Dynamic Cell Access

Anaplan definition

Dynamic Cell Access (DCA) provides the ability to control access to line-item data in modules and dashboard grids at a very granular level. For any combination of dimensions, you can make the contents of individual line items or entire rows and columns read-only, editable, or invisible (the cell value still exists) which allows a flexible way to control user input and security.

For even more control, use DCA together with the User lists to control access by user as well as your chosen dimensions. This is useful if you want to allow users to enter data but not view data entered by others.

DCA comprises Access Drivers (and their dimensions) and the Read Access Driver and Write Access Driver columns in Blueprint view. It doesn’t have a dedicated user interface.

DCA is additional to Selective Access, which restricts per-user access to lists and list items but not to line-item data. If both mechanisms are used together, the most restrictive level of access applies. Depending on your needs, you can use Selective Access to restrict Access Driver Modules to workspace administrators only.

How to use DCA

Access Driver Modules

DCA can be controlled through any line item with a Boolean format type. It is best practice keep these Access Driver line items in an Access Driver Module and store these in a separate functional area.

1. Create a functional area for Access Driver modules to be categorised.
2. Create an access module with the dimensions required for DCA.
3. Insert a Read and Write Line item and change to Boolean formula.
4. A formula can be added to the Line item for example the Time function to make cell values in the Current Period editable or can be left as manual. The below example shows an access module with time.
5. If you want to control assess by User, you can add the users list to the access module dimension.

How to apply Access Driver Modules to target module line items

1. The Access Drivers can be applied to the either or both Read Access Driver or Write Access Driver columns in blueprint view
2. Access Drivers can be applied at module or line item level
3. The drop-down on the line item shows every Boolean formatted line item in the model.
4. To apply Access Driver at the module level, select in the first row of blueprint view – see example below. This access level then applies across all line items in the modules.
5. Different Access Drivers can be applied in the Read access and Write Access columns to control read-only and write access to line-item data.
6. For a finer level of granularity, Access Drivers can be applied at line item level.

Here we see below that only June, July and August are editable based on the selection in the Access – Time module.

Example 1

In the example below, we can see how Products and Customer access can be controlled with an Access module.

1. Create an Access Driver Module with Customers and Products as dimensions.
2. Add in a read and write Boolean formatted line item.
3. Create a target module with Customer, Products and Time as dimensions.
4. In Blueprint apply the Access module to the line item from the drop-down.
5. Here we can see below that cell access can be controlled by customer and product in the access module. We can take this a step further and control access by user – by bringing in the user list in the access and target module.

Example 2 – With Numbered List

In this example, we are creating user access on a numbered list based on a property. We want to achieve Brand Level Security, i.e. ensure that only specific users can forecast for a Particular Brand, e.g. Brand A. However, Brand A can be sold in multiple channels in various companies.

We have the following composite numbered list hierarchy (Products SKU L4 -> Brand L3 -> Channel L2 -> Country L1)

The Brand L3 (Numbered List) has a property called Brand which is list formatted using a list called Brand (flat list of Brands).

1. Create a module with the following line items and lists applied to them. Set the Summary methods for the ‘WRITE Access by Brand L3’, and ‘READ Access by Brand L3’ line items to be ‘Any’.
2. Set the relevant security by User on the first line item ‘Brand Access’.
   Please note: You may need to ask Anaplan to enable the admin to be able to see the full user list, this is a new feature that is currently being rolled out.)
3. Create a Target Module called Sales, with Product SKU L4 and Month as Lists and Vol and Sales as line items.
4. Apply the Access Drivers in the Module to the two Line items.
5. Review Data. The user only has WRITE Access to Products rolling into Brand A and Brand C and has READ Access to products rolling into BRAND B, D and E.

In summary, the Brand level User Access has cascaded down to Product Level, so we don’t need to have the whole Product SKU L4 level by User (this would take up a lot more space).