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| As an Anaplan Model Builder, when focus is on building Anaplan model for planning or doing enhancements, we need to have equal focus on Size and Performance of the model. Following are few best practices which we have compiled, based on our experience in Anaplan implementations, on how to optimize your Anaplan model for best performance and cost savings. |
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| Category |
Title |
Description |
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| Model |
Model Time Scale Vs Module Time Ranges |
One of the most important things to consider as an Anaplan Model Builder in your model design is the correct use of time dimension. In the model settings, you have to define the model calendar which will be the base for your planning. However, it will often happen that a few of your modules will need to use time that is outside your model calendar. In such cases, always define the time ranges within those modules instead of expanding the model time scale. Every year that is added to the model calendar considerably increases the size of the model, and will leave those cells empty where these time settings are not used. Another thing to note with time ranges is that you must update them every end of the year, since they are not dynamically updated. |
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| Module |
Summary |
Anaplan provides a range of options for summary – SUM, AVERAGE, MIN, MAX, OPENING/ CLOSING BALANCE, etc. These are automatically applied to line items as these are created, and can be quite useful for planning purposes. However, it is an Anaplan best practice to turn off the summary settings from the blueprint view, for those line items where SUMMARY is not needed. This will help reduce the size of the model, as well as remove unnecessary calculations that need to be done with summary. |
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| Subsidiary Views |
Subsidiary views are useful in certain situations such as to show the alternative hierarchy for a dimension, but they should be used sparingly. Using too many subsidiary views in a module defeats the PLANS standards and makes it confusing to the end-user. Moving the group of related line items to a separate module rather, makes it Logical, Auditable, Sustainable and it removes duplicity. |
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| Unnecessary Dimensions |
Include only those dimensions in your module, where the logic or data in the module demands it. Having extra dimensions will increase the size of your module, require unneeded calculations and create additional context selectors in the model UX – thus preventing end-users from getting to their desired view. |
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| Formulas |
Do not use formulas in a daisy chain. A standard principle behind using formulas in Anaplan is that they should not be repeated – (formulas should be run once, and referenced multiple times), and they should not be long. Complex IF THEN ELSE formulas should be broken up, and remember to PUT THE MOST COMMON CONDITION FIRST! Another standard best practice is to not use SUM & LOOKUP in the same line item, as it usually creates performance problems. Minimize the use of SELECT function, especially with TIME because a change will be required every year. Instead, create a dimensionless module to store TIME & other SELECT values, and use LOOKUP to reference them. |
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| Lists |
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| User List |
When Users list is heavily used, the number of users added can have a significant impact, be mindful of this and remove model access from any Workspace users when not required. |
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| List Formatted Line Items |
Too many list formatted line items displayed on a dashboard can adversely affect performance. Try and limit the number of displayed line items in a single module; split them into separate modules if necessary |
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| List Properties |
Anaplan allows you to define properties for lists, which function similar to a line item in a module. But it is preferable to use a line item since line items make it easier to write formulas and control the summary. List properties also add to the size of the list upon loading. If your list has properties that are not regularly used in the model, Anaplan best practice is to create a system module with those properties as line items. |
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| List Subsets |
Subsets increases the versatility of lists, but adding them on large lists can create performance problems. It is Anaplan best practice to create a separate list in such cases since theat will add to the size of the whole model. Another important thing to keep in mind for an Anaplan Model Builder is that subsets should use proper naming conventions, otherwise it will become very confusing to locate and identify them. |
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| Action/Processes |
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| Unnecessary Action/Processes |
Audit and identify which actions are not being used, and remove them. Also, identify if there are any data sources without any associated action – if there are, then they are unnecessary and should be removed from your model. |
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Find out the Actions which results in error when they are run. |
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