Excel to Anaplan: Why Mining Companies Are Making the Switch

As mining operations grow in complexity, the limitations of spreadsheet-based planning become increasingly costly. Here is what is driving the migration.

The Spreadsheet Status Quo

Excel has been the backbone of financial planning in mining for decades. It is flexible, familiar, and powerful in the right hands. Most mining finance professionals learned their craft building spreadsheet models, and many of the industry's best financial models still run on Excel. There is no shame in that — and we say this as a firm that builds excellent Excel models every day. But as mining operations scale across multiple sites, commodities, and jurisdictions, the cracks in spreadsheet-based planning become harder to ignore. A 2025 survey of financial professionals found that 75% consider manual spreadsheet processes to be a significant pain point in budgeting and forecasting. 60% reported that manual data entry had led to critical errors including broken formulas and version control failures.

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75% of finance professionals say manual spreadsheet processes are a significant pain point in budgeting and forecasting

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Where Excel Reaches Its Limits in Mining

Mining financial planning is uniquely demanding. A single operation might involve production scheduling, ore grade variability, commodity price sensitivity, workforce rostering, maintenance planning, and capital allocation — all feeding into a consolidated financial view. When you multiply that across five or ten sites, the spreadsheet model becomes a liability rather than an asset.

The most common failure points we see:

• Version chaos: Multiple copies of the same model circulating via email, with no certainty about which version is current. One mining client we worked with discovered three different budget versions being used simultaneously across their operations team.

• Formula fragility: Complex models built by one person become opaque to everyone else. When the original model builder leaves, the model becomes a black box that nobody dares to change.

• Integration gaps: Data is manually extracted from the ERP, pasted into Excel, manipulated, and then manually entered back. Each handoff introduces risk, delay, and the potential for error.

• Collaboration bottlenecks: Only one person can work on the model at a time. Budget cycles stretch for weeks because teams have to take turns inputting their numbers.

• Scenario limitations: Running a what-if scenario means copying an entire workbook, changing assumptions, and manually comparing outputs. By the time you have three or four scenarios, the process is unmanageable.

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A mining planner at one African operation moved from six-weeks-on/two-weeks-off site rotations to working from home after their Anaplan implementation made the planning job manageable online. When you trust the numbers, you get time back to think.

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Why Anaplan Is Gaining Traction in Mining

Anaplan is a cloud-native planning platform built from the ground up for connected, multi-dimensional planning. Unlike Excel, it is designed so that multiple users can work on the same model simultaneously, with changes reflected in real time across all connected views. For mining companies, the value proposition is compelling. Anaplan allows you to link finance, operations, supply chain, and workforce planning onto a single connected platform. A change in production schedule immediately flows through to the financial forecast. A commodity price shift is reflected across every site in seconds, not days. This is not theoretical. Major mining companies across Africa are making the move. Kamoa Copper, one of the largest copper operations on the continent, recently transitioned its financial planning from Excel to Anaplan, citing the need for greater agility and more informed decision-making. The implementation went live in approximately 12 weeks.

The Transition Does Not Mean Abandoning Excel

A common misconception is that moving to Anaplan means Excel disappears entirely. It does not. Most implementations begin with one or two core planning processes — such as budgeting and OPEX forecasting — while other processes continue in Excel. Over time, more processes migrate as the organisation builds confidence and capability.

The ideal implementation partner understands both worlds fluently. At 163 Solutions, we build financial models in Excel and implement them on Anaplan. We understand the business logic that lives inside your spreadsheets, and we know how to translate that logic into a connected planning environment without losing the nuance.

Is Your Organisation Ready?

Consider the switch if you recognise three or more of these signals:

• Your budget cycle takes more than four weeks end to end

• Multiple versions of the same model exist across the organisation

• You spend more time assembling data than analysing it

• Scenario analysis is difficult or avoided because it takes too long

• Key models are maintained by one person and nobody else fully understands them

• You operate across multiple sites and consolidation is manual

The shift from Excel to Anaplan is not about replacing a tool. It is about upgrading how your organisation plans, collaborates, and makes decisions. The mining companies that make this transition well will be the ones best positioned to navigate the volatility, complexity, and pace of change that defines African mining in 2026 and beyond.

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163 Solutions is an official Anaplan implementation partner specialising in the mining sector. We help mining companies migrate from Excel to Anaplan without losing the business logic that matters. Get in touch — roelof@163solutions.co.za or dean@163solutions.co.za