Overview

The Implementing Connected Planning course will be deprecated at the end of January 2025. Please plan to complete all coursework by that time, and save any notes you wish to keep outside of Coursera to ensure future access. From this course, you’ll understand how to make Connected Planning a reality in an organization. Organizations need a vision supported by a focused effort to move from traditional planning and static business modeling to a Connected Planning approach--where data, people, and plans are linked throughout the organization. Creating a digital ecosystem using a Connected Planning technology platform is a big part of the process, but it’s not the only thing needed. In this course, we’ll explore the role of corporate culture and sponsorship, process redesign, master data management, and change management to successfully implement Connected Planning. You’ll be challenged to examine your own organization’s readiness to undertake the Connected Planning journey. If you’re not ready yet, you’ll identify areas where you need to focus your efforts. If you are ready, you’ll have the framework you need to get started on the path to make Connected Planning a reality in your organization. By the end of this course, you’ll be able to: • Identify challenges to a Connected Planning implementation stemming from issues with people, data, and planning processes • Articulate the benefits of Connected Planning over traditional planning and static business modeling • Explain why corporate culture, data management, and change management are critical to successful Connected Planning execution • Drive or constructively participate in the implementation of Connected Planning in your organization This course is presented by Anaplan, provider of a leading technology platform that is purpose-built for Connected Planning.

Syllabus

Introduction to Implementing Connected Planning

Successfully implementing a Connected Planning approach encompasses a lot more than just replacing legacy systems and spreadsheets with a Connected Planning technology platform. In this short lesson, we'll introduce you to the course and to some of the other critical factors that determine success as an organization begins, and continues, its Connected Planning journey.

The Path Forward

Implementing Connected Planning is a significant, transformative change for an organization. But organizations rarely get to successful Connected Planning without encountering some challenges along the way. In this week's lessons, we'll explore some common issues related to each of the three pillars of Connected Planning - People, Data, and Plans - that arise when moving from traditional planning to Connected Planning.

Addressing People Challenges

A successful implementation of Connected Planning requires many things from many people, and not just from individual players in the implementation project team. In this week's lessons, we will explore different ways in which organizational culture, sponsorship, and advocacy can enable Connected Planning.

Addressing Data Challenges

Data issues pose significant challenges for a Connected Planning implementation. In this week's lesson, we explore approaches that can be used to facilitate the clean-up, governance, storage, and transfer of data for Connected Planning purposes. We'll also touch on the necessary components of the broader digital ecosystem necessary for successful Connected Planning.

Addressing Plans Challenges

The third pillar of Connected Planning is the plans themselves. Plans are not once-a-year exercises; they are dynamic decision-making tools that help an organization to adapt and adjust course when priorities or conditions change. In this week's lessons, we explore the opportunity to re-engineer planning processes so that they work in a way that leverages the power of Connected Planning - revamping data hand-offs, shifting decision points, or expanding data and drivers, including the use of predictive analytics and artificial intelligence to increase the impact of the plans.

Ensuring Lasting Change - Addressing People Challenges, Part 2

In this week's lessons, we circle back to people issues and consider how change management and deployment planning, including communication and training, must be competently addressed in order to have a successful Connected Planning implementation.

Connected Planning and You Project

Implementing a Connected Planning approach within an organization is about much more than just adopting a Connected Planning technology platform. The final requirements for this course are to complete and submit a project and to complete a peer review for two other learners' projects. In this project, you will assess your organization's readiness to address and overcome challenges that often impede Connected Planning implementation. If you do not have experience working in an organization, you will need to interview someone about their organization to complete the project.