Anaplan is a cloud-based financial planning platform that connects data, people, and plans across all departments of a business. Founded in New Zealand and now headquartered in the US, Anaplan set out to redefine business planning with a collaborative, dynamic, and cloud-native solution. Anaplan’s co-founder and former CEO Guy Haddleton, a seasoned entrepreneur with previous success in business analytics, envisioned a platform capable of addressing the limitations of traditional spreadsheet-driven planning tools.
The Driving Force
In the early stages of their development and global expansion goals, Anaplan required a trusted partner to develop the core of its new platform: the Service Delivery Platform (SDP). This would be the foundation upon which Anaplan's clients would interact with its platform via a modern Software as a Service (SaaS) model. Beyond the technical development, Anaplan also needed a partner who could understand the complexities of scaling a business and succeeding in new markets, particularly the large, complex, and competitive US market.
Our Process and Approach
With many successes already behind him, Guy Haddleton places great emphasis on the right people, so when someone he worked with recommended ClearPoint, the engagement window narrowed appreciably.
“A trusted colleague recommended their work. It was enough to convince me to spend an air fare for my chief architect Michael Gould to fly down from San Francisco and to meet with them,” explains Guy Haddleton.
Upon first meeting, ClearPoint was transparently suitable, and the engagement process began. The initial meeting took place on a Friday and by the following Monday, ClearPoint had a team in place, ready to go. As an early stage start-up at the time, Anaplan established itself in the ClearPoint office alongside the development team.
ClearPoint's engagement with Anaplan was more than just a vendor-client relationship; it was a true partnership from the early stages of Anaplan's growth. ClearPoint was tasked with developing the Service Delivery Platform and responsible for developing the client-facing tools including authentication and interfaces. ClearPoint engaged their signature Agile software development methodology, something that Guy says was critical to the success of the engagement. The approach involved:
- Feature Driven Development (FDD): ClearPoint used its Agile-based Feature Driven Development methodology. Structured around fortnightly sprints, FDD ensured transparency, regular progress checkpoints, and momentum. This process was central to keeping the project aligned with Anaplan’s strategic and technical goals.
- Best-fit Technical Strategy: ClearPoint developed the SDP using a mix of cloud-based SaaS providers and industry standard Open Source components. The infrastructure was vendor-independent, technology-agnostic, and IT architecture-led, making it scalable and resilient. This approach matched ClearPoint’s philosophy of tailoring solutions to Anaplan’s specific needs.
This forward-thinking approach ensured that Anaplan's platform could scale effectively to support the company's expansion, entry and growth in the US market. “My experience has always been that it's the quality of the individual people that you assemble around you that will make a project succeed, and ClearPoint built a team with a depth of knowledge, expertise and experience that was exceptional.” says Guy.
The Outcome
Coming in at a strategic level and closely connected with Anaplan leadership enabled ClearPoint to deliver high impact from the outset. ClearPoint's partnership with Anaplan delivered:
- Scalable Platform Built for Growth: The delivered SDP provided a stable, scalable foundation for Anaplan’s operations and future growth.
- Successful US Market Entry: ClearPoint’s work enabled Anaplan to launch and compete effectively in the US, a critical step in their global expansion. Anaplan is now valued at over $1Billion and operates across the globe.
- Continued Engagement: ClearPoint’s successful delivery led to continued involvement, helping Anaplan adapt and scale its platform over time.
The team had a depth of skills, experience and working style that was just brilliant. They delivered the project on time, within budget and bug-free. I can’t think of any greater recommendation than that.”
- Guy Haddleton, Co-founder, Anaplan Inc
From early development to its business and market expansion, ClearPoint’s expertise helped establish the platform and operating model that supported Anaplan’s rise to a billion-dollar enterprise.
Whether you’re building a platform from the ground up or scaling for global growth, ClearPoint offers technical depth and expertise, providing insights and delivering outcomes that scale. Get in touch to explore how we can support your next stage of growth.
