If you’ve ever had to juggle endless spreadsheets, clunky CRM exports, and surprise “urgent” asks from sales leadership, you know: revenue operations can be chaos. This guide’s for anyone who wants to stop the madness and actually automate parts of their revenue ops process—using Anaplan. If you want shiny buzzwords, look elsewhere. This is about getting real work done (and ideally, fewer late nights).
Why Automate Revenue Operations—And Why Use Anaplan?
Let’s be blunt: Most companies’ revenue operations are a Franken-stack of spreadsheets, emails, and half-baked processes. It’s fragile, slow, and error-prone. Automation helps you:
- Cut out copy-paste busywork
- Reduce mistakes (and finger-pointing)
- Get everyone on the same page—fast
So why use Anaplan? It’s not magic, but it is built for complex modeling, real-time collaboration, and wrangling messy data. When set up right, it can bring order to the chaos. When set up wrong, it’s just another spreadsheet—only more expensive.
Step 1: Map Out Your Revenue Ops Processes (Before You Touch Anaplan)
Don’t skip this. Automation just makes bad processes go wrong faster. Before you open Anaplan, grab a whiteboard (or napkin) and sketch out:
- Where does your data come from? (CRM, ERP, spreadsheets, etc.)
- What are your key processes? (Quota setting, forecasting, territory planning, pipeline review, compensation calculation, etc.)
- Who needs to do what—and when? (Sales, finance, ops, execs)
- Where do errors and bottlenecks happen? (Manual steps, missing data, unclear ownership)
Keep it simple. You’re not mapping a moon landing. The goal is to find the pain points that are worth automating.
Pro tip: If nobody can explain why a process exists, automate it never.
Step 2: Get Your Data House in Order
Anaplan can’t save you from garbage in, garbage out. If your CRM data is a mess or people are working off different spreadsheets, you’ll just automate confusion. Here’s what to check:
- Data sources: List every system feeding your revenue ops process (Salesforce, HubSpot, Excel, etc.).
- Data quality: How clean is it? Consistent formats and up-to-date? Or “Bob updates this on Thursdays, maybe”?
- Data integration: How will data get into Anaplan? (Manual upload, APIs, connectors?)
What works: Start small. Automate one data flow (e.g., importing pipeline data from Salesforce) before trying to connect everything.
What to ignore: Don’t waste time automating one-off, rarely used datasets. Focus on what’s used weekly or more.
Step 3: Design Your Anaplan Models for Revenue Ops
Now the fun part—building models in Anaplan. Unless you love rework, keep it modular and simple:
- Break big processes into small models: Example: One for sales forecasting, one for compensation, one for territory planning.
- Use clear naming: “Q3_Quota_Model” beats “Model_vFinal1.”
- Plan for change: Requirements will change. Set up your models so you can adjust logic without burning it all down.
Key modules most teams automate:
- Sales forecasting: Pulls in pipeline data, applies weighted logic, shows roll-ups by rep, region, etc.
- Quota planning: Allocates targets based on history, capacity, seasonality, or whatever factors matter to you.
- Territory management: Assigns accounts automatically based on rules (geo, size, industry).
- Compensation calculation: Calculates commissions in real time as deals close.
What works: Start with one process where the pain is worst. Build that out, get feedback, then expand.
What to ignore: Don’t try to automate every “what-if” scenario from day one. Get the basics working first.
Step 4: Set Up Data Imports and Integrations
This is where things usually get messy. Anaplan can import data via file uploads, APIs, or pre-built connectors. Be honest about your team’s skills and resources:
- Manual upload: Fast to set up, but someone has to remember to do it—every time.
- Connectors (e.g., Salesforce): Less error-prone, but can be finicky and need IT help.
- API: Powerful but requires real dev work. Don’t pretend it’s “just a few clicks.”
Pro tip: Automate whatever you can, but have a fallback plan if something breaks. Version control and backup files are your friends.
What works: Schedule imports during off-hours (early morning, late night) to avoid locking users out.
What to ignore: Don’t build custom integrations for systems you might ditch next year.
Step 5: Automate Workflows and Notifications
Revenue ops isn’t just about crunching numbers—it’s about getting the right info to the right people at the right time. Anaplan has built-in workflow tools, but don’t expect magic. Here’s what’s reasonable:
- Approval workflows: Route plans to managers for review and sign-off.
- Task lists: Assign steps (e.g., “Update pipeline coverage by Friday”) to users.
- Email alerts: Notify people when key numbers change or tasks are overdue.
What works: Use automation to handle routine approvals and reminders. This frees up your team for real problem-solving.
What doesn’t: Don’t expect Anaplan to replace Slack or email for all communication. It’s not a chat tool.
Step 6: Build Dashboards That People Actually Use
Dashboards are Anaplan’s public face. Clutter them up, and nobody will look; keep them clean, and you’ll have fewer “Where’s that number?” emails.
- Show only what matters: If it’s not actionable, leave it out.
- Filter by user: Sales reps see their numbers, managers see roll-ups.
- Make it idiot-proof: Label everything. Use simple charts. No jargon.
Pro tip: Ask your users what they want to see, not what you think looks good.
What works: Quick links to “next steps” or “flagged issues” get more engagement than endless tables.
What doesn’t: Don’t try to fit every metric on one page. Less is more.
Step 7: Test, Iterate, and Don’t Over-Engineer
Here’s the honest truth: No automation survives first contact with real users. People will find edge cases. Data will break. Requirements will shift. Don’t panic.
- Pilot with a small group: Roll out to power users first. Get feedback. Fix what’s broken.
- Keep a change log: Track what you tweak so you can undo mistakes.
- Iterate fast: Ship improvements weekly, not yearly.
What works: Honest feedback sessions. Bribes (like pizza) help.
What doesn’t: Waiting for “perfect.” Good enough beats stuck in design hell.
What to Watch Out For
Let’s be real about the trade-offs:
- Anaplan isn’t cheap: Make sure you’re really solving a painful problem, not just buying a toy.
- Not for tiny teams: If your whole revenue ops process fits in a single Google Sheet, this might be overkill.
- Training matters: Anaplan’s interface is better than most, but it’s not “plug and play.” Budget time for training.
Ignore the hype: No tool, not even Anaplan, will fix broken processes or bad data. Automation is only as good as what you build.
Wrapping Up: Start Simple, Then Build
If you remember anything, make it this: Automate what matters, skip what doesn’t, and keep it simple. Start with your ugliest process, get it working end-to-end in Anaplan, then expand. Don’t fall for “one platform to rule them all”—just solve real problems for your team.
And when in doubt? Ask the teams doing the work. They’ll tell you what needs fixing, no buzzwords required.