If you use Workday HCM or Financials, use Adaptive Integration to pull actuals nightly. No more rekeying GL data.
If you are reading this, you have likely uttered a familiar phrase in your finance or operations meeting: “Why is this model breaking again?”
You have mastered the Excel F keyboard shortcuts—F2 to edit, F4 to lock a cell, Ctrl+Shift+F to format. But now, you are being asked to move from static spreadsheets to a cloud-based, driver-based planning platform. You need a guide that speaks your language—from F (Function/Formula) to Workday Adaptive Planning.
This tutorial is not a generic product brochure. It is a technical, hands-on translation guide for the experienced analyst moving into the world of Adaptive Planning. By the end, you will understand how to migrate your logic, build dynamic driver-based models, and never hit a broken link in a shared drive again.
The "F" Logic (The Trap):
In a legacy spreadsheet environment, you define data by where it lives. You use cell references like =B5*C5. If you insert a row, your formulas break. Your "metadata" is usually a hardcoded column header (e.g., "Dept 001" typed into cell A4).
The Adaptive Translation: In Workday Adaptive, data is defined by what it is, not where it lives.
Go to Data Entry mode on your Headcount sheet. f to workday adaptive planning tutorial
Watch the magic:
Now change Avg Salary to $85,000. The entire forecast updates instantly across all months and departments.
This is impossible in Excel without massive structural changes.
Step 1 – Create Dimensions
Step 2 – Assumption Sheet HR_Assumptions
| Account | Role | 2025 | 2026 | 2027 |
|---------|------|------|------|------|
| Base_Salary | Manager | 120k | 123k (inflated) | 126k |
| Headcount | Manager | 5 | 5 | 6 |
Step 3 – Calculation Sheet Employee_Costs
Write rule for Total_Salary: If you use Workday HCM or Financials, use
Total_Salary = Lookup(‘Base_Salary’, ‘HR_Assumptions’) * Lookup(‘Headcount’, ‘HR_Assumptions’)
Note: No SUMIFS. No F2 to drag down. This single rule applies to every combination of Job_Role, Cost_Center, and Time.
Step 4 – Add Hiring Logic
Want to hire 2 new Managers in Q3 2025? Use the Phase function (Adaptive’s unique strength):
Headcount = Prior('Headcount', 1, 'Month') + Phase(‘New_Hires’, 1, 1, 3, 2025)
This says: “Start adding ‘New_Hires’ rule in March 2025, spread over 1 month.”
Try doing that cleanly in Excel without a macro. If you are reading this, you have likely
Set automated delivery of reports to your CFO every Monday at 7 AM. No manual work.
Excel method:
Cell C5 = =B5 * 1.05 (5% growth – hardcoded as a value).
Adaptive method (best practice):
Sales(Time) = Prior(‘Sales’, 1, ‘Year’) * Lookup(‘Sales_Growth’, ‘Assumptions’, ‘Current Version’)
Translation:
The F lesson: You are no longer editing cells; you are editing rules that apply to entire years for all levels.