Anaplan Platform

- Flexibility - You can design and build a model from a blank sheet of paper to address the challenges specific to your business. - Computational capacity - The system has the capability to perform calculations many times faster than can be achieved within a single spreadsheet, opening up the possibility of modelling in a way that could not have been entertained previously. - Robustness - Anaplan includes a range of features that reduce the potential for common data integrity issues - Auditability of calculations - Anaplan includes the ability to trace any output number back through its calculation logic and back to the original input assumptions, including a history of who made what change when. - Standardisation of assumptions - All models can be linked to a common set of assumptions which ensures consistency (e.g. Inflation / FX assumptions). - Speed of adjusting all models to new assumptions - When an adjustment inevitably needs to made to a core assumption, all models can be updated in a matter of minutes compared to days in an excel-only world. - Standardisation and simplification of front end UX enables fast development - Time spent developing front end screens is greatly reduced through a simplified set of options combined with snap-to-grid functionality.

It's scalable, has good calculation speed, and is flexible.

1. Implementation time with Anaplan is notably shorter compared to other Enterprise Performance Management tools, allowing organisations to deploy solutions faster and realise value more quickly. 2. Introduction of Anaplan Intelligence brings advanced capabilities in AI-powered scenario planning and forecasting, enabling smarter, faster decision making. 3. Continued focus on product enhancements ranging from modeling capabilities, user interface improvements, user management, machine learning based forecasting, and workflow automation features makes Anaplan an increasingly powerful and user friendly platform.

- Substantial training required for staff who will be designing / building new models. While it is possible to start building quickly, extensive training is necessary to ensure models are developed in a robust way with fewer issues down the road. - We had to design around sparsity using the Classic Engine - although this will be less of an issue for organisations joining Anaplan in the future as they can utilise the new Polaris Engine from the outset which handles sparsity. - Sometimes the front end UX options do not include the options you require but this is the flipside of the speed of development and new features are continuously being added.

It is quite a big project to get this implemented which takes time and several attempts to get things right. Model building is a qualification in its own right which takes time and practice to achieve. The software doesn't seem to be updated with new features too quickly - there are some quirks which haven't been addressed to date and workarounds need to be used whilst there is a potential to solve problems natively.

1. While Anaplan performs strongly in core planning functions, improving its visualisation features to match those of dedicated BI tools would significantly improve its value and usability. 2. Certain Excel formula features are not yet supported in Anaplan, which occasionally requires a workaround. Expanding functionality in this area would reduce manual effort.