As the title of this module suggests, this week's lessons provide a foundation to understand both what Connected Planning is, as well as why it is needed now more than ever. We'll look at some key trends impacting organizations around the world, and we'll discuss how and why Connected Planning bridges the gap between strategic plans and operational execution better than traditional planning approaches do. We'll also introduce the three pillars of Connected Planning: data, people, and plans.

Now that you understand what we mean by Connected Planning and why it is so important to today's organizations, let's actually take a step back and talk about how we got to this point. Using technology to help with planning activities isn't new, but the technology tools needed to enable Connected Planning are much different than what most companies have used in the past. We'll start with a brief history lesson, and then we'll look at how Anaplan, as the leader in Connected Planning technology, is rewriting the story of planning for many organizations.

In this module, we'll cover a few industry trends that are emerging in conjunction with the move towards Connected Planning: (1) the emergence of a new corporate role: Chief Planning Officer, (2) the changing role of the Finance function in an organization, and (3) the incorporation of intelligent technology into planning - predictive analytics, machine learning, and/or artificial intelligence. Whether these trends are driven by Connected Planning or are drivers of Connected Planning is less important than the fact that they are happening. Forward-thinking companies are embracing these trends as they look for new ways to gain a competitive advantage. For those organizations, the future is already here.

Is is worth it? That's always the question when considering a change as large as the shift to a Connected Planning approach. More and more organizations around the world are discovering that indeed, it is worth it. In this week's lessons, we will explore the benefits that companies have achieved, both quantitative and qualitative. We'll also consider the technology and other organizational requirements that are necessary for successfully capturing the benefits of Connected Planning.

All organizations plan at some level, and usually at many levels. Budgeting, sales forecasting, worker scheduling, production scheduling, promotion planning, territory assignments, and communication planning are all examples of different types of planning. The final requirements for this course are to complete and submit a project and to complete a peer review for two other learners' projects. In this project, you will assess the state of planning in the organization where you currently work (or most recently worked). If you do not have experience working in an organization, you will need to interview someone about their organization to complete the project.