Your Guide for Anaplan Integrations (with FAQ on Anaplan API)
Anaplan is a powerful tool. It aims to evolve Business Planning needs to keep up with changing demands, by being dynamic, collaborative, and implementing intelligent planning across all the areas of an organization. With Data, People, and Plans at its core, it aims to achieve powerful planning and modeling capabilities while maintaining robust security.
You may know of Anaplan’s capabilities for Connected Planning, Scenario Planning, and Forecasting techniques. But, today we won’t be discussing any of these. We will focus on one Key Area of Anaplan that will make its core ability- Connected Planning into fruition for many organizations.
Keep reading if you want to know more about Anaplan’s Extensibility and Integrations, their types, and how to implement them.
Anaplan Integrations
Anaplan’s integration can be discussed in a variety of ways. First, their three-pronged approach consists of:
- Connectors
- API
- Anaplan Hyper Connect
Instead of discussing it in this way, let’s take another path (Don’t worry the ones listed above are included, we are just going to discuss them in a different way).
Manual Integration
This is the most common way Anaplan is used now ( People are limiting its capabilities by using this in my opinion). This is as simple as it sounds, it is the process of Manually importing or exporting flat files to Anaplan UI.
As easy as going to the Anaplan UI — Data > Import > Select Source
Simple? Yes, it is but when you want to have updated information or want to connect to sources that don’t have flat file outputs this is not of that great use.
Automated Integration
As the name suggests, this brings “automation” into the picture for connecting to both flat files and ETL Connectors. For connection to flat files, you can schedule and automate the import/export process by using Anaplan connect on an On-premise system.
With ETL Connectors, custom integration to schedule, transfer, deliver data can be made possible. Major cloud-based ETL partners include MuleSoft, Informatica, SnapLogic, Boomi.
Programmatic Integration
This is the next level of Integrations possible. Programmatic integration is possible with Rest APIs. With Anaplan APIs you can build your own ETL connector, own application, and execute a batch job to automate your business processes. You can use HTTPS commands for transport, which makes Anaplan APIs flexible and easy to scale.
Anaplan HyperConnect
Not to be confused with Anaplan Connect, Anaplan HyperConnect powered by Informatica is a solution that leverages the technology of Informatica Cloud to integrate both on-premises and cloud applications with Anaplan. This helps customers who already have an Informatica Cloud license, as they don’t need a HyperConnect license. With Informatica, you can connect with the likes of SAP, Oracle, Salesforce, MySQL, Linkedin, Twitter, etc., and many more.
So you must have understood the basic differences between the various types of Integrations of Anaplan. But fret not. This is not the end. We will focus a little on what Anaplan Connect is and how it is different from Anaplan HyperConnect and answer a few questions regarding Anaplan API.
Anaplan Connect vs Anaplan HyperConnect
Anaplan Connect is an on-premise Java utility integration tool that automates and runs integration scripts for imports and exports. To utilize this, you need to
- Install on a dedicated computer
- Create a data integration script (stored in a batch file) to call import/export actions
- Execute the script
- Option to use Public Key Certificate for authentication
Source: Anaplan
The advantage of Anaplan Connect is that it is free to use and download in a zip file. No middleware licenses are required for its use. Whereas HyperConnect is free for Informatica users, with which it is easy to integrate Anaplan with SaaS applications, including Salesforce and Workday.HyperConnect has access to multiple on-premise DB and ERP connectors. Informatica Cloud platform has access to hundreds of connectors including the Informatica Anaplan Connector.
In short, one is a tool you have to set up on-premise and is free and the other comes at a cost depending on whether you have an Informatica license or not and has a lot of pre-built connectors.
Anaplan Transactional FAQ
We have spoken a little about APIs in Programmatic Integration in case you missed it. So, Application Programming Interfaces or APIs in short is useful to extend the integrations capabilities of Anaplan, by driving agile interactions.
How?
APIs enable two different software applications or intermediaries to speak to one another (in layman terms), which will be helpful in establishing new ways for working with models.
Which APIs are used?
REST APIs are commonly used by Anaplan for its connectors.
Who is it useful for?
Both Model Builders and Decision Makers can use Anaplan APIs. Model builders can seamlessly connect to the data from external sources and keep the models updated. And Decision Makers can directly access data into the models to gain insights into their data.
What is the pricing for Anaplan APIs?
Anaplan APIs are free of charge
Who has access to the APIs?
Most of the transactional APIs can be accessed by workspace administrators.
We think at least some of the doubts you might have had about the Anaplan APIs must have been resolved by now. You can have multiple APIs and connectors to integrate with a multitude of platforms like Anaplan Power BI APIs and connectors or with Tableau, Mulesoft, Salesforce, etc., or even develop personalized integrations.
In conclusion, to leverage Anaplan to its fullest potential, Extensibility and its integrations come into the picture. With Anaplan and its multiple integration models, you can leverage the “Connected Planning” approach and stop only relying on Data only from the spreadsheets.
Polestar Solutions, a leading Anaplan partner (which was recognized as an RSI partner of the year 2021) can help you with your end-to-end Anaplan needs, right from Planning, Implementation, to Integration needs. We can help you make your Anaplan Implementation truly connected by designing and implementing personalized connectors, APIs, and ETL tools for your day-to-day needs.
If you have any questions, queries, or doubts, feel free to drop an email to us and we will get back to you.
