The EPM Implementation Checklist
How to Deliver a Modern Planning & Consolidation System — On Time, On Budget, and Without Regret
Platform-agnostic, field-tested checklist for CFOs leading transformations in the $100M–$5B range.
📘 CFO Shortlist Report
⏱️ 15 min read
👥 CFOs & Finance Leaders
🏢 $100M–$5B Organizations
🎯 Executive Summary
Most EPM implementations fail quietly — not because of bad software, but because of weak readiness, loose scope, or missing ownership.
This checklist captures what elite finance teams do before, during, and after an implementation to ensure success. It's not vendor-specific — it's platform-agnostic, field-tested, and built for CFOs leading transformations in the $100M–$5B range.
If you're evaluating Anaplan, OneStream, Planful, Workday Adaptive, CCH Tagetik, or any modern EPM system — this is your playbook to do it right.
1 | Pre-Implementation Readiness
The work starts long before kick-off. Before signing a contract, you should be able to check off every item below.
✅ 1.1 Executive Alignment
- Clear business drivers: close acceleration, forecast accuracy, scenario agility, reporting automation
- One-page narrative that defines "why now" — circulated to Finance, IT, and business stakeholders
- Visible executive sponsor with budget authority and political weight
✅ 1.2 Scope Definition
- Confirm Phase 1 scope: which entities, processes, and modules (e.g. budget, forecast, consolidation)
- Explicitly list what's not in scope — to protect timeline and budget
- Define "MVP" outputs: first dashboards, reports, or forecast cycles to be delivered
✅ 1.3 Data & Systems Inventory
- Map all source systems (ERP, HR, CRM, data warehouse)
- Document current data latency, ownership, and integration methods
- Identify master data issues (chart of accounts, entities, currency, hierarchies)
✅ 1.4 Implementation Partner Vetting
- Verify partner experience in your industry and your chosen platform
- Request reference calls — same size, same scope
- Define clear RACI between vendor, partner, and internal team
✅ 1.5 Internal Resourcing
- Assign named Finance Process Owner(s) for each domain
- Identify at least one Model Administrator to shadow partner configuration
- Reserve 20–30% of each key user's time during design and UAT
CFO Shortlist Insight: The quality of your implementation is limited by how well you define success before anyone opens the software.
2 | Design & Blueprint Phase
This is where architecture decisions lock in your long-term flexibility. Slow down here to go fast later.
✅ 2.1 Data Architecture
- Confirm single source of truth for actuals and master data
- Define integration cadence (real-time, daily, monthly)
- Align data granularity with reporting needs — not just what's easy to load
✅ 2.2 Model Design
- Keep the model simple enough to own internally after go-live
- Separate structural logic (dimensions, hierarchies) from business logic (calculations, allocations)
- Design for change: what will evolve every year, every quarter, every cycle
✅ 2.3 Security & Governance
- Establish user roles and access by function (Finance, Ops, Exec)
- Define approval workflow and audit trail requirements
- Set clear policy for metadata changes and model versioning
✅ 2.4 Change Management Plan
- Draft early communications: purpose, benefits, key dates, training
- Identify change champions across business units
- Define success metrics (close days, forecast cycle time, adoption rates)
CFO Shortlist Insight: "Blueprint" is not a workshop deliverable — it's the operating manual for the next five years of your Finance tech stack.
3 | Build & Configure Phase
This is where momentum — and discipline — matter most.
✅ 3.1 Build Governance
- Weekly design authority meetings to approve configuration changes
- Track decisions in a shared log with rationale and owner
- Enforce "scope freeze" rules — additions must go through formal impact review
✅ 3.2 Integration Setup
- Test connections from ERP, HR, and other data sources early — not two weeks before UAT
- Validate data reconciliation daily during build
- Document data mapping and transformation logic in plain language
✅ 3.3 Calculation & Logic Testing
- Compare system results with Excel equivalents for sample scenarios
- Peer-review all critical business rules (FX, allocations, IC eliminations)
- Benchmark calculation performance — flag any bottlenecks
✅ 3.4 Design for Adoption
- Keep interfaces intuitive: naming conventions, dashboards, and navigation consistent
- Build early prototypes for stakeholder demo and feedback
- Avoid "developer-only" logic — Finance users must understand every key formula
CFO Shortlist Insight: Every undocumented formula becomes a future audit risk. Every workaround you tolerate now becomes a support ticket later.
4 | Testing & Training
Testing isn't QA — it's change management in disguise.
✅ 4.1 Unit & System Testing
- Test each integration and process in isolation
- Confirm reconciliation between ERP actuals and system actuals
- Document test cases and outcomes in shared repository
✅ 4.2 User Acceptance Testing (UAT)
- Involve end-users early; test real-world scenarios, not dummy data
- Use the same templates and data flows users will see post go-live
- Define acceptance criteria tied to business outcomes, not "no errors"
✅ 4.3 Training & Documentation
- Train by role (Admin, Power User, Contributor, Viewer)
- Provide short video walkthroughs for common tasks
- Document business logic and workflows in an internal wiki or finance handbook
✅ 4.4 Cutover Readiness
- Dry-run actual data load and close process
- Validate user provisioning and access
- Confirm contingency plan for rollback if critical errors appear
CFO Shortlist Insight: The best training is relevance. Teach users their day-one workflow — not every button in the system.
5 | Go-Live & Hypercare
The goal isn't just go-live — it's adoption and confidence.
✅ 5.1 Go-Live Plan
- Schedule close, forecast, or budget cycles around availability
- Maintain open Slack/Teams channel for real-time issue resolution
- Assign clear escalation path (Partner → Admin → Project Sponsor)
✅ 5.2 Hypercare (First 30 Days)
- Daily sync during first cycle
- Monitor system performance and load times
- Track and categorize issues: data, process, usability, logic
✅ 5.3 Stabilization & Handover
- Finalize admin documentation and security model
- Archive design decisions and version control
- Formally close project with sign-off from Sponsor, Finance, and IT
CFO Shortlist Insight: Go-live is not the end — it's the start of your internal Center of Excellence (CoE).
6 | Post-Implementation Optimization
The difference between a good implementation and a great one is iteration.
✅ 6.1 Center of Excellence (CoE)
- Establish governance for enhancements, bugs, and change requests
- Hold quarterly "model health" reviews
- Maintain backlog of improvement ideas ranked by business impact
✅ 6.2 Continuous Training
- Refresh user enablement twice per year
- Track usage metrics (logins, report runs, submissions)
- Identify declining adoption early — before the system becomes shelfware
✅ 6.3 ROI Validation
- Measure cycle time reduction, forecast accuracy, manual hours saved
- Compare against baseline KPIs defined in pre-implementation
- Present outcomes to exec sponsor and board
✅ 6.4 Expansion Planning
- Evaluate new use cases (workforce planning, project planning, scenario modeling)
- Sequence enhancements — one per quarter, not all at once
- Treat every new scope as a mini-project with design discipline
CFO Shortlist Insight: The most successful EPM programs behave like products, not projects — continuously improved, owned, and evolved.
7 | Common Pitfalls (and How to Avoid Them)
8 | CFO Shortlist Implementation Maturity Framework
Your checklist goal: Move confidently from Level 1 → 3 in 12–18 months.
9 | Final CFO Shortlist Guidance
Implementation isn't an IT project. It's a Finance transformation with a technology backbone.
Success comes down to three non-negotiables:
- Leadership clarity – a strong sponsor and visible "why."
- Process discipline – governance, documentation, and scope hygiene.
- User adoption – early involvement, practical training, continuous ownership.
If you master those three, the software will take care of itself.
10 | Quick Reference Summary
🧠 CFO Shortlist Closing Note
Modern finance technology isn't about "installing a tool." It's about operationalizing better decision cycles — faster close, smarter forecast, and stronger control.
Your implementation checklist isn't paperwork — it's protection. Follow it, and you'll deliver the system your team actually loves to use.
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