Anaplan Launch Event Introduces Modelling & Planning Software for Asian Customers.

Early user, AirAsia Expedia, describes benefits of budgeting and forecasting with Anaplan

SINGAPORE, 25 April 2013 – Anaplan, a cloud-based business data modelling and planning software provider, recently launched its business in Asia at a launch event with about 50 prospective customers in attendance.

Frederic Laluyaux, President and CEO, Anaplan: “We are thrilled with the expansion of Anaplan business in the Asia Pacific region. Singapore offers technology leadership and was a natural choice for us to work even more closely with Asian customers that have a tremendous demand for disruptive enterprise platforms. We are in discussion with IDA and our partners to build our regional data centre out of our Singapore headquarter.”

Samir Neji, Managing Director, Asia Pacific, added that the company is scaling fast to meet enterprise demand from Asian business leaders. “We are a disruptive technology in the hands of enterprise planners and we offer incredible power back in the hands of consumers. Our apps are being developed and run by business planners, not technology gurus. Anaplan offers immediate value for business problems in strategy, planning and execution.

”AirAsia Expedia is one of the early users of Anaplan and was a speaker at the event. Henry Tjan, Head of Financial Planning & Analysis, APAC, AirAsia Expedia: “As a newly formed joint venture company, we needed to integrate from different systems being used by AirAsia and Expedia to build our enterprise planning framework across Asia. We needed to find a solution quickly, and Anaplan helped us realize value in 6-8 weeks with their highly flexible driver-based planning.  More importantly, the system enabled us to plan and analyse key financials using different views, thus enabling us to generate timely and relevant information to our management. It was a short journey, less painful, and with immediate value.”

Also speaking at the event, Accenture’s Robert Bergstrom, Managing Director – Finance & Performance Management, ASEAN: “Today’s volatile supply chain environment completely changed the dynamics of business planning.  One company’s plan for next year can easily change in a matter of weeks, or, even days. Having multiple views of the future needs to be considered and a dynamic approach is required. Anaplan delivers incredible speed to realise that and it is disruptive to existing norms. Our ‘Scenario based EPM’ model was built and operational in less than 3-4 days.” The executive also narrated his personal experience on the speed, ease of use and power of Anaplan, to help businesses with forecasting, budgeting and planning.

Anaplan’s Asia market entry follows a successful EMEA launch during the first quarter of 2013. The company’s chief executive named three drivers that are fuelling the company’s rapid growth:  customer demand, technology that delivers value to customers, and funding derived from actual sales and recent investments led by Meritech Capital, Granite Ventures, Shasta Ventures, salesforce.com and other private investors.