GAIN_Global Ananplan Implementation Network
GAIN_Global Ananplan Implementation Network

Planning transformation in practice: Part 7 – Embedding planning as a way of working

3 August 2026

In this article, Zooss Delivery Manager Mick Wilson looks at how organisations realise the full return on their planning transformation by embedding new ways of working into day-to-day operations.

This includes:

  • Training that builds decision-making capability, not just system usage
  • Establishing super-users and internal champions
  • Governance structures and Centres of Excellence (CoE)
  • Reinforcing adoption through early outcomes
  • Continuous improvement and extending planning across functions and regions

From implementation to embedded capability

When a planning platform goes live, most of the technical work is complete. The real return on investment comes afterwards, as planning becomes part of how the business operates.

Until then, the platform risks becoming a new system that sits alongside the old one, rather than replacing it.

A successful transformation changes behaviour. It moves teams away from fragmented, manual processes towards a consistent and structured way of working. That shift needs to be designed, supported and reinforced.

As Mick Wilson puts it: “The platform doesn’t deliver the value on its own. The value comes when people trust it, use it, and make decisions with it every day.”

The platform doesn’t deliver the value on its own. The value comes when people trust it, use it, and make decisions with it every day.
Mick Wilson, Delivery Manager

Training for decision-making, not just system use

Training is often treated as the final step before go-live. It is one of the main drivers of adoption.

When training focuses on navigation, it produces users who can operate the platform but still make decisions the old way. Training built around real planning scenarios, using the organisation’s own data and processes, creates users who understand how the model works and how their inputs affect downstream decisions.

This builds confidence early and supports adoption beyond the first few planning cycles.

Building internal capability through super-users

Sustaining the planning platform relies on internal capability; leaning on external support alone leaves organisations struggling to scale and evolve it.

Establishing a network of super-users and champions is essential. Identifying these individuals from design and build onwards, not just before go-live, gives them real confidence in the role early. These individuals:

  • Act as the first line of support within the business
  • Reinforce consistent use of the platform
  • Provide feedback to improve models and processes

They bridge the gap between technical design and business use, ensuring the solution reflects how the organisation operates.

Governance and Centres of Excellence

As planning becomes more integrated across functions, governance matters more.

A clear governance structure supports:

  • Consistent use of models and data
  • Controlled changes to the planning environment
  • Alignment between business and technology teams

Without it, teams tend to revert to familiar workarounds such as parallel spreadsheets or decisions made outside the model.

Governance only holds if it applies at the top, too; when leaders leverage the new platform for all their decision-making, that becomes the path of least resistance for the rest of the team

Many organisations formalise this through a Centre of Excellence (CoE), providing a structured way to:

  • Maintain standards and best practice
  • Manage enhancements and prioritisation
  • Support ongoing training and adoption

A CoE’s remit typically expands over time, starting with maintenance and minor enhancements before taking on broader responsibilities, while engaging an experienced partner for more complex changes.

Reinforcing adoption through early outcomes

Adoption builds momentum when people see that the platform is helping them do their job better.
Mick Wilson, Delivery Manager

Adoption won’t stick if it’s mandated – it’s earned when users experience a better way of working and choose it over the old. Early outcomes shape how the business perceives the new platform.

The first planning cycle run entirely in the new model is worth marking – a faster forecast, fewer manual steps, access to better data, or more useful insights all reinforce why the change was made and demonstrate its real benefits.

As Mick notes: “Adoption builds momentum when people see that the platform is helping them do their job better.”

Continuous improvement and scaling across the business

Planning transformation doesn’t stop after go-live. The most effective organisations treat it as an ongoing capability.

Continuous improvement focuses on:

  • Refining models based on real usage
  • Expanding into new functions or business units
  • Improving data integration and automation

A successful first release often becomes its own catalyst: new use cases – within the same function or beyond it – tend to surface, extending the value of the investment.

Extending across regions raises its own consistency and governance questions. Platforms such as Anaplan support that expansion, but technology alone is not enough. It takes a consistent delivery approach, supported by partner networks such as the Global Anaplan Implementation Network (GAIN) to keep models, processes and governance aligned as the footprint grows.

Embedding ownership, not dependency

Successful transformations depend on clear ownership of both the platform and the processes it supports.

At Zooss, the focus is on embedding capability, not dependency. This means:

  • Building internal knowledge and confidence
  • Establishing clear ownership and governance
  • Designing solutions that the business can maintain and evolve

Read more of our Planning Transformation in Practice series

Find out more

Better Planning. Better Planet.

 

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