Insights on OneStream, CPM & Finance Transformation | Nova Advisory Blog

OneStream vs. Anaplan: Interview with Dave Collins — Episode 55

Written by Nova Advisory | Tue, Mar 25, 2025

Choosing the right platform for enterprise planning and consolidation is not just a feature checklist. It is an architectural decision that affects speed, data trust, and the real cost of change. In this episode, host Andy Smetana welcomes back Dave Collins, Director of Solutions Consulting at OneStream Software, to unpack one of the most common comparisons finance and IT leaders face today: OneStream vs. Anaplan.

Episode Summary

Andy and Dave break down the practical differences between a modular, cube-based “connected planning” approach and a unified CPM platform. You will hear how unification reduces technical debt, why model scalability matters more as you grow, and where integrations and data quality guardrails can make or break close and planning cycles. The discussion includes real enterprise examples of teams moving from Anaplan to OneStream, how to think beyond FP&A to the full Office of the CFO, and what’s new with Sensible AI for forecasting.

Listen now:

What You’ll Learn

  • Where a cube-based, module approach fits vs. a unified CPM platform

  • How unification lowers technical debt across planning, close, and reporting

  • Scalability tradeoffs: model limits, multi-cube engineering, and maintenance

  • Integration patterns that improve data quality and reduce risk

  • When to keep departmental models and how to centralize enterprise planning

  • What Sensible AI (Forecast Studio) enables for faster, more accurate forecasts 

Guest Spotlight: Dave Collins

Dave Collins is the Director of Strategic Alliances at OneStream Software and a regular guest on the CPM Customer Success Podcast. With a background in finance technology and years of experience supporting transformation at scale, Dave helps enterprise teams futureproof their operations through unified CPM strategies.

Connect with Dave on LinkedIn

Subscribe to the CPM Success Newsletter

Don’t miss an episode. Sign up to get weekly podcast updates, OneStream insights, and real-world finance transformation stories, delivered straight to your inbox.