Structure, reliability, empowerment:
1001 Vies Habitat transforms its budgeting process with Anaplan
Facing increasing operational complexity and a growing need for financial steering, 1001 Vies Habitat chose to restructure its budgeting process with Anaplan, supported by consulting and integration partner Beyond Plans. Testimonial.
A fully Excel-based budget in a fragmented business environment
Before implementing Anaplan, budgeting at 1001 Vies Habitat relied entirely on Excel within a diverse and complex business context. The group combines rental management, construction, rehabilitation, partial asset sales, and even home ownership activities.
Budgeting followed a heavily bottom-up approach, involving many contributors, large volumes of data, and internal financial flows due to a shared services structure. The result? A proliferation of spreadsheets, a labor-intensive process, and no tools for automatic P&L generation or version control.
“Balances were extracted into Excel, and we manually reconstructed income statements… It was very time-consuming, error-prone, and lacked traceability,” recalls Hélène Gonnet, Head of Group Management Control.
A paradigm shift under financial pressure
Until recently, social housing providers operated in a relatively stable environment with long cycles, requiring only one annual closing and minimal intermediate estimates. That has changed. Rising interest rates, increased regulations, and reduced public funding have heightened the need for agile and precise financial steering.
“The alternative was hiring more controllers but that’s not sustainable, nor is it what financial professionals are looking for today,” adds Hélène Gonnet.
Why Anaplan?
In this context, the project was launched. As a public sector entity, 1001 Vies Habitat selected Anaplan through a tender process. A key criterion? Ease of use.
“Our teams had already had to adapt to many new tools over the years… This time, we needed a platform that was easy to use for both end users and functional administrators.”
The project also emphasized shared responsibility: the RFP required a software-editor/integrator pair. Beyond Plans stood out for its tailored approach to mid-sized organizations, its proximity, and its pragmatic support, with a focus on mastering the group’s business specifics.
A collaboration that adapted to challenges
The project didn’t start off smoothly resource shortages on the client side, changes in technical contacts, and delayed contracting caused a one-month delay from the outset.
“We’re not professional project managers and started without the planned resources. But Beyond Plans adapted with great flexibility.”
Governance solidified as the project advanced. The scope was redefined around a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) focused on operating expenses and the budgeting foundation (Phase 1A), while more technical aspects (rents, operational costs, etc.) were rescheduled for Phase 1B.
Gradual but promising adoption
While adoption began strongly within the management control team, expanding usage to non-financial departments remains a future milestone.
“Getting budget owners on board is critical. We want them to feel empowered and equipped to manage their own scope.”
Anaplan’s intuitive interface has proven to be a key enabler alongside Beyond Plans’ support, which has been praised for its deep understanding of business needs and its non-technical, value-driven approach.
Early, tangible benefits
The most immediate benefits have been in budget reporting. Users appreciate the clear, streamlined P&Ls, which have significantly improved dialogue with leadership and even enabled the near-automatic generation of the financial section of the latest annual report.
“The reporting quality really impressed us. We’ve gained clarity, reliability, and internal communication has significantly improved,” says Hélène Gonnet.
The Anaplan platform was also used unexpectedly but successfully for the annual closing process, demonstrating the tool’s increasing adoption and flexibility.
What’s next?
In 2025, the focus will be on two key areas:
- Full modeling of budget flows, to eliminate the last remaining Excel files
- Gradual rollout to other departments, supporting broader ownership
- Other initiatives are already under consideration, including operational performance monitoring.
“The tool prompts a healthy questioning of our methods,” notes Hélène Gonnet. “Can we simplify further? Anaplan and Beyond Plans constantly challenge our practices and that’s what creates value.”
A trusted partnership
Beyond technical performance, it’s the human connection between Beyond Plans and 1001 Vies Habitat that stands out.
“Honestly, it feels like Beyond Plans works with us, not for us. Like they’re part of the team. That’s not always the case with external partners. With them, it’s smooth, open, and efficient,” concludes Hélène Gonnet.
