The Anaplan Workday integration enables organizations to streamline financial and operational planning by facilitating better enterprise agility and capitalizing on interconnected business processes.
Whether you’re aiming for improved data integration, data management, or strategic foresight, this article details the necessary processes, from API compatibility to user adoption, ensuring a smooth integration journey and adequate adoption across the complete user base.
Key Takeaways
- The integration of Anaplan and Workday offers significant business advantages, such as real-time data-driven decision-making, streamlining of financial operations, and enhanced agility, enabling organizations to quickly adapt to changes and make strategic investments.
- A seamless implementation process for an Anaplan and Workday data integration involves meticulous preparation, addressing technical requirements, creating an integration roadmap, and executing post-integration optimization to align workforce roles, measure performance, and develop targeted solutions.
- User adoption is pivotal, necessitating customized training programs and digital adoption platforms (DAPs) to improve learning processes. Regular progress measurement and feedback are essential for evaluating the effectiveness of the integration and ensuring continuous improvement.
Harnessing the Power of Anaplan and Workday Together
When two powerful tools like Anaplan and Workday are seamlessly integrated, businesses stand to gain significant advantages. The combination of both enterprise systems prepares your organization to navigate challenges and outshine competitors in the market successfully.
This seamless integration empowers your business with agility, helping you adapt swiftly to market changes, and drives growth through enhanced financial strategies and strategic investments. It also enables your finance teams to conduct business planning in real time, facilitating faster and more efficient consolidation, execution, and decision-making processes.
The Synergy of Planning and Execution
The integration of Anaplan’s planning capabilities with Workday’s execution strengths offers businesses a unified view of operations, driving more cohesive and informed strategic planning across business units. This synergy propels large organizations towards their goals, creating a well-oiled machine where planning and execution work hand in hand, ensuring a holistic view of the process.
Streamlining Financial Operations
The integration of Anaplan and Workday brings the power of unified data management, simplifying critical budgeting, forecasting, and reporting processes. To illustrate this, let’s take a look at an example of how Autodesk ensured a successful Anaplan implementation.
Their implementation of Anaplan led to improved data transformation, the consolidation of data, and the transformation of their financial reporting and planning processes. Similar improvements were seen by HP Inc. and Synopsys Inc., who reaped the benefits of better planning, forecasting, and decision-making after incorporating Anaplan into their operations.
Anaplan’s cloud-based platform also enhances the efficiency of financial planning and forecasting workflows within an organization, creating a streamlined financial operation that drives growth.
Data-Driven Strategies in Real Time
In today’s fast-paced business world, making rapid, data-driven decisions is crucial. Anaplan and Workday’s real-time data capabilities empower businesses to do just that. These real-time, data-driven strategies play a pivotal role in staying ahead of the competition.
Workday Adaptive Planning, for instance, facilitates real-time financial and operational insights, enabling SMBs to make quicker and more informed decisions. Anaplan takes it a step further with data integration through various sources in real-time, providing planners with the latest information for timely and accurate decision-making.
Seamless Implementation Process: Bridging the Gap
Implementing the integration of Anaplan and Workday into your business requires meticulous planning and execution. It begins with a kickoff meeting to align all stakeholders on goals, timelines, and roles for the project. This process is supported by a core team of project managers, IT specialists, and key users from the finance and HR departments.
Technical requirements such as API compatibility, network security, and data format specifications are addressed, and data mapping and process workflows are set up to ensure a smooth data transfer between Anaplan and Workday. A sandbox environment is used to test the integration before full deployment, allowing any issues to be identified and resolved.
Post-integration, the ERP systems, and other systems are monitored for performance, and adjustments are made to optimize processes and address any user feedback.
Preparing for Integration
Before the actual integration process begins, several preparatory steps need to be taken. The integration of Workday and Anaplan involves:
- Configuring reporting services, which is typically performed by a Workday administrator.
- Data extraction for integration entails generating dynamic data filters and determining the appropriate data formats for the integration needs.
- Python’s libraries and APIs can be utilized to simplify the data preparation phase by automating the fetching and loading of data.
- Creating a data integration schema to map out the integration process and data flow across Workday and Anaplan systems.
The Integration Roadmap
The integration roadmap outlines the milestones in the integration process, including exporting data from Anaplan in specific formats. This process can be automated using Python scripts, marking an important milestone for efficiency.
During the integration process, support resources are provided by using Enterprise Integration Builder (EIB) to map Anaplan data to Workday. This roadmap lays a clear path to successful integration, ensuring a smooth and efficient process.
Post-Integration Optimization
Once the integration is complete, the focus shifts to:
- Optimizing processes
- Aligning workforce roles with organizational values
- Identifying areas with high attrition through workforce evaluation after integration
- Developing targeted solutions such as leadership training
- Regular monitoring and reporting of quantitative and qualitative benchmarks and milestones to stakeholders
- Tracking alignment between workforce planning and business outcomes
Evaluating technology adoption and usage after integrating Anaplan and Workday provides insights into the system’s effectiveness and informs necessary enhancements or retraining efforts.
User Adoption: Overcoming the Learning Curve
User adoption is a critical aspect of integrating new technologies into an organization. Successful user adoption strategies include:
- Aligning training goals with organizational objectives to ensure that technology interactions contribute to strategic business aims
- Gathering user feedback through post-training surveys, quizzes, and discussions to refine adoption strategies and ensure continuous improvement
- Being open to stakeholder feedback and willing to adjust training approaches for successful user adoption.
Additionally, some tools that can significantly ease the software learning process for users, especially when facing a steeper learning curve, are:
- Digital Adoption Platforms (DAPs) that provide in-app tutorials and messaging
- Continuous reinforcement of learning materials to combat the Forgetting Curve and retain up to 90% of new information
- Providing a testing environment for users to practically apply new software tailored to their job functions
Customized Training Programs
Customized training programs, including extensive training, can significantly enhance user adoption. Such programs should consider the diverse roles, responsibilities, and skill levels of end-users, employing targeted approaches that address varied learning preferences and requirements.
To address practical difficulties, these can be designed based on assessments and feedback from demo sessions. Offering diverse training options, from electronic to hands-on labs, facilitates more effective technology adoption.
Support resources and training materials available 24/7 through DAPs help employees find solutions when needed, which is crucial for an effective e-learning environment. E-learning platforms with features like screen sharing and communication tools like Slack and Microsoft Teams can enhance engagement and facilitate post-training dialogue and support.
E-Learning and Support Services
E-learning platforms offer a flexible and scalable learning environment through digital resources like video tutorials, interactive courses, and quizzes. They allow users to learn at their own pace and convenience and form an integral part of a training strategy, offering a powerful tool to improve software adoption for any company.
Digital Adoption Platforms (DAPs) facilitate customized, real-time, in-app guidance for employees, mitigating the need to memorize processes and enhancing task performance. In-app onboarding through such platforms can be tailored to specific user segments and triggered by user behavior, such as first-time logins or feature usage.
E-learning platforms can also utilize digital adoption platforms to provide interactive guides and personalized learning within the software interface.
Measuring Progress and Feedback
Measuring progress and gathering feedback is crucial to successfully adopting new technologies. Establishing metrics to measure the effectiveness of training programs and the level of user adoption is essential for identifying areas for improvement and justifying further investments in training initiatives.
The Kirkpatrick model, consisting of four levels – reaction, learning, behavior, and results, is a widely used for evaluating training effectiveness. Monitoring adoption and soliciting user feedback post-implementation can provide insights into successes and areas needing improvement.
Enhancing Business Agility with Scenario Modeling
In the face of market uncertainties, scenario modeling is a guiding light for businesses. It facilitates better strategic planning and financial forecasting by improving foresight and enabling adaptability to change.
By preparing for various business scenarios, from best-case to most likely outcomes, companies can respond with agility and confidence in the face of uncertainty. Anaplan’s features, such as multi-dimensional scenarios, consistent planning, and a pre-built model library, save companies time and effort, enhancing business agility.
What Scenario Modeling Brings to the Table
Scenario modeling helps businesses understand potential future outcomes by simulating different situations using data and statistical models. Anaplan’s platform has been designed to quickly adapt to changing market conditions, which allows businesses to make better-informed decisions and drive faster, more efficient planning cycles.
Anaplan even provides a Monthly Statistical Forecasting App that can analyze historical data using 30 different statistical algorithms to suggest the most accurate method for future forecasting. Ideal for enterprise-level companies, Anaplan offers flexible models, forecasts, and scenario solutions.
Case Studies: Scenario Success Stories
Scenario modeling has proven to influence positive business outcomes during times of change, such as market shifts or expansion into new markets. Workday customers, including those in higher education and healthcare, have utilized scenario modeling for financial planning. Some examples of how scenario modeling has been used include:
- Managing the loss of revenue
- Adjusting to changes in operational costs
- Planning for expansion into new markets
- Evaluating the impact of market shifts
By using scenario modeling, businesses can better prepare for and navigate through periods of change, leading to better decision-making and more successful outcomes.
Retail companies can use scenario modeling to anticipate shifts to e-commerce, enabling them to adjust inventory and staffing in response to changes in consumer behavior. Car manufacturers can employ scenario modeling to plan for fluctuations in raw material costs and new environmental regulations, developing risk management strategies.
Integrating Scenario Modeling into Daily Operations
Organizations should continuously integrate scenario modeling into business activities for ongoing benefits, focusing on critical business drivers and establishing robust internal communication to respond to any alterations swiftly. To embed scenario modeling into daily operations, businesses must pinpoint pivotal factors that impact their operations, employ statistical models, and establish different scenarios for thorough planning.
Scenario modeling must entail the preparation for multiple business scenarios, accounting for best-case, worst-case, and most probable outcomes, by selectively modeling pertinent business levers like sales volume, headcount, and available cash. Strategic workforce planning should be ingrained as a continual process, not simply an annual update, to ensure effective synchronization between talent capabilities and evolving business objectives.
The Technical Edge: Advanced Features and Customization
The integration of Anaplan and Workday brings a suite of advanced features and customization options. Anaplan’s recent acquisition of Fluence has further enhanced these features, offering a more comprehensive Corporate Performance Management (CPM) solution that now includes financial consolidation to complement its existing planning capabilities.
Leveraging Large Data Sets for Informed Decisions
In today’s data-driven world, managing large datasets is paramount. Anaplan’s platform allows users to scale their models to manage large datasets, supporting features like:
- New engines for high dimensionality
- Increased thresholds for list actions
- Upload for customized product and location hierarchies from CSV files for statistical forecasts
- Connection with Polaris, an engine designed to handle high dimensionality and allow for increased data volume, including time ranges and ranking functions
Anaplan’s CloudWorks platform also offers the following benefits:
- Seamless data integration with cloud applications like AWS, Azure, and Google BigQuery
- Streamlined forecasting and planning processes
- Enhanced revenue growth
Automation and Custom Calculations
Automation and custom calculations are other key features of Anaplan’s platform. Python programming can be utilized to automate the data exchange between Anaplan and Workday, improving efficiency and scalability.
Anaplan’s ‘Order list’ action capability has been expanded to allow operations on lists up to 50 million in size, enhancing automation possibilities. Users can manually tweak historical data within Anaplan and set custom start dates for historical data to be included in forecasts. Integrations can be done manually, but Anaplan supports Rest APIs for a scalable and secure automation process.
The platform offers a user-friendly interface with the following features:
- Simplifies the creation of complex formulas with smart formatting and in-built error checks
- Streamlines custom calculations
- Provides UX Apps, Pages, and Categories for automation and customization of modeling experience
- Offers downloadable templates for managing product hierarchies and customer lists
- Incorporates advanced tools for product lifecycle management, aiding in forecasting for new product launches and managing end-of-life cycles.
Scalability and Flexibility for Growing Businesses
Scalability and flexibility are at the core of Anaplan and Workday Adaptive Planning. Anaplan is designed to easily handle complex models, allowing small and large businesses to engage in granular planning and forecasting as they scale.
On the other hand, Workday Adaptive Planning is recognized for its user-friendliness and cost-effectiveness, enabling small and medium-sized businesses to adapt to market changes quickly.
The Cost-Benefit Analysis of Anaplan Workday Integration
Integrating Anaplan and Workday into your business comes with its costs and benefits. While Anaplan offers a range of integration options with Workday, each varying in technical complexity, automation capabilities, and associated costs, conducting a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis is essential to understand the overall impact on your business.
Initial Investment vs. Long-Term Savings
Workday Adaptive Planning offers a transparent pricing model that scales with the size of the business, making it suitable for SMBs to start small and expand the tool’s usage over time.
On the other hand, implementing Anaplan integration options like Anaplan Connect and REST API can introduce higher initial costs due to the technical expertise required. However, these costs are often offset by the long-term efficiency savings and resource optimization that come with customization and automation capabilities.
While considering the initial investment, businesses may realize significant long-term savings in resources and time when opting for scaling pricing models and customization.
Assessing the Impact on Revenue Growth
The decision-making capabilities offered by Anaplan have led to transformative impacts and growth for companies within the technology, media, and telecommunications sectors. Here are a few examples:
- Electronic Arts enhanced its business growth using Anaplan for strategic workforce planning, resulting in improved budget forecasting and resource allocation.
- Genesys achieved agility in decision-making by adapting sales strategies and compensation models through Anaplan, contributing to their growth.
- Google optimized its demand planning by implementing Anaplan, which led to more efficient production and procurement and thus reduced unnecessary expenditures.
Risk Management and Security Considerations
Security is paramount when integrating two powerful platforms like Anaplan and Workday. Anaplan provides multiple methods for integration to help establish a single source of truth, ensuring robust security in the process.
However, third-party integration tools like MuleSoft and Boomi present cost implications and potential security considerations that businesses must evaluate when integrating Anaplan with Workday. Anaplan’s Hyper Connect, powered by Informatica, can perform data transformation and enhance system reliability by enabling integration with both on-premises and cloud applications.
Partnering with Experts
Integrating Anaplan and Workday can significantly enhance your business’s financial planning and organizational agility by connecting planning and execution, streamlining financial operations, and facilitating real-time, data-driven decisions.
Organizations can successfully adopt these powerful tools with a seamless implementation process and strategies to overcome the learning curve and stay ahead of their competitors. But without the right personnel or resources to adequately manage the integration process and facilitate collaboration across teams and platforms, you could be wasting a valuable investment.
Contact Us
Whether you need help outlining plans for a new Workday Integration project, navigating complex data cutover steps across the integration lifecycle, or maintaining effective communication across project teams, Surety Systems has you covered.
Contact us today for more information about our Workday consulting services or to get started on a project with our team of expert consultants.
Frequently Asked Questions
What benefits can businesses expect from integrating Anaplan and Workday?
By integrating Anaplan and Workday, businesses can expect enhanced financial planning, organizational agility, streamlined financial operations, and real-time data-driven decision-making.
What steps are involved in the Anaplan and Workday integration process?
The Anaplan and Workday integration process involves a kickoff meeting, assembling a core team, addressing technical requirements, setting up data mapping and process workflows, testing the integration, and optimizing post-deployment.
How can businesses overcome the learning curve when adopting Anaplan and Workday?
To overcome the learning curve when adopting Anaplan and Workday, businesses should align training goals with organizational objectives, gather user feedback, be open to stakeholder feedback, and provide in-app tutorials and messaging through Digital Adoption Platforms (DAPs). This approach can enhance user adoption and overall success.
What are the benefits of scenario modeling in business planning?
Scenario modeling in business planning improves strategic planning and financial forecasting by enhancing foresight and adaptability to change. It allows companies to respond confidently and agilely to uncertain business scenarios.
What are the costs and benefits of Anaplan Workday integration?
Long-term efficiency savings and resource optimization may offset the initial costs of implementing Anaplan integration options, and Anaplan’s decision-making capabilities can lead to transformative impacts and growth for companies.
