
- Offers a premium service with cutting-edge optimization capabilities.
- Features include data connector bundles, world-class support, bring-your-own-key functionality, additional workspace allowance, and Hypercare advanced technical support service.
Additional Features
- Users of all tiers can pay for additional features such as PlanIQ (business forecasting via machine learning and statistical algorithms) and HyperModeling (aggregation of large data sets for easier analysis).
Pricing
- The cost starts at around $100 per month for a basic individual user license. For small businesses with up to 10 users, the cost is approximately $1,000 per month. Larger enterprises with 100 users can expect to pay around $10,000 monthly, and global enterprise-level solutions with 1,000 users or more can reach up to $100,000 per month.
- The average annual cost for Anaplan can range from around $87,494 to as high as $1,150,000, depending on the specific needs of the organization.
Implementation and Customization Costs
- Implementation costs can vary from $5,000 to $10,000 for small businesses and up to $50,000 to $100,000 for larger enterprises. Customization costs can range from $10,000 to $50,000 based on the level of tailoring required.
Training Costs
- Training expenses also vary, with small businesses spending around $1,000 to $2,000 per user and larger enterprises allocating $10,000 to $20,000 for training.
Free Options
- Anaplan does not offer free plans or trials. However, product demos are available. For those interested in training, the Anaplan Talent Builder program provides free access to certain courses and potentially a free workspace, although this may involve a waitlist.
Anaplan - Integration and Compatibility
Integration Capabilities and Compatibility
Anaplan, a leading platform for business planning and analysis, offers several robust integration methods to ensure seamless connectivity with various tools and systems. Here’s a detailed look at its integration capabilities and compatibility.Automated and Programmatic Integration
Anaplan supports multiple integration approaches, including automated and programmatic methods. The automated integration allows users to connect to flat files and ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) connectors, enabling the scheduling and automation of import/export processes. This can be achieved using Anaplan Connect, a Java utility that automates integration scripts for imports, exports, and other actions. Programmatic integration is facilitated through REST APIs, which enable users to build custom ETL connectors, develop applications, and execute batch jobs to automate business processes. These APIs use HTTPS commands, making them flexible and scalable.Anaplan Connect
Anaplan Connect is a command-line tool that simplifies the automation of data imports, exports, and process execution. It is lightweight, easy to set up, and ideal for batch data integrations. Users can install it on a dedicated computer or server, write and execute integration scripts, and schedule these scripts using the operating system or a third-party scheduler. Anaplan Connect supports flat files, JDBC sources, and targets, and it is free to download and use.Anaplan Hyper Connect
Anaplan Hyper Connect, powered by Informatica, integrates both on-premises and cloud applications with Anaplan. This solution leverages Informatica Cloud technology, allowing connections to systems like SAP, Oracle, Salesforce, MySQL, LinkedIn, and Twitter. It is particularly beneficial for customers who already have an Informatica Cloud license, as they do not need an additional Anaplan Hyperconnect license.Cloudworks Integration
Anaplan Cloudworks is a native integration tool within the Anaplan platform that allows users to connect external systems, such as cloud data stores or data lakes, without the need for coding. This tool is excellent for synchronizing data from cloud platforms like AWS or Azure into Anaplan in near-real-time. Cloudworks is fully integrated within the Anaplan user interface, making it easy to set up and manage integration flows.Pre-built Integrations
Anaplan offers pre-built integrations with several key technology partners, including Microsoft, Salesforce, and Adobe. These integrations provide low-code push and pull mechanisms between systems, facilitating holistic sales and marketing planning. For example, the integration with Salesforce enables sales teams to create and execute sales plans seamlessly, using Salesforce data for sales execution without manual or custom integration.Compatibility Across Platforms and Devices
Anaplan is designed to be highly compatible across various platforms and devices. Here are some key points:- Browser Support: Anaplan supports major browsers such as Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Apple Safari. It no longer supports Internet Explorer 11 and earlier versions as of June 15, 2022.
- Operating Systems: Anaplan Connect can be installed on dedicated computers or servers, which can run on various operating systems, allowing for flexible deployment.
- Cloud and On-Premises: Anaplan integrates with both cloud-based and on-premises systems, ensuring that data can be seamlessly exchanged between different environments.
Anaplan - Customer Support and Resources
Customer Support Options
Anaplan offers multiple ways to request assistance:Self-Service Support
This includes access to online documentation, knowledge bases, and the Anaplan community forums, which are invaluable for finding answers to common questions and learning from other users’ experiences.Standard Support
You can reach technical support engineers via phone, email (support@anaplan.com), or through the online support portal. There is also a dedicated helpdesk phone number and live web chat available for immediate assistance.Managed Service Support
For customers with managed service packages, there is personalized support from a dedicated team. This team ensures you stay informed about the latest updates and helps you maximize the benefits of Anaplan’s services and products.Regular Updates and Communications
Anaplan releases monthly updates to the platform, which are communicated to users via email. These updates are also available in the Platform Releases section of the Anaplan Community. This keeps you informed and up-to-date with the latest features and improvements.Community and Knowledge Base
The Anaplan Community is a significant resource, with over 60,000 members. Here, you can find questions, solutions, and real-life experiences that can help you resolve issues and improve your use of the platform. The community forums are a great place to connect with other users and gain insights from their experiences.Additional Support Packages and Consulting Services
For more complex needs, Bedford Consulting and other partners offer various ongoing support packages. These range from access to knowledge exchange and training support to full managed service offerings. These packages can be customized to meet your specific requirements, ensuring you get the support you need to optimize your use of Anaplan.AI-Driven Resources
Anaplan’s platform is infused with AI, providing advanced scenario planning and analysis capabilities. This includes tools for predictive analytics, machine learning, and linear programming, which help in optimizing decision-making and enhancing business outcomes. The platform’s AI capabilities allow you to surface hidden patterns in your data and transform them into actionable insights. By leveraging these support options and resources, you can ensure a smooth and effective experience with Anaplan’s business tools, making the most of their AI-driven capabilities to drive better decision-making and business performance. Anaplan - Pros and Cons
Advantages of Anaplan
Anaplan offers several significant advantages that make it a valuable tool in the business tools AI-driven product category:Flexibility and Versatility
Anaplan is highly flexible and can be used across various sectors, including finance, supply chain, tax, and human resource management. This versatility allows businesses to streamline their processes using a single tool, integrating data from different systems into one hub for real-time updates and a Single Source of Truth.AI-Powered Features
Anaplan is infused with advanced AI capabilities, such as PlanIQ, Predictive Insights, and Optimizer. These features enhance forecast accuracy, strategic planning, and decision-making. For instance, PlanIQ uses advanced statistical forecasting to improve sales and demand forecasts, while Optimizer employs predictive analytics and linear optimization algorithms to find optimal solutions for complex problems.User-Friendly Interface
Despite its comprehensive capabilities, Anaplan’s interface is relatively user-friendly, especially after implementation. The New User Experience pages include handy features like filters, pivot tables, and search options, allowing end users to customize their analyses.Security and Compliance
Anaplan boasts top-tier security and compliance measures, including Bring Your Own Key (BYOK), role-based access control, user management, Single Sign-On (SSO) support, and data encryption at rest. This ensures that business data is protected and secure.Context-Aware Generative AI
The recent introduction of Anaplan CoPlanner brings context-aware, generative AI capabilities to scenario planning and analysis. This allows for conversational querying of data and models, immediate action on insights, and workflow automation, all while maintaining enterprise-grade security.Integration and Automation
Anaplan facilitates data-sharing with stakeholders using APIs, ETL connectors, and built-in integrations. It also automates data collection, enhancement, and calculations, leading to more accurate results and time savings for model builders and planners.Disadvantages of Anaplan
While Anaplan offers many benefits, there are also some notable drawbacks:Cost and Pricing Structure
One of the significant disadvantages is the expensive pricing structure. Anaplan’s costs can be prohibitive for smaller and mid-sized businesses, with some users reporting annual costs of $40,000 and implementation costs of $100,000 for a small company.Data Volume and Storage Costs
Users have expressed concerns about the cost of data volume, particularly for large, multi-dimensional sparse datasets. The limited storage capacity can impact the ability to manage large amounts of data efficiently, and the cost of data storage can restrict its use to necessary planning timescales.Initial Implementation Challenges
The initial implementation phase can be challenging due to the need for defining and testing specific business requirements. This process can be time-consuming and may require significant resources.Interface Glitches
Some users have reported interface glitches, which can disrupt workflow and decrease overall efficiency. These technical issues can hinder the smooth operation of the platform.Limited Suitability for Smaller Businesses
Anaplan is generally more suited for large enterprises rather than smaller or mid-sized businesses due to its pricing and the scale of its features. Smaller businesses may find it less accessible and less cost-effective. In summary, Anaplan is a powerful tool with advanced AI features and a user-friendly interface, but it comes with significant costs and may not be the best fit for smaller or mid-sized businesses. Anaplan - Comparison with Competitors
Comparison of Anaplan and Competitors
When comparing Anaplan to its competitors in the business tools and AI-driven financial planning category, several key aspects stand out, including features, pricing, and integrations.
Features
- Anaplan: Known for its comprehensive corporate performance management capabilities, Anaplan offers financial planning, workforce planning, and zero-based budgeting. It is highly configurable and supports dynamic and modular planning solutions.
- Workday Adaptive Planning: This platform is notable for its budgeting and forecasting features, including driver-based plans and workforce planning. It is geared towards large companies seeking a comprehensive enterprise management solution.
- Planful: Planful combines accounting, sales, and HR functions, offering features like rolling forecasts, machine learning pattern recognition, and real-time reporting. It supports scenario planning and modeling, and integrates with various ERP and data systems.
- Cube Software: Cube is an excellent choice for those who want to integrate their financial planning with Excel or Google Sheets. It offers multi-scenario analysis, data consolidation automation, and a dashboard creator. However, it lacks advanced analytics features and can have performance issues with large datasets.
- Datarails: Datarails is particularly useful for large companies or those who want to enhance their Excel usage. It features scenario analysis, financial reporting, and an AI-powered chatbot. However, it is more suited for companies that already use Excel extensively.
Pricing
- Anaplan: Pricing is custom and typically suited for large companies and enterprises.
- Fuelfinance: Offers a free plan for pre-seed stage startups and paid plans starting at $39 per month, making it more accessible to startups and small businesses.
- Cube Software: Starts at $1,500 per month, which is on the higher end and more suitable for larger organizations.
- Planful: Pricing is custom, similar to Anaplan, and is generally aimed at mid-sized to large enterprises.
- Datarails: Also offers custom pricing, which is typically more aligned with the needs of larger companies.
Integrations
- Anaplan: Integrates with a wide range of tools including CRM platforms, payment processing systems, HR tools, and accounting tools, making it highly versatile.
- Workday Adaptive Planning: Known for its comprehensive integrations with other Workday products and various ERP systems, making it a strong choice for enterprises already using Workday solutions.
- Planful: Integrates with ERP and data systems, supporting real-time collaboration and data analysis.
- Cube Software: Automatically connects with Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets, which is a significant advantage for teams heavily reliant on these tools.
- Pigment: Combines HR and financial management, offering integrations that are particularly useful for headcount planning and budgeting.
Unique Features and Alternatives
- Anaplan: Stands out for its speed, agility, and configurability, making it highly flexible and easy to use across various business areas. However, it faces competition from the continued use of personal productivity tools like Excel in many corporate settings.
- Fuelfinance: A more affordable alternative, especially for startups, offering an all-in-one dashboard and advanced automation features.
- Limelight: Beneficial for mid-sized to large corporations, especially in industries like nonprofit, higher education, and healthcare. It offers advanced financial modeling and seamless integration with ERP systems.
- Abacum: A cloud-based solution suitable for small to medium-scale enterprises, offering automated budgeting and forecasting, expense tracking, and scenario analysis. It is known for its simple interface and quick customer support.
Conclusion
In summary, while Anaplan is a powerful tool with extensive features and integrations, its competitors offer unique advantages that might be more suited to specific business needs and sizes. For example, smaller businesses might find Fuelfinance or Abacum more appealing due to their affordability and ease of use, while larger enterprises might prefer Workday Adaptive Planning or Planful for their comprehensive enterprise management capabilities.
Anaplan - Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions about Anaplan
What is Anaplan?
Anaplan is a cloud-based software platform that helps users streamline the planning process and performance in business. It is a financial planning and performance management platform that aims for multi-dimensional planning, allowing business users to create and use models efficiently.What are the key features of Anaplan?
Anaplan offers several critical features, including:- Cloud-Based Platform: It provides a customary portal for planning and reporting without the need for hardware or software installation.
- Customization and Analysis: Users can quickly build complex structures without any coding.
- Actual Reporting: Built-in dashboards help analyze the health of processes and applications.
- Dynamic Scenario Building: Allows the quick creation of dynamic scenarios based on time, list dimensions, and version.
- Master Repository of Business Rules: Manages all business regulations in one easy-to-understand worksheet.
- Graphical Data Presentation: Includes various chart types such as map charts, combination charts, pie charts, and more.
What types of modules does Anaplan support?
Anaplan supports multiple kinds of modules, including:- Deals and Investment Modules
- Supply Chain Modules
- IT Modules
- Advertising Modules
How does Anaplan handle data synchronization?
Anaplan ensures data synchronicity across connected plans, automatically totaling and searching for errors to maintain absolute consistency. The types of data synchronization include hierarchy, global context, and context selector. This ensures that all information is accurate and consistent across the platform.What is the role of dashboards and reports in Anaplan?
Anaplan offers various publishing features, including dashboards, PDF generation, and integrated plug-ins. These tools help in sharing insights with the field, enabling management to perform work analysis and build unique executive packs. Dashboards and reports are crucial for analyzing the health of processes and applications.How does Anaplan support pricing optimization?
Anaplan enables retailers and consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies to accurately manage pricing by allowing real-time action on critical variations and adjustments. It helps in managing vendor cost changes, complex cross-product price rules, competitor pricing, margins, and legal minimums/maximums. This allows for dynamic pricing and repricing to meet market demands and maintain profitability.What is the security and reliability of Anaplan?
Anaplan provides complete application layer security, including data encryption on the wire, authentication regulations, and robust access control. It ensures high availability and reliability, with significant storage capacity and backups available as needed. The cloud-based platform eliminates the need for hardware or software installation and IT maintenance.Can Anaplan be used on mobile devices?
Yes, Anaplan can be used from any smartphone that has a browser and an internet connection. This mobility allows users to access and manage their plans and models from anywhere.How does Anaplan support zero-based budgeting (ZBB)?
Anaplan enables, supports, and executes effective zero-based budgeting (ZBB) methodology. It helps in improving resource planning, employee engagement, and organizational collaboration by applying cost discipline. Anaplan models cost drivers from finance through the supply chain to understand various cost impacts.What is the average cost of using Anaplan?
The average annual cost for Anaplan varies based on a company’s specific needs but is generally around $87,494 to $200,000. The cost can go up to around $1,150,000 for more extensive implementations. Vendr customers often achieve an average savings of around 11% on the list price. Anaplan - Conclusion and Recommendation
Final Assessment of Anaplan in the Business Tools AI-Driven Product Category
Anaplan stands out as a comprehensive and innovative platform in the business tools AI-driven product category, particularly for enterprises seeking advanced planning, forecasting, and decision-making capabilities.Target Audience
Anaplan is ideally suited for medium to large enterprises across various industries, including finance, retail, manufacturing, healthcare, and technology. The platform is especially beneficial for professionals in finance, operations, supply chain management, and sales who are responsible for strategic planning and forecasting within their organizations.Key Benefits
- Connected Planning: Anaplan integrates all aspects of organizational planning, breaking down silos and enabling seamless collaboration across different business functions such as finance, sales, supply chain, and human resources.
- AI-Infused Insights: With nearly a decade of experience in predictive analytics, machine learning, and linear programming, Anaplan delivers precise, predictive, and generative insights. This helps in enhancing decision-making, increasing profitability, and accelerating better outcomes across the entire organization.
- Context-Aware Generative AI: The Anaplan CoPlanner feature brings context-aware, generative AI capabilities to scenario planning and analysis, allowing for conversational querying of customers’ data and models. This facilitates immediate action on insights generated, enabling businesses to react swiftly to changing conditions.
- Scalability and Security: Anaplan’s platform is scalable, catering to businesses of all sizes without compromising performance. It also provides top-tier security protocols to ensure data protection.