The Howdy Glossary

Anaplan is a cloud-native business intelligence platform designed to support sales, operations, and finance teams by connecting data, individuals, and plans within an organization. Its hyperblock architecture blends database technology with distributed computing, allowing users to create complex planning models independently of IT support. This structure enables rapid scenario analysis over large datasets and provides real-time enterprise connectivity for enhanced decision-making processes.

Anaplan was founded in 2006 by Michael Gould, Guy Haddleton, and Sue Haddleton with the goal of enabling efficient intricate planning and analysis for enterprises. The platform distinguishes itself through its unique features such as the hyperblock architecture that facilitates autonomous model-building and detailed scenario analyses without relying on IT assistance. Anaplan's cloud-native design ensures swift performance and scalability while real-time connectivity among departments enhances overall operational efficiency.

Despite facing competition from notable platforms like Tableau, Salesforce, IBM Planning Analytics, and Adaptive Insights, Anaplan remains a formidable competitor due to its emphasis on independent model-building functionalities and agile decision-making support. The platform’s dynamic performance allows it to cater effectively to diverse roles within an organization including sales forecasting for sales teams, supply chain management for operations teams, and financial planning for finance professionals. These competitive advantages make Anaplan a valuable tool for improving decision-making processes across various enterprise departments seeking flexible planning solutions without heavy IT reliance.