Independent FP&A & EPM Advisory – Built for Mid-Market Finance Teams

Unbiased, buyer-side guidance across the entire FP&A/EPM journey – from orientation to selection, negotiation, implementation, and optimization.

FREE / ZERO-OBLIGATION

Zero-Obligation Strategy Call

Free 25-minute call · No vendors · No obligation

Outcome: We tell you whether you need a new tool + next steps

Book Your Free Call

Orientation

Understand your options and readiness before committing

Orientation & Fast-Start Sessions

Clear understanding of the FP&A/EPM landscape and your fit

1–2 weeks👥 Early-stage teams⚙️ Low
  • Market overview
  • Vendor landscape briefing

FP&A / EPM Direction Session

$199

A structured 60-minute session that clarifies your situation and gives you a confident next step — without any vendor noise

  • Clear "Do we actually need a new tool?" answer
  • Fit-snapshot across vendor categories
  • Next-step plan based on your timing and budget

Perfect for: CFOs/Controllers who feel early, unsure, or overwhelmed

Strategy & Requirements

Align internally and define what you actually need

Strategy, Requirements & Alignment

Internal alignment and clear requirements before vendor engagement

1–2 weeks👥 Pre-vendor teams⚙️ Medium
  • Strategy workshop
  • Requirements gathering

Requirements Triage Session

$299

A 90-minute session to extract, prioritize, and structure the requirements that will actually matter in your evaluation

  • Priority requirement stack (Must / Should / Nice)
  • Initial evaluation criteria
  • Risk flags based on your workflows and data flows

Perfect for: Organizations about to start shortlisting or writing demo scripts

Shortlisting

Narrow 40+ vendors down to the right 3–5

Vendor Shortlisting

A focused shortlist of 3–5 vendors that match your needs

1–2 weeks👥 Vendor-overwhelmed buyers⚙️ Medium
  • 10-day shortlist sprint
  • Technical fit review

Shortlist Validation Call

$199

A 60-minute teardown of your in-progress shortlist to ensure you aren't missing a better-fit vendor or carrying dead weight

  • Keep / Replace / Add recommendations
  • Fit-risks by vendor
  • Updated shortlist (3–6 vendors max)

Perfect for: Teams with a shortlist who want validation before deep evaluation

Evaluation & Decision

Run structured demos and make a confident choice

Evaluation & Decision Support

A confident, defensible decision with structured evaluation

4–12 weeks👥 Active evaluators⚙️ High
  • Demo scripts & scorecards
  • Vendor liaison (inbox shield)

A-vs-B Decision Session

$349

A 90-minute comparative analysis of your two finalists so you can make a defensible, confident decision

  • Side-by-side "real differences that matter"
  • Implementation complexity reality check
  • Recommended winner with rationale

Perfect for: Teams stuck between 2 vendors or after running lightweight POCs

Commercial & Negotiation

Maximize value and minimize cost on deals

Commercial Strategy & Negotiation

Optimized contract terms and pricing for maximum value

1–2 weeks👥 Negotiating buyers⚙️ Medium
  • Pricing benchmarks
  • Term & scenario strategy

Proposal & Pricing Teardown

$299

A fast, surgical 60-minute review of your vendor's proposal + pricing with benchmarks, risk flags, and negotiation angles

  • Benchmark-based pricing analysis
  • Term & structure improvement recommendations
  • Negotiation script for your next vendor call

Perfect for: Teams with a live proposal or renewal in hand

Implementation

Ensure successful rollout with buyer-side quality assurance

Implementation Oversight

Successful implementation with buyer-side quality assurance

Ongoing👥 Implementing teams⚙️ High
  • Milestone QA
  • Architecture validation

Implementation Plan Review

$299

A 60–90 min expert review of your implementation plan to catch risks before they turn into cost, timeline, or rework problems

  • Architecture & modeling risk assessment
  • SI/vendor overlap clarity
  • Recommended success checkpoints

Perfect for: Teams starting implementation or feeling uneasy mid-project

Optimization

Maximize ROI and expand use cases over time

Optimization & Long-Term Partnership

Maximized ROI and expanded use cases over time

Ongoing👥 Post-go-live teams⚙️ Medium
  • Post-go-live audit
  • Adoption review

Post-Go-Live Optimization Checkup

$249

A 60–90 minute audit of your current model, reporting, and workflows to surface quick wins and long-term improvements

  • Adoption & utilization analysis
  • "Quick win" configuration tweaks
  • Efficiency & model improvement roadmap

Perfect for: Teams 3–18 months post-go-live or unhappy with usability/adoption

WHY CFO SHORTLIST

Why CFO Shortlist

Independent & Vendor-Agnostic

No vendor compensation or pay-to-play sponsorships. Our recommendations are based purely on your needs.

Mid-Market FP&A Expertise

Deep experience with mid-market finance teams and the unique challenges they face in tool selection and implementation.

Hands-On Advisory, Not Slideware

We roll up our sleeves and work alongside your team, providing actionable guidance, not just presentations.

Get a Quick Recommendation

Share your situation and we'll reply with 1–2 suggested paths forward. No obligation, no vendor pressure.

Get a Quick Recommendation

"Sample question: 'We're a $50M SaaS company using Excel for planning. Should we look at Gen-3 FP&A tools or stick with Excel for now?'"

Independent FP&A & EPM advisory for mid-market finance teams.

Helping CFOs, Controllers, and FP&A leaders choose, negotiate, and implement the right finance stack – without pay-to-play bias.

© 2025 CFO Shortlist. All rights reserved.

Independent, buyer-first EPM advisory.

No vendor compensation or pay-to-play sponsorships.