An archive is core to how scenario planning functionality should be developed in your Anaplan models...
❔ What is an archive ❔
An archive is a location within the model which is disconnected from all live processes and retains data which can be retrieved via a mapping. The retrieval can be part of a scenario planning functionality or simply used to hold historical forecasts and budget for future reference.
How it works...
1 - We consolidate our live forecast into modules containing the final view of the latest or current forecast / budget process.
2 - We define define the mappings for each of our forecast cohorts in dedicated mapping modules. Each module contains the same dimensions as each of our live forecast / budget outputs.
3 - We progressively build our flat archive combination list via a sequence of modules which we will use to store our data.
4 - We consolidate our live forecast / budget into a final consolidation module dimensioned by our flat archive list. We use mappings defined in our MPS mapping modules to map data in.
5 - We import the live forecast / budget into the final archive module using model actions. At this point we can be assign the import to a forecast version list item or scenario for retrieval later in our reporting.
An archive has these core benefits;
✅ Data is isolated - there is zero risk that fixed forecasts or budgets will be inadvertently changed as other parts of the model are updated. The time taken to investigate these movements when they occur can be significant.
✅ The model remains small - storing previous forecasts, budgets and scenarios in an archive ensures that your model remains small. This frees up model resources which can be redeployed to develop valuable functionality that can be applied to your live process.
✅ Vast quantities of data can be stored - the flat archive list will be a fraction of the size of a fully dimensioned module. This means we can hold many more years of historical data, dozens of versions and as many scenarios as we need in order to fully test our assumptions and build credible plans.
What uses do you think an archive could have in your own modelling?