The Power of Connected Planning
The Power of Connected Planning: Why a Single Source of Truth is Essential in Modern EPM
In today’s fast-paced, data-saturated business environment, decision-makers are under constant pressure to move quickly, adapt to change, and deliver results across increasingly complex organizations. Yet despite advances in technology, many companies still rely on disconnected spreadsheets, siloed systems, and manual processes to drive their financial and operational planning. The result? Misalignment, delays, and decisions based on incomplete or outdated data.
This is where connected planning and a single source of truth become essential. More than buzzwords, they represent a new standard for how enterprise performance management (EPM) should function as one system that integrates teams, data, and strategy in real time.
What is Connected Planning?
Connected planning refers to the integration of planning processes across departments, business units, and systems. Rather than operating in silos—for example, sales forecasts in one tool, finance budgets in another, and HR headcount in a separate spreadsheet—connected planning creates a unified model where all parts of the organization can plan, forecast, and analyze in lockstep.
With a connected planning approach, changes in one area automatically flow through to others. For example, a sales team adjusting its quarterly forecast can instantly trigger updates in production planning, cash flow projections, and workforce needs. This level of transparency and coordination is impossible to achieve with legacy tools or spreadsheets.
Why a Single Source of Truth Matters
A single source of truth means that all stakeholders are working from the same, accurate, and up-to-date data set, regardless of department or location. It removes the need for manual reconciliations, back-and-forth emails, and version control nightmares.
Without it, organizations often waste valuable time validating numbers instead of analyzing them. They make decisions based on assumptions, stale reports, or inconsistent logic across business units. With it, they gain confidence in their forecasts, speed in their decision-making, and alignment in their execution.
When implemented within a modern EPM platform like Anaplan, Pigment, Jedox, or Oracle Cloud EPM, this single source of truth becomes dynamic—not just a static report, but a live model that can be sliced, updated, and shared across teams in real time.
Business Impact: From Siloed to Strategic
Connected planning powered by a single source of truth brings measurable value across the enterprise:
- Finance: Moves beyond static annual budgets into rolling forecasts that reflect the latest business realities.
- Supply Chain: Gains visibility into demand shifts and adjusts inventory and production accordingly.
- Sales: Aligns targets with operational capacity and finance-approved compensation plans.
- HR: Links headcount plans to budget forecasts and strategic growth initiatives.
- Executives: Receive one version of the truth in dashboards and reports, empowering faster, more accurate decision-making.
This level of integration enables companies to react quickly to changes in the market, anticipate risks, and seize opportunities with confidence.
Enabling Connected Planning with the Right EPM System
Not all EPM systems are created equal. A modern connected planning platform must offer:
- Multi-dimensional modeling to support complex use cases across functions.
- Real-time collaboration so stakeholders can plan together, not in sequence.
- Data integration tools to connect to ERPs, CRMs, HRIS, and other critical systems.
- Auditability and governance to ensure data integrity across the organization.
- Scalability to support everything from departmental use to enterprise-wide planning.
Platforms like Anaplan, Pigment, and Oracle Cloud EPM are designed with these capabilities in mind. When implemented thoughtfully, they provide a foundation for enterprise agility, enabling a shift from reactive reporting to proactive, data-driven strategy.
Final Thoughts
Disconnected planning belongs to the past—one where organizations could afford to wait weeks for reports or manually piece together data across departments. In the digital age, where agility and precision determine success, connected planning supported by a single source of truth is no longer a nice-to-have. It is a competitive advantage.
At Arete EPM, we help clients modernize their planning processes by implementing best-in-class EPM systems tailored to their business needs. We believe planning should be connected, collaborative, and built on a foundation of reliable data. Because when your teams are aligned and your decisions are data-driven, you’re not just planning. You’re leading.
