Governance is not a formality

Strong governance is one of the most underestimated success factors in an EPM implementation.

Well-defined roles, a clear escalation structure, and steering committee meetings focused on decision-making rather than status updates are essential. They ensure that a project makes progress as soon as complexity increases—and that always happens.

Good governance isn't about control. It's about preventing delays, monitoring objectives, and removing obstacles that ultimately affect scheduling, the budget, and results.

An implementation partner that invests in clear governance from day one demonstrates that it takes responsibility for the final result.

Choose an implementation partner who asks critical questions

The best implementation partners will be honest with you when a timeline isn't realistic—or when a requirement adds extra complexity without demonstrable added value.

They ask questions that often aren't asked internally. Why do you need 80 reports when only 10 are actively used? Why don't we create a template that your team can use to continue on their own?

Questions like these reduce costs and increase your organization's autonomy.

It is important that these discussions take place during the scoping phase and not halfway through construction.

A partner who challenges your assumptions early on is ultimately more valuable than a partner who agrees to everything and ends up disappointing you later. This is a quality to pay close attention to, especially during the software selection process.

Collaboration and Knowledge Building

A good partner starts building knowledge within your team right from the first phase of the project. By the time the system goes live, employees should be able to work with it independently. They shouldn’t have to rely on external consultants for every question.

From that point on, a good partner remains closely involved during the hypercare phase. The partner quickly resolves any issues that arise and ensures that the system is properly integrated into the organization.

Once you, as a CFO, have found a reliable partner, the relationship rarely ends after implementation. It makes sense to continue the relationship.

Relevant experience makes all the difference

The fact that an implementation partner has worked with big-name companies doesn't mean much.

What’s more important is whether that partner has solved similar challenges. So ask for references from organizations of a similar size, complexity, and ambition. Not just to check a box, but to have an honest conversation.

For example, ask:

• What changed after the system went live?
• Did the lockdown period actually become shorter?
• Has the Finance team become more independent?
• A strong partner can provide concrete answers to these kinds of questions.

Take control of the scope yourself

A new EPM system isn’t just a copy of existing processes. The system must align with what your organization needs today and in the future. Yet departments often want to keep what they already have. That’s understandable, but an implementation is actually an opportunity to simplify and improve processes.

Scope is therefore not an IT issue; it is a management decision. With clear change controls and active support from the CFO, the focus remains on what the organization truly needs, rather than recreating existing complexity.

Define success in concrete terms

“Better reporting” is not a goal. “Reducing the monthly closing process from ten to five business days within two months of going live” is. That distinction is what makes a goal SMART: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.

Goals like these give project teams something concrete to work toward. Moreover, they simplify discussions about scope, because it is clear what does and does not contribute to the desired outcome.

Without specific goals, it is nearly impossible to assess success in hindsight.

Take adoption just as seriously as technology

An implementation is only successful if people actually use the system—and use it effectively. The foundation for this is laid during the design phase:

• Who will be responsible for which processes?
• How are users trained?
• What changes will there be in our day-to-day work?

When these questions are answered early on, the Finance team can go live with confidence. That’s why adoption should be on the steering committee’s agenda throughout the entire project—not just at the end.

Ultimately, that’s what makes the difference between a system that works from a technical standpoint and one that actually helps Finance function better.

Data quality is not a minor detail

Data quality is often underestimated. Many CFOs assume that the data is in order, until it turns out that it isn’t. By the time data issues become apparent, they usually have already caused delays. Definitions are called into question, deadlines are pushed back, and testing becomes unreliable.

The solution is simple, but it requires discipline: a single, clearly defined owner, clear milestones, and early validation and reconciliation—not just at the end of the project.

Availability and Engagement

Decisions regarding capacity, priorities, and strategic choices can only be made by management. The faster those decisions are made, the better a project will continue to move forward.

The same applies to the availability of the Finance team. Workshops, design reviews, and testing take time. That capacity must be set aside in advance.

In our experience, projects are most often delayed because crucial decisions are left pending for too long or because there is insufficient capacity available. That is precisely why the CFO’s visible involvement is so important.

What Makes the Difference

Technology is rarely the deciding factor. Modern EPM platforms all offer excellent capabilities for planning, forecasting, reporting, and consolidation.

The difference lies in the way decisions are made during the project.

CFOs who achieve the best results consistently do three things:

• They choose a partner who isn't afraid to ask tough questions.
• They remain actively involved in important decisions.
• They take adoption and knowledge-building just as seriously as technology.

When those ingredients come together, the results become apparent.

At a recent client, the monthly closing process was reduced from eight to four business days. The Finance team now manages and further develops the model independently.

That’s what a successful implementation delivers: not only a faster process, but above all a Finance function that spends less time gathering data and has more time to support better decision-making.

Are you preparing for an EPM implementation? Or is a current project not going quite as expected? We’d be happy to take a look and brainstorm with you. Schedule an appointment for a no-obligation consultation.

Smart | Simple | Solid

Governance is not a formality

Strong governance is one of the most overlooked success factors in an EPM implementation.

Clear roles, a proper escalation process, and steering committee meetings that focus on decision-making rather than status reports are not mere administrative details. They are what keep a project moving forward when complexity increases—which it always does.

Good governance is not about control—it is about avoiding delays, monitoring objectives, and preventing obstacles that ultimately affect delivery, costs, and business outcomes. A partner who takes this seriously from day one is sending an important signal about how they work.

Value the partner who challenges you

The best partners let you know when a timeline needs to be adjusted or when a requirement adds complexity without providing clear value. They challenge you and ask the questions that no one internally asks anymore: Why do you need 80 reports if only 10 are actively used? Why not create a template, teach your team how to use it, and let them handle the rest?

Questions like these cut costs and build capability at the same time, and they should be asked during the scoping phase, not halfway through the development process. A partner who challenges your assumptions early on is more valuable than one who agrees with everything and ends up disappointing you later. When comparing proposals, that willingness to challenge assumptions is one of the most valuable qualities to look for. It is also one of the easiest to overlook.

A collaborative work style

A good partner builds your team’s capabilities from the very start of the project, not just in the final weeks before go-live. By cutover, your team should be operating the system with confidence, not waiting for the partner to answer basic questions.

From that point on, the right partner stays closely involved during the hyper-care phase, resolving issues quickly and ensuring that the system is properly integrated. For CFOs who find a partner they trust, the relationship rarely ends there. Not because it has to continue, but because it makes sense to.

Relevant experience matters

The fact that a partner has worked with major brands tells you surprisingly little. What matters is whether they have solved problems similar to yours. Dig deeper and ask for references from organizations of similar size and complexity—not just to check a box, but to have a real conversation.

Ask what actually changed after go-live. Did the closing process become shorter? Did the finance team become more capable and confident? A strong partner answers those questions with specifics. Those who can’t are telling you something, too.

Take the lead in scope discussions

A new EPM system is not a carbon copy of your existing processes. It should reflect what your business needs now and in the future. Every department wants to carry forward what it has today. That instinct is understandable, but this is an opportunity to simplify and improve, not to replicate.

Scope is a management decision, not an IT issue. With clear change controls and your support, the project remains focused on what the business truly needs, rather than replicating existing complexity in a new system.

Define success in concrete terms

“Better reporting” is not an objective. “Reducing the monthly close from ten working days to five within two months of go-live” is. The difference is what makes an objective SMART: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.

Outcomes defined in this way—such as cutting the close cycle in half or creating a forecast that a leadership team actually uses by the second planning cycle—give the project team a concrete goal to work toward and make every scope decision along the way easier to make. Without them, no project can be considered a success or evaluated.

Treat adoption as seriously as the build

A successful implementation is one in which people actually use the system and use it effectively. The decisions that determine that outcome are made during the design phase: who is responsible for which processes, how the team is trained, and what changes in day-to-day work.

Getting those conversations right early on means that by the time the system goes live, the finance team is ready and confident rather than still finding its footing. Keeping adoption on the steering committee’s agenda is crucial—not just at the end, but throughout the entire project. That is what transforms a well-built system into one that genuinely changes and improves how finance operates.

Data readiness is not a minor detail

Data quality is often underestimated and is the part of an EPM project that most CFOs assume is under control—until it isn’t. By the time data issues become apparent, they are already causing delays: deadlines are missed, definitions are disputed, and testing becomes unreliable.

The solution is straightforward but requires discipline from the start: one accountable owner, clear milestones, and testing and reconciliation that begin early rather than being rushed at the last minute.

Come to the steering committee ready to make a decision

Resourcing, trade-offs, and strategic direction are decisions only you can make. Making them promptly keeps the project moving forward. The same applies to your team’s capacity: finance teams contribute the most when they have sufficient time set aside for workshops, design reviews, and testing. It’s worth planning this before the project begins.

In our experience, projects most often stall because decisions that required a CFO’s input were not made quickly enough and because resources were limited or insufficient. Your visibility at the steering committee level is what keeps this situation clear and ensures that issues are identified while there is still time to address them.

What Makes the Difference

Technology is rarely the deciding factor. Most modern EPM platforms are capable of supporting planning, forecasting, reporting, and consolidation at a high level. What sets successful implementations apart from disappointing ones is how decisions are made throughout the project.

The CFOs who achieve the best results tend to do three things consistently:

• They choose a partner who challenges them when necessary.
• They remain involved in the decisions that determine the outcome.
• They take adoption and capacity building just as seriously as the technology itself.

When those ingredients come together, the results are clear. At one recent client, the monthly close was reduced from eight working days to four. The finance team now runs and expands the model on its own.

That's what a successful implementation looks like: not just a faster close, but a Finance function that spends less time gathering data and more time helping the business make better decisions.

Are you preparing for an EPM implementation? Or are you already partway through one that isn’t going according to plan? If you’d like to review your approach or discuss your specific situation, we’re always happy to have an informal conversation.

Smart | Simple | Solid