The consulting firm Huron recently published a comparative study of the leading financial performance management platforms — Oracle, SAP, Workday, OneStream, CCH Tagetik, and Anaplan.
Beyond the benchmark itself, this report highlights a major shift: finance teams are no longer choosing just a tool, but an entire architecture. And this is precisely where Beyond Plans, Anaplan’s exclusive implementation partner in France, supports finance departments in defining and deploying their transformation strategies.
1. The Shift Toward “Intelligent Finance”
The study underscores a major evolution in the CFO’s role: finance is no longer limited to producing and controlling numbers — it must now anticipate, simulate, and guide decision-making.
This demand for agility relies on two key drivers: cloud technology and artificial intelligence. Together, they redefine performance management around one central idea: connecting all enterprise data to accelerate decision-making.
At Beyond Plans, we observe this shift across all industries. Finance leaders are asking for fewer silos, more scenario planning, and governance that remains firmly in control. In this landscape, connected planning, powered by Anaplan, is emerging as the model of choice.
2. Architecture as the Real Differentiator
As the Huron report clearly states: “Architecture is destiny.”
A platform’s architecture determines its agility, long-term costs, and ability to embrace innovation.
The study identifies several technical approaches: hosted models, integrated ERP suites, and “cloud-native” platforms.
Anaplan falls squarely into the latter category. Its 100% cloud-based, multi-tenant, and scalable architecture allows new models to be added or modified without technical disruption. This flexibility, combined with an open and collaborative design, enables organizations to build dynamic planning ecosystems that evolve alongside their business.
3. The Era of Connected Planning
Anaplan’s true strength lies in its ability to connect operational, commercial, and financial planning within a single environment.
While other solutions often rely on closed modules or static reporting logic, Anaplan adopts a business-driven approach: every model can be customized around an organization’s processes while remaining interoperable with existing systems (ERP, CRM, BI, etc.).
For Beyond Plans, this agility is key to success — it allows business teams to be directly involved in modeling, accelerates budgeting cycles, and strengthens alignment between strategy, sales, HR, and operations.
4. The Integration of AI: A Paradigm Shift
The Huron study emphasizes the growing importance of AI-powered agents within financial platforms.
Artificial intelligence now goes far beyond statistical prediction: it is embedded directly into financial processes — anomaly detection, demand forecasting, variance analysis, and automated recommendations.
Anaplan was among the first to industrialize this approach with PlanIQ, a forecasting engine that combines internal data with external signals to generate reliable predictive scenarios.
Beyond Plans already supports several clients in operationalizing these capabilities — integrating AI models into forecasting cycles and defining use cases that create tangible business value: sales forecasts, cash optimization, dynamic workforce planning, and more.
5. Governance and Agility: A New Alliance
Traditionally, organizations had to choose between flexibility and governance: either a free but poorly controlled solution, or a robust but rigid one.
Anaplan’s evolving platform, combined with new components dedicated to consolidation and reporting, changes this paradigm.
These advancements — reinforced by Beyond Plans’ proven methodology — make it possible to orchestrate planning, performance, and compliance within a single environment.
Our approach is to make Anaplan not just a tool, but the backbone of performance management — open, connected, and fully governed.
6. Total Cost, Value, and Adoption: The Real Criteria
The study reminds us that acquisition cost is only part of the equation. The total cost of ownership (TCO) also depends on maintenance, updates, and above all, the speed of user adoption.
Anaplan stands out in this respect thanks to its fully managed SaaS model — no versioning, no upgrade projects, and continuous platform updates with zero service interruption.
In practice, this translates into a fast time-to-value: models can be deployed progressively, continuously enriched, and adapted without requiring technical overhauls.
At Beyond Plans, we leverage this flexibility to deliver agile rollouts — bringing first results within weeks rather than months.
7. Toward an Augmented Finance Function
Throughout the study, one message stands out: the success of an EPM project no longer depends on a feature checklist, but on a holistic vision.
Finance is becoming a space of orchestration — where data, scenarios, and decisions converge. In this landscape, Anaplan provides the ideal foundation: a unified, scalable, and collaborative environment that integrates AI and connects seamlessly with all data sources.
Beyond Plans acts as the conductor of this transformation. Our mission goes beyond technology deployment: we structure governance, empower business teams, and ensure model consistency over time.
Conclusion: A New Generation of EPM
The Huron study makes it clear: finance leaders are now seeking platforms that are open, intelligent, and future-proof.
In this context, Anaplan stands out as one of the most modern and agile EPM solutions available — particularly suited to multi-business and international organizations.
As a multi-certified Anaplan partner, Beyond Plans helps clients unlock the full potential of the platform by combining business expertise, data architecture, and project excellence.
Because beyond comparisons, the real question is no longer “Which tool should we choose?” — but rather “What kind of finance do we want to build for 2026?”
FAQ
1. What is an EPM platform, and what is it used for?
An Enterprise Performance Management (EPM) platform centralizes financial and operational data to plan, simulate, and manage company performance. It connects finance, HR, sales, and operations within a unified environment to improve forecasting and decision-making.
2. Why are finance departments turning to Anaplan?
Anaplan stands out for its flexibility and its ability to connect planning, finance, and operations within a single cloud platform. With its real-time calculation engine and built-in AI features (PlanIQ), it enables fast scenario modeling and accelerates strategic decisions.
3. How does Beyond Plans support organizations with Anaplan?
Beyond Plans designs and implements Anaplan architectures tailored to each organization. The firm helps finance leaders structure their planning models, integrate business data, and fully leverage the platform’s collaborative power.
4. Which trends will shape EPM solutions by 2026?
Three major trends are emerging: the widespread adoption of cloud-native architectures, the integration of AI into financial processes, and the convergence of planning, ESG, and performance management — all areas where Anaplan, supported by Beyond Plans, is leading the way.
